TDS Desk:

An investigation has been launched into the widespread phone surveillance conducted during the Awami League government’s tenure. The interim government has already formed a committee to probe the matter. This committee will examine the origin, cost, procurement process, and actual usage of the surveillance equipment. An official notification (gazette) is expected to be issued soon. Technology experts and analysts have been contacted, and the committee will also be allowed to consult foreign specialists.

According to insiders, the surveillance did not stop at mere call recording — systems were established to gain full control over any device.

Fahim Mashroor, IT entrepreneur and former president of BASIS, told Journalist that action should have been taken on this matter during the tenure of the current government. “Political governments tend to preserve such surveillance systems. Therefore, action must be taken before a new government takes office,” he said. Mashroor further stated that an investigation should have been initiated long ago as human rights and personal security were severely violated. He called for a white paper revealing who purchased the equipment, the total expenditure, and the identity of vendors. He also stressed the need to abolish the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC).

Officials said the investigation would begin in earnest once the gazette is published. The committee will be led by Fayez Ahmed Tayyab, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT. He commented that the investigation will uncover the ground realities and fascist tendencies of the former Awami League government.

Two surveillance agencies have come under scrutiny: the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Many believe both agencies should be dissolved. NTMC operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs, while DoT is under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

Sources revealed that during the Awami League’s tenure, as many as 150,000 phone calls were recorded in a single year. Calls of individuals deemed political threats or opponents of the Awami League were recorded and leaked on social media and other platforms. These leaks were allegedly orchestrated by Major General (Dismissed) Ziaul Ahsan, the former Director General of NTMC, who is currently in custody facing multiple charges, including enforced disappearances, murder, and extrajudicial killings. He served as NTMC chief from 2022.

Officials noted that purchases of surveillance equipment surged ahead of the 2018 and 2024 general elections, indicating that such technology was used to suppress dissent and retain power. The matter has recently been officially reported to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, which has reportedly expressed concern.

The National Monitoring Centre (NMC) was established in 2008 within the DGFI building with government support and funding from mobile operators. It was renamed NTMC in 2013, and from 2014 onwards, it has operated as an independent body under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Sources indicate that NTMC was the biggest spender on surveillance and phone tapping, with expenditures between 2016 and 2025 totalling around $52 million (Tk 631 crore). The surveillance infrastructure provided access to law enforcement personnel without following any formal procedure. A senior policymaker in the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and IT commented that these recordings were carried out purely to safeguard the ruling party’s grip on power — often violating laws and policies. Calls of critics and dissenters were routinely recorded.

The issue was recently discussed in a meeting of the Advisory Council. Later, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam said that the surveillance equipment purchased by the previous government is estimated by some to have cost around $300 million, while others claim it was closer to $200 million. “From the report we’ve reviewed, it is clear the former authoritarian regime used surveillance tools and spyware to suppress citizens’ rights and silence freedom of speech. The constitutional right to privacy was severely undermined. The investigation committee will probe the full procurement process, including reports that much of the equipment was sourced from Israel.”