Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers Association (BMPCA) has claimed that the Data Centre housed at Khawja Tower at Mohakhali in Dhaka was not affected at all!

A delegation of the BMPCA visited the Data Centre at Khawja Tower in Mohakhali of Dhaka early Saturday (July 27) afternoon. Then its president Mohiuddin Ahmed talked to journalists.

Mohiuddin Ahmed said, "High officials concerned of the telecommunication and ICT, and BTRC have put their failures of on the Data Centre at Khawja Tower being failed to protect the security of internet and check rumours. After visiting the Data Centre and talking to many people here, we have learnt that it did not incur any losses. It must be stated here clearly that the Data Centre preserves server. It's a kind of locker."

Mohiuddin Ahmed further said, "The state minister for Telecommunication and ICT said the internet service was suspended to contain rumours. He later said at different places that internet service was stopped due to severe of fibre and terrorist attack on the Data Centre. It is unprecedented that internet service remained suspended for seven consecutive days anywhere in the world. Even, the internet service was not remained suspended in war-ravaged Gaza and Ukraine for such a long period of time."

During the visit, association's vice-president Lion Shyamol Hazra, secretary general Advocate Abu Bakar Siddique, executive member Advocate Moniruzzaman Shaswata Monir and central member Engr Abu Saleh, among others, were present.

Mohiuddin Ahmed also regretted saying that the suspension of internet service has tarnished the image of Bangladesh around the globe. "Due to the suspension of internet service, we the consumers have not only been affected, but the software, outsourcing, mobile banking, telecom operators, ISPs, electric and eelctronics, print media, online news portans, IIGs, NTTN, Towerco and handset manufacturing entities, companies and individuals involved in digital services have been seriously affected."

"So, we feel the urgent necessity to form a probe commission comprising experts and stakeholders in the country's telecommunication sector, mass media and consumers to investigate the logic behind shut down of internet and find out the reasons behind the move," he said.