The discussion and reaction to our report published in The Daily Star titled "New guideline allows govt to cut off satellite internet if needed" on Thursday have gained much traction.

Notably, the Facebook post by Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser with executive authority over the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT, has also caught our attention.

The crux of our report is that while government officials, including Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, have said that with Starlink's arrival in Bangladesh, "in future, no government will be able to shut down internet services or lock people out of information," according to the new guideline, the government still retains the power to shut down internet both legally and technologically.

Several hours after the publication of the news report, Taiyeb had responded to The Daily Star's request for a comment.

The chief adviser's aide explained that the requirement for a local gateway was only to protect local companies and prevent foreign ones from establishing a monopoly. He said all devices must be kept on the local route and added that tax and VAT had been imposed on each device.

Taiyeb said, "Besides, the guidelines mention local gateways for lawful interception, which is a security protocol recognised by the International Telecommunication Union. Every license must include an exit clause. It seems you have either misunderstood the exit clause and license obligation fulfilment or have reported it with a deliberate agenda."

Special assistant's allegations

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb alleged, "Your report is false and baseless. The NGSO guidelines do not mention anything about shutting down the internet."

In his latest comments to The Daily Star on Saturday, Taiyeb went on to question the newspaper's intentions, suggesting that a vested group was working against NGSO (Non-Geostationary Satellite Operators) due to potential business losses. The chief adviser's special assistant alleged that The Daily Star's stance was aligned with those vested quarters.

Our reply

We, The Daily Star, unequivocally state that we did not publish the report with any mala fide intentions, but rather as part of our professional practice, whereby we provide our readers with the truth and facts.

We want to point out that these allegations are entirely unfounded and baseless. Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb did not offer a shred of evidence to back up his remarks, which we consider a blatant attempt to cast aspersion. As such, we find this behaviour utterly irresponsible and completely unbefitting an office bearer of the government.

A policymaker's difference with a media report is common and one which we welcome. But to term it as "deliberate agenda" or that it is "aligned with vested quarters" smacks of the same intolerant and denigrating attitude that we faced during the past regime.

We want to emphasise that our concern for potential disruption of the free flow of information and reporting on internet shutdowns are not new.

Our explanation and expert comments

In the report, we have said that satellite service providers operating in Bangladesh must route internet traffic through local gateways and connect to an International Internet Gateway (IIG) for data supply, giving the government the ability to shut down internet access.

According to the guidelines, any user terminal within Bangladesh must be authenticated and served through this local gateway, which means that all traffic from these terminals must go through the local gateways. The licensee must connect its NGSO gateway with a licensed IIG to carry international internet data traffic.

Our argument was that Starlink or satellite internet providers typically deliver bandwidth through two methods. One involves connecting to ground stations (gateways) that link the global internet via fibre-optic networks, including submarine cables, requiring local ground stations. The other method relies on inter-satellite links bypassing local internet gateways and reducing dependence on submarine cables.

Bangladesh has chosen the former, making government-imposed internet shutdowns technically feasible.

Taiyeb's explanation of the local gateway requirement, however, does not address the key aspect of our report—that the provision of IIGs carrying international internet traffic makes it legally and technologically possible for the government to shut down the internet, if necessary.

Taiyeb also said that the NGSO guidelines do not explicitly mention internet shutdowns. This is true.

No telecommunications guideline in Bangladesh explicitly states that the government can shut down the internet. However, since the guidelines must comply with the law—which grants the government this authority—they inherently enable internet shutdowns.

Former state minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, previously directed IIGs to stop supplying bandwidth to mobile and ISP networks during the July uprising using the same means.

In our report, we pointed out that the guidelines state that satellite company licenses may be revoked if their infrastructure is deemed to compromise national security, integrity, sovereignty, stability, or harmony. We had interpreted this to mean that if the government cancels a satellite provider's license, it would, in effect, result in an internet shutdown for users.

Taiyeb argued that every license must include an exit clause and this is what it means. However, there is a more significant provision in the guidelines that allows the state to enforce an internet shutdown.

Clause 12.7 of the guidelines mandates that licensees must comply with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act, 2001, which grants the government broad authority to suspend internet services. Section 97(2) of the act allows the government to direct any licensed entity to shut down communications in the name of national security, public unrest, or other concerns.

The Awami League regime had resorted to this same legal provision to restrict internet access.

We consulted over a dozen legal experts, ICT specialists, telecom policy analysts, and industry professionals to further verify our arguments and facts. They agreed that under the current guidelines, which must adhere to the BTA, the government would indeed have the ability to shut down internet services.

Barrister Fatema Anwar, a Supreme Court advocate, said this compliance requirement for NGSO licensees imposes a dependence on local agencies, thus undermining one of the primary benefits of satellite internet, which is independence from national infrastructure.

"As a result, the government retains both the technological and legal mechanism to affect a complete internet shutdown if it wants to—similar to the situation experienced in July/August 2024."

"To answer your question, yes, the guidelines will allow the government to shut down satellite connectivity both legally and technologically," said Fatema.

Abu Nazam M Tanveer Hossain, a telecom policy expert, said Starlink will not operate in a legal vacuum. Bangladesh's telecom regulations require all internet traffic to pass through IIGs, which are subject to government monitoring and control.

He said, "Unlike VPNs or illegal bypass methods, Starlink's official entry would have to be fully transparent. This means banned websites would remain blocked, user data would be accessible to law enforcement, and the government could still shut down access if deemed necessary as it does with other providers."

BM Mainul Hossain, professor and director of the Institute of Information Technology at the University of Dhaka, said that if data traffic is routed through local IIGs, the government would effectively have control over it.

"If an IIG is instructed to halt data traffic, it must comply," he explained.

He believes the government should have some level of control to shut down satellite internet when necessary, such as in the event of a malware attack.

"But if the government says there is no scope of shutting down satellite internet, there should be an explanation how it would be possible."

Fahim Mashroor, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), said, "It is unfortunate that nearly eight months have passed since the interim government took over, yet we have not been able to amend the provision that allows the government to shut down the internet. This amendment should have been a top priority, to uphold the spirit of the July uprising."

Arguing that inclusion of IIGs added an extra layer and ultimately increased costs, Mashroor said, "Besides, I believe Starlink or any other satellite internet provider should have the freedom to determine how they provide it, ensuring redundancy and making it technically difficult to shut down the internet."

Taiyeb told The Daily Star that he had reached a conclusion with BTRC regarding the law, deciding to repeal the 2010 amendment and revert to the 2001 framework.

Under that, the government is required to provide compensation for internet shutdowns—an obligation it cannot afford, as the compensation could amount to thousands of crores, he said.

We pointed out that it had been seven and half months since the incumbent was in office and further that it had been a month and a half since the chief adviser had begun exploring the introduction of Starlink satellite internet service in Bangladesh, and yet the law had not been amended, nor new guidelines drafted.

Taiyeb replied on Saturday that it was not The Daily Star's prerogative to determine his priorities; rather, they would be guided by public demand.

He mentioned that public consultations would begin in May, leading to a thorough revision of the telecoms law and added that internet was regarded as a 'civic right' in the draft Cyber Safety Ordinance.

He pointed out that if there was a situation where the local internet gateway was shut down, Starlink could always reroute traffic through the international gateway.

However, this move would violate the guidelines. Taiyeb said, "Starlink does not adhere to local laws in cases of emergency or internet shutdowns anyway."

During widespread anti-government protests in Iran, Starlink terminals were used to bypass state-imposed internet censorship, albeit without government approval.

Similarly, during the crackdown by the Awami League regime, many tech firms smuggled Starlink terminals into Bangladesh and operated them with roaming services from Malaysia or Singapore.

On October 28, 2023, The Daily Star was the first newspaper to break the news that the internet had been shut down ahead of its crackdown on BNP's grand rally in Nayapaltan.

Again, on July 19, 2024, The Daily Star was the only newspaper to report that the government had shut down internet.

We have reported more than a dozen internet shutdowns by the previous regime—more than any other newspaper.

Our commitment remains steadfast to an open internet, freedom of speech, and the uninterrupted flow of information.

We also welcome Starlink's entry into Bangladesh and have published nearly a dozen stories highlighting the latest developments and potential benefits, particularly in ensuring connectivity for remote areas.