Bangladesh experienced a pivotal moment during July 18-23, 2024—the imposition of an absolute digital blackout during widespread protests. A 5-day long disappearance from the globe, making it the worst blackout in history since Egypt in 2011!
How Hard is it to “Unplug” the Internet?
While the government repeatedly claimed the outage was a technical issue and blamed fires set at data centers by anti-government miscreants, this was heavily debunked by international sources. Reports from Telenor Asia clearly show Grameenphone following government orders. Independently, NetBlocks, a global network monitor that reports on potential internet restrictions, also published data analytics suggesting that the BTCL-provided and/or SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine optic fiber cables themselves weren’t physically harmed; instead, almost all Bangladeshi IP address ranges had suddenly (deliberately) disappeared from the internet.
The fact that everything went silent abruptly after midnight local time—coincidentally as the protests gained momentum—may even suggest the government was responding to the same. Given that it takes considerable effort to accomplish the shut-off, it seems unlikely that PM Sheikh Hasina impulsively ordered the internet to be “switched off” as she went to bed; such a decision must have been made earlier and then taken telecommunications officers hours to execute.
This disruption had profound implications for human rights, civil liberties, and the socio-economic fabric of the nation. In this essay, we explore why the internet outage can be considered a violation of fundamental rights and how it reverberated across various domains.
Why The Silence?
Bangladesh has been erupting for more than 10 days now with protests against the government job quota system. Students and youth across the country, the majority of them first-time voters, have been demonstrating against what they see as an unfair policy favoring a certain group—descendants of freedom fighters in the Bangladesh war of independence. But after the government unleashed unprecedented violence, the protests have gone beyond the demand for reforming the quota.
While electoral politics was not at all a feature of this movement, the students exposed the overall social mistrust and grievances towards political enterprises. As an organic reaction to the ongoing state-sanctioned violence that left hundreds dead and thousands injured, citizens from all walks of life joined the students in unison: “She has to go.”
Bangladesh-based photojournalist Shahidul Alam writes in Al-Jazeera, “In Bangladesh, protests are no longer about the quota system. The violence has led even common people to demand the prime minister’s exit.” She responded to the rapidly gaining momentum demanding political reforms, social justice, and accountability, with—wait for it—abruptly cutting off internet services and attempting to leave the country herself.
The fact that such a drastic measure was deemed necessary may indicate that more targeted measures, such as blocking Reddit, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and even Pinterest, didn’t get the job done. This double-edged sword was intended to make online coordination of anti-government action impossible; but at the same time, in the words of an anonymous blogger: “It’s as if the regime has done the information aggregation for you and packaged it into a nice fat public signal (to clear any doubts the world could have).”
Let us delve into the implications:
1. Access to Information and Communication
The internet serves as a lifeline for information dissemination, education, and civic engagement. Citizens rely on it for news, research, and connecting with others. The sudden blackout disrupted access to reliable information, leaving citizens uninformed and isolated. Fifteen million expatriates were unable to communicate with their families from abroad for over 120 hours, causing mass panic and outcry from Bangladeshi communities in various states of the USA, Canada, UK, France, Italy, UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.
2. Right to Protest and Assembly
Peaceful assembly is a cornerstone of democracy. Citizens have the right to gather, express their views, and demand change. The blackout hindered protesters’ ability to coordinate, organize rallies, and share updates. Freedom of expression (UDHR Article 19) suffered as dissenting voices were stifled. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) recognizes this right (Article 20).
3. Economic and Social Impact
The digital economy relies on uninterrupted internet services. E-commerce, remote work, and online businesses ground to a halt. The right to work (UDHR Article 23) extends to digital employment. The outage disrupted livelihoods and economic stability. Businesses couldn’t function optimally, leading to productivity losses. Customers couldn’t access essential services. Trust in online services declined.
The communications blackout has hit the readymade garment sector the hardest. RMG is responsible for more than 80 percent of the country’s export earnings of over $50 billion. “The sector is suffering losses of nearly $150 million a day,” SM Mannan Kochi, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told Al Jazeera.
4. Government Responsibility and Accountability
Governments bear the responsibility to protect and promote human rights. Deliberate internet shutdowns violate this duty. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) emphasizes that restrictions must be necessary, proportionate, and transparent.
“Blanket internet shutdowns prevent international and local organizations from documenting human rights violations—such as killings or the disproportionate use of force by the police or military,” said Amnesty International.
5. Transparency and Privacy Concerns
The blackout lacked transparency. Citizens were left in the dark about the reasons behind the decision. The right to privacy (UDHR Article 12) was compromised as surveillance increased during the outage.
6. Digital Divide and Marginalized Communities
Marginalized groups, already vulnerable, suffered disproportionately. Lack of internet access widened existing disparities. Equality (UDHR Article 7) demands equal opportunities, including digital inclusion. The RMG sector is the sole employer for the majority of working women in Bangladesh. “The biggest problem is that our international buyers are losing confidence—a loss whose value can’t be gauged with just money as it will have a long-term negative impact on the country’s most valuable industry,” said Mannan Kochi, president of BGMEA.
7. Censorship and Surveillance
Censorship, surveillance, and blockades are tools of a fascist government to control narratives, suppress dissent, or monitor citizens. Tightly controlled media outlets ensure only state-approved narratives are disseminated; the regime is glorified while the opposition is vilified. All independent journalism, critical voices, and dissenting opinions are suppressed under the “black act” Cyber Security Act 2023 that allows arbitrary arrests, torture, extortion, and intimidation by security forces for criticizing the government in social media posts.
Privacy rights (UDHR Article 12) are jeopardized when surveillance intensifies.
8. International Law and Accountability
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognizes that states must respect human rights even during crises. The outage could be challenged under international law, emphasizing the duty to protect rights.
9. Collateral Effects on Global Trade and Economy
Estimates suggest that the country lost over $1.2 billion during this period. The blackout affected various sectors, including e-commerce and Facebook-based businesses, which alone were estimated to lose at least $5 million in revenue per day. Officials at commercial banks said they might have to pay additional interest amounting to millions of dollars because of delays in scheduled payments during the blackout.
Supply chains, cross-border transactions, and digital commerce rely on stable internet services. The right to work (UDHR Article 23) extends to digital employment, making the outage a hindrance to livelihoods.
10. Long-Term Effects on IT Sector
Bangladesh’s reputation as a tech hub has effectively been tarnished. The blackout highlighted disparities in internet access that will deter foreign investors. A reliable digital infrastructure is crucial for attracting tech companies.
“Call centers faced daily losses of at least $3 million per day,” said Wahid Sharif, president of the Bangladesh Association of Contact Centers and Outsourcing Association. “More than two-thirds of the call center industry’s revenue comes from serving global companies, and the reputational damage that this industry has suffered because of nearly five days of the ongoing internet blackout is ‘irreparable’.”
While short-term losses are immediate and measurable, the long-term impact extends beyond revenue figures, affecting trust, reputation, and economic prospects.
11. Healthcare on Hold
The right to health (UDHR Article 25) was massively violated, with the digital disruptions exacerbating the process of seeking urgent healthcare. All non-urgent medical departments were shut down, with the urgent care department also struggling to navigate procedures manually.
“Imposing internet shutdowns and restrictions, especially when people are protesting, stops important information from reaching citizens—such as how to find areas of safety or contact emergency services,” reports Amnesty International on Bangladesh.
In addition to reported violence on the streets, isolation resulting from the blackout affects mental well-being too.
Production and distribution of pharmaceutical products have also been severely disrupted as the import of raw materials from the Chattogram port and Dhaka airport was halted. “Because of the internet shutdown, we couldn’t get customs clearance to release our products,” said Jahangir Alam, chief financial officer of Beximco Pharma, a generic drugmaker. “Our productions are disrupted without the raw materials.”
Final Thoughts
The internet outage in 2024 transcended technical glitches—it disrupted lives, silenced voices, and violated rights. As we advocate for human rights, safeguarding digital freedoms becomes paramount. International organizations need to monitor if fascist governments trade national security and stability for citizens’ fundamental rights, and ensure that the internet remains an empowering force rather than a tool of suppression.
“Assuming someone in high places has an Internet kill switch, shutting it down would require a lot of manual work, or the preexistence of an infrastructure that can make this happen automatically through management protocols. It would never be triggered by accident or by a disgruntled employee,” Iljitsch Van Beijnum writes. “The old story that the Internet was built as a military network to withstand nuclear attacks is a myth. Despite that, it’s surprisingly hard to kill. It can be done, however, if you’re a government and you try really, really hard.”