PM Hasina advises against misuse of internet

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasised on safer internet and urged the people to resist misuse of its easy access.

She has also advised users to be more aware about the flipside of the technological progress.

“Technology makes life conformable, but it also has its harmful consequences and many take advantage of this,” she said on Saturday while inaugurating the ‘Internet Week’.

She opened the programme across Bangladesh through video conferencing from Ganabhaban, her official residence.

“Militants use technology to spread their words of militancy. This is dangerous. This doesn’t happen only in Bangladesh. Many countries around the world also face this,” Hasina said.

Underscoring social problems because of misuse of internet, she added: “Children sometimes get access to material that have a bad influence on them. That’s why we should think about both development of technology and internet safety.”

The prime minister said a digital security law would be formulated to ensure safe internet. “It will help stop misuse (of internet access).”

She also urged all to stay away from hurting religious sentiments through internet.

“If anyone targets my religion, I will obviously feel bad. So no one should do this.”

“Random and unsocial activities via internet must be stopped. Technology must be kept in check so it won’t cause social degradation,” she said.

Starting Thursday, the country’s first-ever Internet Week, with the slogan ‘Password of development is in our hands’, will continue until Sep 11.

The government’s Information and Communication Technology Division and Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), in partnership with mobile operator Grameenphone, have jointly launched this programme.

The Internet Week’s goal is to create awareness across Bangladesh about the power of internet and extend internet-based services and goods, according to BASIS.

The programme’s Convenor Rasel T Ahmed said their plan is to have 1 million new internet users in these seven days.​

Regarding the growth of information and communication technology in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina said, “Once there were no computers (in the country). Computers were also very expensive.”

“We spent Tk 300,000 for a computer and a laser printer for our party in 1991,” said the Awami League chief on Thursday.

“There was only one company at that time that sold mobile phones. One phone used to cost over Tk 100,000. Every call, made or received, had cost Tk 10 for one minute.”

The prime minister recalled her government’s initiatives taken to make technology more available after coming to power in 1996.

“My son (Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed) Joy had made all the recommendations. He taught me how to use a computer. That led to the installation of the submarine cable.”

“Bangladesh once had received the offer of free access to internet. But the then government did not accept it because they thought all the secrets of our country would be leaked,” she said.

“We had taken the initiative to get internet after coming to power. By then, other countries of this region (Southeast Asia) had access to internet,” she said.

Pointing out the positive effects of IT advancement in the country, Hasina said, “Around 200 types of services are now available via internet. Rural people can also buy things they want online – from sacrificial animal (for Eid-ul-Azha) to motorcycles.”

She also mentioned that many services were available now through mobile phones.

After the Internet Week inauguration, the prime minister spoke to Finance Minister AMA Muhith at the Banani Society Plaground in Dhaka, and the local administration officials at Gopalganj’s Tungiparha, Rangpur’s Pirganj, Sylhet’s Companiganj, Natore’s Shingrha and Barisal Sadar via teleconference.​