THE government is hurriedly installing a system to monitor social media and filter and block posts which they consider to have malicious and objectionable content ahead of the elections. The censorship of digital activities and expressions by using the controversial Digital Security Act 2018 would curb people’s freedom of expression, political and social activities of opposition men and criticism to corruption and government’s misappropriation, despite the Constitutional assurance of the freedom. News media reported that the system, which could be put in operation next month, would filter content with keywords after the authorities verify the threats. The system to be installed under the Cyber Threat Detection and Response Project was taken up in July 2017.
ICT Minister said the government is taking comprehensive measures keeping in mind how social media had been used for what he called destructive activities in the recent past, although mobilizing people through social media has become a fashion in many parts of the world. It is feared that the system would be installed to bar the opposition activists in taking part in activities leading to political mobilization using social media or exposing government’s misrule before the election, expected to be held by December. The Tk 149.59 crore project would be able to monitor people’s activities through 2,700 Gbps bandwidth, four times what all of Bangladesh uses. Officials concerned said the equipment would be installed in the first week of October and test runs would start after connecting a number of large international internet gateways.
The government is apparently not relying on this system only. An intelligence agency is also working on a similar system to monitor and filter and block “objectionable content”. The agency has started connecting its system to internet gateways and hopes to have it operational soon. The implemented project would cost around Tk 50 crore and would be treated as a short-term solution. The government has also had several rounds of talks with Facebook and has sought its assistance in maintaining law and order during election time.
The government is bent on destroying all the democratic institutions like the people’s right to vote and free speech including the rule of law. Apart from anything else, autocracy is degrading for the people of a free country and politics of terrorism is invited.
