July Internet Shutdown - Mohona TV -20 July 2025

Описание: The internet blackout during July Uprising of 2024 put a big dent on the face of the IT industry of Bangladesh. The mobile as well as broadband internet was completely shutdown for five consecutive days, and after it was restored, the speed was throttled to the point that made even simple browsing of the world wide web almost impossible. The country was totally cut off from the rest of the world. All IT export, BPO, Call Centre, e-commerce came to a screeching halt. Even basic emails were not coming or going through. Apart from export, the domestic networks also faltered. Banking, financial transactions, utility bill payments, etc. could not be completed because of lack of connectivity.

This was done on purpose by the then government in a failed bid to quash the popular uprising. It was a myopic move that damaged the image of the country and shattered the confidence of the international clients. The industry is yet to recover from that enormous financial and reputational loss.

To regain the confidence of the international clients, a strong marketing effort must be undertaken by the government. The embassies can play a major role. Declaring internet as a civil right and permitting satellite-based internet connectivity will surely give a boost to the image. But, a lot more still needs to be done.