Staff Correspondent:

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for ICT Division Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb on Monday said the interim government is working hard to make sure that there would be no shutdown of the internet in the future.

“We are working to declare the internet as a civic right in Bangladesh,” he said while speaking at a panel discussion at the inaugural session of the ‘Bangladesh Startup Connect 2025’ at Intercontinental in the city.

Organised by Startup Bangladesh Limited, ICT Division and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the Startup Connect is spotlighting the nation’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem and its pivotal role in global investment networks.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, Executive Chairman of BIDA Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Secretary of the ICT Division and Chairman of Startup Bangladesh Limited Shish Haider Chowdhury also took part in the panel discussion.

Faiz said the NGSO guidelines do not have any provisions for internet shutdown. “The interim government is working to amend the controversial clauses of the Telecommunication Act 2001 so that the internet cannot be shut down legally,” he added.