Insta
Democracy Battling Mobocracy: Bangladesh Shuts Down Internet Services To Prevent Political Violence Ahead Of Polls
Swarajya Staff
Dec 28, 2018, 04:08 PM | Updated 04:08 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Ahead of general elections, internet services were suspended for several hours in Bangladesh after mobile operators shut down their services late Thursday (27 December) following an order from the telecom regulator, reports The Hindu.
Two days ahead of the eleventh national election, four mobile operators were reportedly asked by The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to slow down the internet by shutting down 3G and 4G services, however, the services were restored after a 10 hours.
Bangladesh goes to polls on 30 December. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the country’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is seeking re-election for a record fourth term, while her rival Khalida Zia, the widow of military dictator Ziaur Rahman, who is reportedly partially paralysed, faces an uncertain future in a Dhaka jail.
Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has alleged that thousands of its activists have been arrested in a nationwide crackdown during the campaign.
Earlier reports were suggesting that Bangladesh’s Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed is looking for a blanket blocking of mobile internet during the polls.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.