BNP rally sees no internet, poor call reception: No objection at AL rally

Representational image.

Bangladesh desk:  Mobile phone and internet users faced poor mobile reception and internet connection while visiting Naya Paltan and its adjacent areas in the capital during a massive rally organised by the country’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Wednesday while people attending the ruling Awami League rally enjoyed both internet and mobile phone connections.

A number of users including journalists and politicians said that they had no internet connection, and got poor reception to their mobile phones soon they reached out to Naya Paltan area.

‘As soon as I reached the venue around 2:30pm, I found that both of my phone connections with Grameen Phone and Robi did not work. Even I could not make any normal call. It was a weird situation,’ said Naveed Mostaque, a central executive member of pro-BNP Doctors Association of Bangladesh.

He told New Age that after 3:00pm they stared getting only mobile phone connection but there was no internet for a few hours.

Naveed Mostaque, who along with his leaders went to the venue to provide free medical support to the people attending the rally, said that it was difficult for them to send a teenager who suffered from hypoglycemia to hospital immediately due to poor mobile connectivity.

A New Age photo journalist said that he had to walk out of Naya Paltan to the National Press Club to just send some pictures of the rally to the newsroom via internet.

While covering the opposition rally, other journalists also complained that they could not send their reports from the venue.

‘I had to walk out of the venue as I found no internet connection at Naya Paltan. When I reached the press club area I could send reports online. I could not reach out to my newsroom when I was covering the evening,’ said Sabbi Ahmed, staff reporter with Daily Shomoyer Alo.

Another television reporter who covered the ruling AL rally at Bangabandhu Avenue, however, told New Age that they faced no internet shutdown or poor networking.

The Awami League leaders and the police deployed at their venue were seen talking over phone during the rally.

Sheikh Reaz Ahmed, one of the commissioners at Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commissioner, told New Age that they did not give instruction for internet shutdown or poor mobile phone connection.

He said they did not even receive such complaints.

Both Grameenphone and Robi Axiata executives declined commenting when approached.

A telecommunication official, however, said that they received ‘instruction’ to shut down internet between 12:00 mid-day and 6:00pm within 700-metre radius.

Many users in Shantinagar and Segunbagicha complained that they faced no internet in their broadband connection.

The BNP held the rally demanding neutral government to hold next elections while the ruling AL held a ‘peace rally’ in front of the party office.