July 2024 Internet Shutdown Executed on Government Order, Says BTRC Official
A Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) official has stated that internet services were shut down during the July–August 2024 uprising following instructions from then State Minister for ICT, Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
He made this statement on Thursday, April 16, in a deposition before a single-member bench of Judge Md. Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury of International Crimes Tribunal-1. For security reasons, the official, who testified as the fourth witness, has remained anonymous.
According to the testimony, around 7:00 PM on July 18, 2024, the witness received a phone call from Kazi Mostafizur Rahman, who was serving as director general of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission at the time. During the call, he stated that the then BTRC Chairman, Engineer Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed, had been instructed by State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak to direct International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) operators to shut down upstream internet bandwidth.
As part of implementing the directive, the witness was instructed to create a WhatsApp group with ITC operators. He subsequently created a group titled “18 July ITC Operations” and added relevant operators.
Representatives from various organizations were included in the group, including officials from Summit Communications Limited, Fiber@Home Limited, Novocom Limited, and Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited.
According to the testimony, after the group was created, Director General Kazi Mostafizur Rahman informed ITC operators about the government directive through a group call. Shortly afterward, around 9:00 PM the same day, internet services were shut down by the operators and remained completely suspended until July 23.
Later, on July 23, State Minister Junaid Ahmed Palak held a meeting with IIG operators and media representatives. At the meeting, instructions were given to restore limited internet connectivity in important locations while keeping social media platforms—Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok—blocked.
Subsequently, on July 31, a decision was made through the BTRC chairman to fully restore internet services.
Meanwhile, as the witness’s testimony remains incomplete, the tribunal has adjourned the hearing until July 19. Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam represented the prosecution during the hearing, along with prosecutors Gazi MH Tamim, Moinul Karim, Sultan Mahmud, and others.
Earlier, the then president of ISPAB had also testified before the tribunal.
DBTech/DHE/EK
