Govt Taking away People’s Rights: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has charged the administration with violating citizens' rights by enforcing "digital" shutdowns.

At a news conference held on Sunday (23 July) to denounce all internet shutdowns and other digital infringements, he declared, "The government has launched a new conspiracy to take away people's rights through digital shutdowns."

"Internet services are being shut down on the day of BNP's rallies to disrupt the programmes," he explained.

"Not only BNP leaders and activists but also free-minded people are being harassed due to the Digital Security Act [DSA]," Fakhrul said.

He accused the government of using the BTRC as a modern tool of oppression against the people. 

"This is a clear violation of an individual's civil rights."

He expressed worry about people's digital rights being further narrowed in the future.

"The government is using surveillance technology from abroad, and using it on the people to collect information," he said.

He said the BNP's movement is going to interrupt at the right time. "The movement is going forward defeating all the barriers set by the government," Fakhrul said.

BNP media cell convenor Zahir Uddin Swapan, Member Secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, member Shammi Akhter, Rumeen Farhana, Quader Gani Chowdhury, Mir Helal and others were present at the press conference.

Prior to this gathering, on July 12, at Naya Paltan, BNP officials and activists had complained about having weak or no internet service on their cellphones.

According to a research by Access Now, a non-profit organization located in New York that works to protect people's digital civil rights worldwide, Bangladesh was in the top five nations with the largest number of Internet shutdowns in 2022.

The research states that India experienced the most shutdowns in 2022 (84), followed by Ukraine (22), Iran (18), Myanmar (7), and Bangladesh (6).