Bangladesh Shuts Off Mobile Internet Ahead Of Election

Patrick OdeyDecember 30, 2018

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A Bangladeshi reads a news report that makes mention of Facebook along with other social networking service, on his mobile phone in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Facebook is shutting down a series of fake news sites spreading false information about the Bangladesh opposition days before national elections, a top security official with the global social media platform said Thursday. The sites _ nine Facebook pages designed to mimic legitimate news outlets, as well as six fake personal accounts spreading anti-opposition propaganda _ were created by Bangladeshis associated with the government, Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, told the AP in an exclusive interview. (AP Photo)

The Bangladeshi government isn’t just counting on Facebook and Twitter crackdowns to protect its December 30th parliamentary election.

The country’s Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has shut down 3G and 4G mobile data to “prevent rumors and propaganda” from skewing the vote. The measure took effect immediately and was poised to last through the end of election day.

Whether or not that’s the main reason isn’t clear — the government doesn’t exactly have a clean track record.

Bangladesh temporarily shut off mobile internet access in August in an ostensible bid to curb violence at protests over road safety, but there’s evidence suggesting that it wanted to stop the dissemination of media showing pro-government activists and police attacking protesters. In 2015, it also clamped down on individual messaging apps in an attempt to thwart protests.

This latest move might help prevent violence and misinformation, but it could also hinder the opposition’s ability to rally support. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration has been accused of intimidating and imprisoning critics to help maintain power, and this could be another extension of that strategy.