Black law of internet shutdown will be no longer in effect: Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb

Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, who is also the acting head of the Posts and Telecommunications Division, has said that all policies allowing internet shutdowns will be abolished.

He said this while speaking at a roundtable titled ‘Internet Services: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Way Forward’.

Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB) organised the event at the BTRC Auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka on Saturday (April 19).

Referring to internet services as a civil right, he said: "We will abolish the law of shutting down the internet."

"In the past, freelancers have been affected by shutting down the internet, this harmed freelancers and deterred investment in the country. We need to show the world that the internet will not be shut down again – we have an obligation to show this to investors, we have to show that."

He also said: "Our first initiative is to change the topology. We will withdraw many licenses. There will be no license limitation, time will be given to fulfill the license conditions and if they fail to fulfill them within the specified time, a fine will be imposed."

BTRC Chairman Emdad Ul Bari was the special guest at the event. Mobile operators' organization MTOB Secretary General Lt Col Mohammad Zulfikar (Retd.), Secretary General and ISPAB General Secretary Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan, Internet transmission company Fiber at Home Chairman Moynul Haque Siddiqui participated in the discussion. Teletalk Bangladesh ATM Saifur Rahman Khan, Robi's Company Secretary and Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer Shahed Alam and Banglalink's Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer Taimur Rahman spoke.

The keynote presentation at the roundtable was delivered by TRNB Organising Secretary Al-Amin Dewan.

TRNB President Samir Kumar Dey presided over the event, while General Secretary Masuduzzaman Robin delivered the welcome address.