BTRC closes down ISP for militant connection
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) yesterday (Monday) closed down the Internet service provider (ISP) Dhaka Fiber Net for indirect involvement in militancy. Mohammad Zakir Hossain, senior assistant secretary of the BTRC, told The Independent that the commission also issued a letter to Dhaka Fiber Net, asking the organisation to explain why its licence should not be cancelled. The commission gave the organisation a week to explain its stand. The BTRC official said Dhaka Fiber Net gave bandwidth connection to another ISP provider, Confident Net, which does not have a licence. Fiber Net did not maintain the Internet protocol (IP) log of its customer base. Confident Net, using the bandwidth provided by Dhaka Fiber Net, has given Internet connection to 150 subscribers. Law enforcement personnel found that out of these 150 subscribers, some are involved in militant activities. Since neither Dhaka Fiber Net nor Confident Net maintained the IP log of their customers, the police found it difficult to unearth the identification of the militants. Under the circumstances, the BTRC, as a punitive measure, closed down the operation of Dhaka Fiber Net. At the same time, the commission told the ISP not to conduct any business with organisations not having licence. The BTRC has also instructed ISPs to maintain IP log.
