The
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has claimed that
broadband connections remain operational in the hill districts. The statement
came in response to disruptions in mobile networks and fixed broadband internet
services in Khagrachari and Rangamati amid recent unrest.
In
a statement released to the media on Saturday (September 21), the commission
said that clashes occurred in Dighinala, Khagrachari on Thursday (September
19). During the conflict, a fire broke out around 4 pm, damaging the optical
fiber lines of Summit Communications Limited, a Nationwide Telecommunication
Transmission Network (NTTN) operator, and Bangladesh Telecommunications Company
Limited (BTCL). This incident caused 16 mobile towers operated by Robi to go
offline. Robi has about 150 towers in the district. Immediate repairs were not
possible due to the tense situation.
The
statement added that as of September 20, Robi had restored service to 14
towers, with 2 towers still awaiting repairs. All towers are expected to be
operational soon. In Khagrachari, Teletalk has 72 towers, 29 of which are
currently down—23 due to a lack of electricity from the PDB and 6 due to other
reasons.
BTRC
further stated that despite the ongoing clashes between the indigenous and
Bengali communities in Khagrachari and Rangamati on September 20, broadband
internet services remain functional. However, some cables were damaged, and
power outages have prevented a few customers from accessing the internet.
Internet service providers (ISPs) are actively restoring damaged networks and
providing service through generators, gradually restoring broadband connectivity
in affected areas.
The
commission clarified that no directive had been issued to shut down mobile
networks or fixed broadband internet. BTRC apologized to customers for any
temporary inconvenience caused by the disruptions.