Govt taking away people's rights through internet shutdowns: Fakhrul

Secretary General of the BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has accused the government of infringing on people's rights through "digital" shutdowns.

"The government, fearing a mass uprising, has launched a new conspiracy of taking away people's rights through digital shutdowns," he said on Sunday (23 July) at a press conference organised by BNP's media cell to protest all internet shutdowns, among other digital infringements.

"Internet services are being shut down on the day of BNP's rallies to disrupt the programmes," he explained.

"Not only BNP leaders and activists but also free-minded people are being harassed due to the Digital Security Act [DSA]," Fakhrul said.

He accused the government of using the BTRC as a modern tool of oppression against the people. 

"This is a clear violation of an individual's civil rights."

He expressed worry about people's digital rights being further narrowed in the future.

"The government is using surveillance technology from abroad, and using it on the people to collect information," he said.

He said the BNP's movement is going to interrupt at the right time. "The movement is going forward defeating all the barriers set by the government," Fakhrul said.

BNP media cell convenor Zahir Uddin Swapan, Member Secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, member Shammi Akhter, Rumeen Farhana, Quader Gani Chowdhury, Mir Helal and others were present at the press conference.

Earlier, BNP leaders and activists complained that they found poor or no internet reception on their cellphones during their rally at Naya Paltan on 12 July.

A report by Access Now, a New York-based non-profit organisation working on the digital civil rights of people around the world, showed that Bangladesh was among the top five countries with the highest number of Internet shutdowns in 2022.

According to the report, in 2022, India had the highest number of shutdowns (84), followed by Ukraine (22), Iran (18), Myanmar (7) and Bangladesh (6).