Govt forms probe committee over recent internet blackout; details expected within 24 hrs

The government has formed a seven-member committee to investigate the actual causes behind the nationwide internet blackout during the recent student protests, which escalated into a mass uprising and led to the ousting of the Awami League government last week.

The committee, formed on Sunday (11 August), will be headed by Additional Secretary AKM Amirul Islam, who leads the telecom wing at the Posts and Telecommunications Division. 

The other members include six telecom officials from various government entities.

"We are trying to find out things in 24 hours," AKM Amirul Islam told TBS on Sunday evening, adding that the committee has already held its first meeting.

The internet blackout began after a series of mobile internet slowdowns in protest hotspots such as the Dhaka University Campus. On the morning of 18 July, mobile internet was completely shut down across Bangladesh. 

By 9pm that evening, cable broadband internet was also disconnected, plunging the entire country into a five-day internet blackout.

Later on 23 July evening, broadband internet was restored, while mobile internet was restored on 28 July.

The then state minister for Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak initially accepted that the government had shut down mobile internet to prevent the spread of "misinformation."

However, he later moved away from his statement and kept blaming arson and damage to internet infrastructure as the reason for the blackout, a narrative widely rejected by internet users.

The internet blackout, along with the government's violent response to the protests like shooting at unarmed protesters which resulted in over 300 deaths nationwide, drew widespread criticism both domestically and internationally.

The Awami League government was toppled on 5 August, and an interim government, which includes two student representatives, took office on Thursday. 

Nahid Islam, one of the leaders of the student movement, has been appointed as the adviser of the Posts, Telecommunication, and Information Technology ministry.