Bangladesh shuts mobile services along India border to stop 'rumors'

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladesh's telecom regulatory authority has suspended mobile network services across its borders as protests against a new citizenship law in India continue to intensify.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Md. Jahurul Haque said the step was taken to stop the circulation of rumors in the region.

"Very often rumors are circulated along with the border areas. We have suspended the mobile networks there to control the rumor," he said.

Over the past many days, reports of killings of people along the Bangladesh-India border were making rounds.

“There are reports frequently circulating in the area that Bangladeshi people have been killed here and there in the border area with the potential to cause law and order problem,” he said.

“The higher authorities directed us to issue such order", Haque added.

But, the country's foreign minister told Anadolu Agency that he was not aware of the decision of mobile shut down.

"I am not at all aware of the decision. I have just come to know it from you," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said.

However, a high security official said the mobile network clampdown along the 4,156-kilometer (2,582-mile) long border would be applied for a short period of time.

Former Director-General of Bangladesh Border Guard A. L. M. Fazlur Rahman said in the backdrop of prevailing tension between Bangladesh and India, the clampdown on the mobile network in the border area could be a short-term measure to avert deterioration of the situation.

He added that rumors that Indian was pushing people into Bangladesh and reports of killings have the potential to create a law and order situation.

- Mobile shutdown to affect 10 million people

The shutdown will affect more than 10 million Bangladeshi people living in the border area.

Currently, four operators including Grameenphone, Teletalk, Robi and Banglalink are providing mobile network services across the country.

"Shut down to services within one kilometer in border area means that people of the additional half-kilometer area will get weak network", a Grameenphone official told Anadolu Agency in condition of anonymity.

The two South Asian neighbors share 4,097 kilometers (2545 miles) land border. "So, the move will push more than 10 million people out of mobile network", the official added.

The BTRC chairman, however, assured that the embargo on mobile network services will sustain for a very short time.

"We will resume network just after solving the prevailing tension created by rumors", he told Anadolu Agency, adding that there are various types of rumors in the border area.

India and Bangladesh are passing through a critical phase of their relations right now following the exclusion of 1.9 million people from the citizenship list in India’s northeastern state of Assam. They have been termed as illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators.

Moreover, during the enactment of the Indian new Citizenship Amendment Act various Indian government leaders accused Bangladesh of persecuting its minorities.

Following Bangladesh’s protests, India has said that the new citizenship law was its internal issue. But there are reports of attempts being made to push people into Bangladesh.

On Dec. 3, an English language daily The Financial Express quoted Bangladeshi home minister claiming that there had been attempts to deport people from India. The report added that Bangladesh border guard has detained 238 Indian citizens who illegally entered Bangladesh through the northern Jhenaidah district border.

Earlier, the pre-scheduled visits of Bangladeshi home minister and foreign minister to India were postponed amid protests in India against citizenship law.