Amidst ongoing protests against Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, the country briefly imposed restrictions on several social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook. According to Global Eyes News, this move, implemented on August 2nd, effectively prevented users from accessing these platforms throughout Bangladesh. Interestingly, this decision came shortly after Turkey announced a ban on Instagram, citing concerns about the information being shared regarding the death of Hamas’ chief Ismail Haniyeh.
Adding to the chaos, Bangladeshi news outlet The Daily Star reported widespread complaints from mobile internet users in Bangladesh about outages affecting Facebook and Messenger. This is not the first time internet access has been restricted in Bangladesh. On July 31st, the government lifted a previous block on social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, coinciding with the relaxation of a curfew. The initial internet disruptions were linked to nationwide protests sparked by the Hasina administration’s proposal of a controversial quota system for government jobs. This proposal aimed to provide reservations for individuals whose family members participated in Bangladesh’s liberation movement.
According to The Daily Star, an agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs instructed mobile operators via text message to enforce the new ban. A source close to the situation revealed that Telegram, a messaging platform known for its large file transfer capabilities, was also blocked for the first time.
Meanwhile, another Bangladeshi news outlet, The Dhaka Tribune, reported that users regained access to their Facebook and Messenger accounts almost six hours after the outage. Mobile service operators confirmed receiving instructions to resume mobile data on Friday evening. Sources informed The Dhaka Tribune that the ministry was conducting a “filtering process” that required time for full restoration, leading to the internet disruptions experienced by users.
