Facebook, SMS, calling apps blocked

Access to some mobile messaging and calling applications as well as social networking site (SNS) Facebook has been temporarily blocked in Bangladesh on security grounds.
Following the government’s decision, International Internet Gateway (IIG) and mobile phone operators along with International Territorial Cable (ITC) companies, Wednesday noon, shut access to online messaging and calling applications including Whatsapp and Viber, and social networking site Facebook and Facebook Messenger.

The decision came into effect at around 12.30pm, immediately after the Supreme Court pronounced verdict, upholding death penalty for war criminals Salauddin Qader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), in a letter, directed different operators to stop services immediately.
A letter received by an operator reads: “I am directed to instruct you to stop Facebook, Viber and Whatsapp services on your network with immediate effect until further notice.”
For the first time, Internet access was denied for about an hour and a half in Bangladesh. Users said they were unable to access World Wide Web between 1:15pm and 2:30pm. BTRC officials however said there was no directive to shut down Internet.
They maintained that Internet could have been shut down only to ensure that these apps were not used in the country.
Back in 2008, the military-backed caretaker government had shut down mobile phone services but Internet access had been left untouched.
The telecom regulator had once ordered reducing Internet upload speed but never suspended access to the Web.
Earlier on November 11 this year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had announced in parliament that Whatsapp and Viber would be blocked temporarily, when needed, to nab militants and prevent terrorist activities in the country.

Facebook, SMS, calling apps blocked

Access to some mobile messaging and calling applications as well as social networking site (SNS) Facebook has been temporarily blocked in Bangladesh on security grounds. Following the governments decision, International Internet Gateway (IIG) and mobile phone operators along with International Territorial Cable (ITC) companies, Wednesday noon, shut access to online messaging and calling applications including Whatsapp and Viber, and social networking site Facebook and Facebook Messenger. The decision came into effect at around 12.30pm, immediately after the Supreme Court pronounced verdict, upholding death penalty for war criminals Salauddin Qader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), in a letter, directed different operators to stop services immediately. A letter received by an operator reads: I am directed to instruct you to stop Facebook, Viber and Whatsapp services on your network with immediate effect until further notice. For the first time, Internet access was denied for about an hour and a half in Bangladesh. Users said they were unable to access World Wide Web between 1:15pm and 2:30pm. BTRC officials however said there was no directive to shut down Internet. They maintained that Internet could have been shut down only to ensure that these apps were not used in the country. Back in 2008, the military-backed caretaker government had shut down mobile phone services but Internet access had been left untouched. The telecom regulator had once ordered reducing Internet upload speed but never suspended access to the Web. Earlier on November 11 this year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had announced in parliament that Whatsapp and Viber would be blocked temporarily, when needed, to nab militants and prevent terrorist activities in the country.