Government will scrap all black laws, mechanisms enabling internet shutdowns, says CA’s special aide

Faiz Ahmad criticises the mismatch between pricing and performance in the internet sector

The interim government’s directive on satellite-based internet services still allows room for sudden disconnections, but Chief Advisor’s Special Assistant Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb has said all such mechanisms and legal loopholes will be scrapped.

Speaking at a roundtable titled “Internet Services: Challenges, Potentials, and the Way Forward” on Saturday, he said: “We will scrap the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, 2001 and completely revisit it.

“We need to show the world that we have done this," he added.

The event was held at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) auditorium in Dkaha’s Agargaon and organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB).

Last year, during the student protests in July, internet services were cut off, with the then-government blaming the protesters for the disruptions.

The movement eventually toppled the Sheikh Hasina administration, leading to the formation of an interim government.

Nahid Islam, one of the key coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, was appointed as the advisor to the Ministry of Post, Telecommunication, and Information Technology.

Within five days of assuming office, Nahid formed a probe committee to investigate who had ordered the internet shutdown.

The committee has “initially” found that it was done on the directive of the former state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, who held the same portfolio.

Since July, suspicion over the internet shutdown has been directed at the previous Awami League government.

The current administration has repeatedly promised to abolish such control mechanisms and policies.

Experts, however, have flagged concerns that the latest satellite internet directive still allows for service interruption.

Referring to the July shutdown, Faiz said on Saturday: “That was a shameful chapter. Our remittances declined. Freelancers were affected. Our banking credit rating dropped.

“So we must show the world that we have done something significant. That the internet in Bangladesh will no longer be shut down. This must be guaranteed.

“We are now under pressure to demonstrate this to our investors — and we will,” he added.

Faiz also urged businesses not to attempt to “influence policy” using financial power.

“You must also ensure that no one brings bags of cash to interfere with policy. No one should. It is time to move away from such malpractice,” he said.

Faiz, who oversees the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, also criticised the quality of internet services and the pricing model.

“Rejecting” longstanding claims by internet providers that Bangladeshi services are cheap by regional or global standards, he said: “I dismiss this claim outright. Because the quality of the internet in Bangladesh is among the worst in the world. You [internet providers] are selling a poor product at a mid-range value.

“If you price the service based on actual quality, it would be worth far less than what’s being charged.

“So in that sense, the price of the internet in Bangladesh is actually among the highest globally. That’s why I’m calling for a price correction.”

The aide also called on business leaders in the sector to offer “consultations” and engage in discussions as the government moves to ensure policy support and sustainability for the industry.