Regional shutdown
Curfew style downgrading of 3G and 4G internet from 5pm until 6am
Refugee Camps in Cox Bazar district and peninsula adjoining the Naf River
The order cut Internet services off completely in camps where Rohingya refugees were residing, and restricted the sale of mobile phones, SIM cards and services to Rohingya refugees. Blocking Internet access in areas where a humanitarian crisis is in full swing has detrimental consequences on aid agencies who need reliable access to coordinate, on the refugees themselves, many of whom depend on the Internet to communicate with loved ones and receive financial support from relatives around the world, and the local population in the areas where the Internet is being restricted.
- Total Duration 14 days
Bangladesh
- Population
- 171,466,990
- UN Classification
-
- Least Developed Country
Freedom House rates Internet freedom as Partly Free
Local impact
The order cut Internet services off completely in camps where Rohingya refugees were residing, and restricted the sale of mobile phones, SIM cards and services to Rohingya refugees. Blocking Internet access in areas where a humanitarian crisis is in full swing has detrimental consequences on aid agencies who need reliable access to coordinate, on the refugees themselves, many of whom depend on the Internet to communicate with loved ones and receive financial support from relatives around the world, and the local population in the areas where the Internet is being restricted.
Related documentation
Other supporting information
On September 1, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) directed telecommunication operators to shut down mobile phone services in refugee camps occupied by the Rohingya in the south-eastern district of Cox’s Bazar. This was followed by an order to shut down 3G and 4G services in the area between 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. everyday.
Mobile phone users are required to present Bangladesh identity cards to purchase a SIM card, but Rohingya refugees have been able to get them in the black market.
A senior official told reporters that BTRC issued the order on ‘security grounds'.
Mobile Internet services have been suspended several times in the country. Earlier this year, mobile data services were throttled nationwide ahead of the general elections, reportedly to prevent rumors and propaganda surrounding the vote. Data from BTRC cites that 93% of Internet users in Bangladesh access the Internet on their mobile phones.