Facebook blocked
Ban follows arrest of man over 'cartoon' of Hasina, Khaleda; members of popular social network angrily react to govt decision
The government yesterday evening "temporarily" blocked access to Facebook, the most popular social networking website. The decision came after the arrest of a youth in connection with uploading satiric images of some politicians including the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.(The Daily Star)
Even though the government did not make any official statement in this regard, Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission sources said posting of some anti-religious and pornographic links by users across the globe are among the reasons for restricting the access.
"We have decided to block all access to facebook temporarily," said a high official of BTRC. "It was done following a decision of the government high ups," the official said.
Earlier, the BTRC directed Mango Telecom and BTCL, the two international Internet gateways, to find out a way to block anti-social contents posted by facebook users.
But the two Internet data service handlers failed to solve the problem. Therefore, the government has made the decision to block facebook, said the official demanding anonymity.
The BTRC official said recently some users posted anti-Islamic content about Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM), which the government took very seriously. Some users frequently post some sub links to pornographic materials, which are not "tolerable", the official said.
"The access to facebook will resume when the data operators find a way to block such anti-social content," said the official.
Rab Legal And Media Wing Director commander Mohammad Sohail told The Daily Star yesterday evening, "I have heard about the blocking of Facebook but I don't know the reason behind it."
Three Islamic political parties--Islami Oikya Jote, Islami Andolan and Khelafat Andolan--on Friday demanded immediate ban on Facebook for a recent campaign by some users inviting people to draw images of Prophet Muhammad (SM).
In March last year, the government blocked the video sharing website YouTube for hosting a recorded conversation between the prime minister and army officers after the BDR carnage.
Pakistan has recently banned facebook.
In Bangladesh more than 10 lakh people are using Internet services. Facebook is the most popular social network especially among the young.
RAB ARRESTS YOUTH
Rab early yesterday arrested Mahbub Alam Randin, 30, a residence of Wari in the capital on charge of uploading satiric images of some top political leaders including the prime minister and the opposition leader on facebook.
Commander Mohammad Sohail said Radin had been doing such "offensive activities", uploading images of high-profile political leaders on the facebook, over the last one year.
Radin told Rab that he did this as his pastime. He said he also uploaded some obscene images.
They so far blocked seven facebook accounts of Radin, which he opened with email addresses and fake particulars, he said, adding that Radin also used several pseudonyms--Brigadier Mahadi, Sepahi Mahadi, Imam Hossain, Radin Al, Mohammad Al Mahadi and Junaida Khandaker Zihan.
Sohail said Radin is unemployed and he had studied up to Higher Secondary School Certificate.
During interrogation Radin said he has two passports.
EXPERT'S REACTION
IT expert Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury said the blocking of facebook is by no means beneficial. "Information should be free flowing. When that is hampered, people would only find more interest in finding ways to bypass it."
Talking about posting offensive contents on Facebook, he said, "These [activities] cannot be stopped by blocking Facebook. Many more websites need to be banned as well."
Noted IT expert Mustafa Jabbar admitted that the Internet has become an uncontrollable medium but went on to say that blocking the entire site is by no means a solution to the problem.
"I do not support it. Restricting us from being in touch the world is like making us live like ostriches with their heads buried underneath the ground," he said.
"It is not a good move. Instead of blocking the entire social network site, a better step would be to take legal action against the individual offenders."
He said the government did it because someone posted cartoons of the VIPs. "But many people including girls are being abused in Facebook every single day. Would they have done the same for them or me? You cannot block an entire population for something vile done by one or two individuals."
He stressed the need for stronger and all-inclusive cyber crime laws so that people can go to law enforcers when they are being harassed on the Internet, not just on Facebook but across the web.
http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=320095
Even though the government did not make any official statement in this regard, Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission sources said posting of some anti-religious and pornographic links by users across the globe are among the reasons for restricting the access.
"We have decided to block all access to facebook temporarily," said a high official of BTRC. "It was done following a decision of the government high ups," the official said.
Earlier, the BTRC directed Mango Telecom and BTCL, the two international Internet gateways, to find out a way to block anti-social contents posted by facebook users.
But the two Internet data service handlers failed to solve the problem. Therefore, the government has made the decision to block facebook, said the official demanding anonymity.
The BTRC official said recently some users posted anti-Islamic content about Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM), which the government took very seriously. Some users frequently post some sub links to pornographic materials, which are not "tolerable", the official said.
"The access to facebook will resume when the data operators find a way to block such anti-social content," said the official.
Rab Legal And Media Wing Director commander Mohammad Sohail told The Daily Star yesterday evening, "I have heard about the blocking of Facebook but I don't know the reason behind it."
Three Islamic political parties--Islami Oikya Jote, Islami Andolan and Khelafat Andolan--on Friday demanded immediate ban on Facebook for a recent campaign by some users inviting people to draw images of Prophet Muhammad (SM).
In March last year, the government blocked the video sharing website YouTube for hosting a recorded conversation between the prime minister and army officers after the BDR carnage.
Pakistan has recently banned facebook.
In Bangladesh more than 10 lakh people are using Internet services. Facebook is the most popular social network especially among the young.
RAB ARRESTS YOUTH
Rab early yesterday arrested Mahbub Alam Randin, 30, a residence of Wari in the capital on charge of uploading satiric images of some top political leaders including the prime minister and the opposition leader on facebook.
Commander Mohammad Sohail said Radin had been doing such "offensive activities", uploading images of high-profile political leaders on the facebook, over the last one year.
Radin told Rab that he did this as his pastime. He said he also uploaded some obscene images.
They so far blocked seven facebook accounts of Radin, which he opened with email addresses and fake particulars, he said, adding that Radin also used several pseudonyms--Brigadier Mahadi, Sepahi Mahadi, Imam Hossain, Radin Al, Mohammad Al Mahadi and Junaida Khandaker Zihan.
Sohail said Radin is unemployed and he had studied up to Higher Secondary School Certificate.
During interrogation Radin said he has two passports.
EXPERT'S REACTION
IT expert Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury said the blocking of facebook is by no means beneficial. "Information should be free flowing. When that is hampered, people would only find more interest in finding ways to bypass it."
Talking about posting offensive contents on Facebook, he said, "These [activities] cannot be stopped by blocking Facebook. Many more websites need to be banned as well."
Noted IT expert Mustafa Jabbar admitted that the Internet has become an uncontrollable medium but went on to say that blocking the entire site is by no means a solution to the problem.
"I do not support it. Restricting us from being in touch the world is like making us live like ostriches with their heads buried underneath the ground," he said.
"It is not a good move. Instead of blocking the entire social network site, a better step would be to take legal action against the individual offenders."
He said the government did it because someone posted cartoons of the VIPs. "But many people including girls are being abused in Facebook every single day. Would they have done the same for them or me? You cannot block an entire population for something vile done by one or two individuals."
He stressed the need for stronger and all-inclusive cyber crime laws so that people can go to law enforcers when they are being harassed on the Internet, not just on Facebook but across the web.
http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=320095
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