A sudden internet network blackout occurred ahead of the BNP Division’s mass meeting in Rajshahi.
On Saturday morning, the internet network of all mobile phone providers at the venue and nearby was suddenly switched off.
Sources said that although there was a network 2-3 km from the collection point, the connection was very poor.
This also put the journalists covering the rally in a difficult position.
Even the common people suffered as the speed of broadband internet was also very low.
The BNP media cell claimed they had provided six broadband internet connections at the venue. However, at the start of the rally not a single server was available and is still unavailable.
BNP leaders claimed that network outages were caused in Madrasa Maidan and surrounding areas ahead of the rally to disrupt the proper promotion of the BNP divisional mass rally.
The manager of an IT company in Rajshahi city said, “In the digital age, a network is very important. Broadband speed suddenly dropped without notice. And there is no mobile network. As a result, no work could yet be carried out.”
Hundreds of journalists from online and electronic media, including local and national media, have already turned up at the historic Rajshahi Madrasa compound around the BNP rally. They said network problems made it impossible to broadcast any news, let alone live broadcasts from the rally. Even they couldn’t talk properly on the cell phones.
Tanjimul Haque, staff reporter for the Daily Jugantor newspaper and general secretary of the Rajshahi Journalists’ Union (RJU), said he has not received a network connection since arriving there.
Golam Mostafa Mamun, former organizing secretary of Rajshahi district BNP unit and member of the district convening committee, said efforts were being made to block the rally in various ways and this was part of it.
Meanwhile, the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police imposed eight conditions on the BNP to hold the rally. There it was mentioned in condition number 6 that high-resolution surveillance cameras should be installed inside and outside the meeting place under their own direction. Projector/microphone/sound box may not be used outside the venue or on the roadside. Internet connections, broadband connections and routers cannot be used at the event location.
The divisional meeting of the BNP began on Saturday morning at Madrasa Maidan in the city of Rajshahi.
Earlier in the morning, as the two gates of the madrasa compound were unlocked, BNP leaders and activists began to gather at the rally point.
