Bangladesh’s ICT Policy Advisor, Fayez Ahmad Tayyab, revealed that approximately 70% of the country’s internet infrastructure had been under India’s control. He emphasized the need to establish local content delivery networks (CDNs), cache servers, edge routers/servers, or points of presence (PoPs), as well as mediation servers and data centers within Bangladesh to mitigate this dependency.
Providing evidence of internet reliance on India, he stated, “Of the 7.2 terabytes submarine cable capacity (combining SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5), only 2.7 terabytes are being utilized. The remaining capacity is supplemented by ITC links from India. This creates a single point of dependence for the country’s internet connectivity.”
On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, the advisor shared his concerns via a Facebook post, elaborating that over 70% of Bangladesh’s internet traffic is routed through Indian cities like Kolkata, where deep packet inspection and internet mediation servers are based. He criticized this dependence, stating, “This reflects the subservient digital policies of the Awami League, leaving our internet infrastructure beyond our genuine control.”
He further alleged that “the ICT Division currently lacks tools or processes to enable effective citizen monitoring or control over social media and the internet. Arresting or harassing individuals based on Facebook comments by tracing their location contradicts the interim government’s policies.” He added, “The ICT Division under the previous regime facilitated such practices, but we will not follow their example.”
In his post, the advisor also questioned previous mechanisms for social media control under the Awami League, stating, “We are unaware of how Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and Mustafa Jabbar managed social media controls, but we have uncovered evidence of significant financial investments, amounting to hundreds of crores, in Facebook.”
He noted that the current ICT Division does not have the capabilities that the previous government allegedly utilized. “We heard about setups at CRI’s house behind Dhanmondi 32, NTMC’s former DG Ziaul Ahsan’s residence, and various law enforcement agencies. However, we oppose the application of such mechanisms, as it amounts to criminal behavior,” he said.
The advisor called for transparency from Meta/Facebook and Google/YouTube regarding their arrangements with the previous government. “We often saw figures like Jabbar and Palak meeting frequently with them. Meta/Facebook’s former and current representatives can provide explanations,” he concluded.
