Bangladesh Declares Free Internet Day on July 18

To mark Free Internet Day on July 18, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has directed all mobile operators in the country to provide 1 GB of free data to their customers. The decision was announced during a meeting of the Posts and Telecommunications Division held on Tuesday and was confirmed through an official notice issued on Wednesday, July 16.

According to the notice, the initiative coincides with the observance of the July Mass Uprising Day and aims to promote public interest and the right to internet access. Each eligible subscriber will receive 1 GB of data valid for five days. The BTRC also instructed operators to notify users in advance via SMS.

The SMS will read: “No one can take away your right to internet freedom. On the occasion of July Mass Uprising Day, you will receive 1 GB data free on July 18. Validity: 5 days.”

To activate the free data, Grameenphone users must dial 1211807#, Robi users 41807#, Banglalink users 1211807, and state-run Teletalk users 1111807#.

The directive, signed by BTRC Director General Brigadier General S M Moniruzzaman, calls on mobile operators to ensure smooth implementation and actively support the observance of the day.

It is noteworthy that on July 18 last year, during the quota reform protests, the government had shut down internet services nationwide. This year’s initiative aims to reverse that action by reaffirming citizens’ rights to access the internet.