Storm Stalls Signal: Thousands of BTS Sites Down Nationwide
More than 5,000 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) operated by mobile network providers across the country have gone offline amid ongoing severe weather conditions. Telecom service providers are struggling to maintain connectivity as storms and tidal surges caused by a low-pressure system continue to disrupt power supply in several regions of Bangladesh, severely affecting telecommunications nationwide.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Friday morning, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser responsible for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, confirmed the impact. “Due to power outages, over 5,000 sites have gone offline. The natural disaster has severely impacted Barisal, South Sylhet, Tangail, Chandpur, Mymensingh, North Dhaka, Cumilla, Noakhali, and South Chattogram regions,” he wrote.
He further stated, “The storm and tidal surge caused by the low-pressure system have disrupted telecom services across the country by affecting the power distribution infrastructure. Workers from rural electrification and telecom service providers are working tirelessly to restore the network.”
According to Taiyeb’s data, 44 percent of mobile towers in the country have been affected. A total of 8,262 towers have lost access to electricity, with 5,904 sites—representing 35.8 percent—completely down. Power has been temporarily restored to 624 towers using portable generators, while an additional 504 generators are in the process of being deployed. As of 9:00 am, 64.2 percent of the country’s mobile towers were still operational.
A deep depression formed in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday, leading to heavy rainfall across large parts of the country, including the capital. The system has since weakened into a land depression and is expected to become a low-pressure area by Friday. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has predicted persistent rainfall throughout the day, with some areas likely to see heavy to very heavy showers extending into Saturday. At least five divisions are expected to be affected by the lingering effects of the system.
