The interim government of Bangladesh on Friday announced free 1GB data for internet users to protest against then Sheikh Hasina government’s decision to shut down the internet a year ago at the peak of the students’ movement against the government.
The offer is available for five days for users in the country subscribed to Grameen Phone, Bangla Link, Robi and TeleTalk.
“On the night of July 17 telephone internet was shut down while the students were protesting against quota in government jobs. Next day broadband service was also shut down. The entire country was without any connectivity. Keeping in mind the happenings during the July uprising this decision has been taken,” announced the office of the chief adviser Mohammad Yunus on Facebook.
The protest against the quota for freedom fighters and their successors in Bangladesh birthed one of the biggest and unprecedented students’ movements that culminated with the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year.
The first anniversary of the July uprising, spearheaded by the newbie in Bangladesh politics National Citizen Party (NCP), has already witnessed severe violence, especially in Gopalganj, the ancestral home of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his daughter Sheikh Hasina.
The announcement was mocked by a section of Bangladeshis on the internet.
“Since the day is July 18, 18GB should have been provided,” commented Dhaka-resident Md Firoz to the official announcement.
Replying to Firoz’s comment, a student, Aahad Chowdhury said, the government decided on 1GB since this is the first anniversary. “The free data quantity will be decided according to the anniversary year from next time.”
Structural engineer Zahirul Islam reminded the interim government why it was formed.
“Drop this hypocrisy. The July uprising was not for 1GB free internet. Awami, BNP and others are there to milk such days. You are here to carry out reforms. Instead you are informing people about free data. You should have got the internet providers to reduce prices of call rates and bundle rates. Instead the rates have been hiked,” Islam wrote.
In April this year, the number of mobile phone users in Bangladesh had reached 186.64 million users in all the 64 districts, while there were around 116.54 million mobile internet users in the country, according to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
A senior assistant teacher at British Bangladesh International School and College, Syed Mahboob expressed unhappiness with the service.
“I immediately took the offer, only to find it to be a catch-22. You can’t play videos with it, so, no YouTube. You can’t even search on Google. Only Facebook with still pics. Corporate thuggery or what,” complained Mahboob.
Some Bangladeshi residents questioned why the interim government was offering free internet data, when price rise was skyrocketing.
Bangladesh’s inflation rate dropped to 8.48 per cent in June – first time in 27 months to drop below the 9 per cent mark – according to data provided by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Month-on-month, food and non-food inflation has been on a high. For 41 months, which dates to the time when Sheikh Hasina was in power, wage growth has been lagging behind and the central bank’s target remains unmet.
Gazipur resident Rita Khatun commented Palak – the former minister of state for telecommunications and IT Zunaid Ahmed Palak – was better since he had allowed 5GB free data.
Palak was at the helm of the ministry when the internet shutdown throughout the country was announced last year.