Joynal Abedin Khan :
The blocking of Facebook, Viber, WhatsApp and other social media networks has failed to fulfil the purpose of the government as the people are using the services through proxy servers.
On November 17, the government closed operations of these social network services with a view to checking cyber crimes across the country.
Only the common people are suffering to use the networks due to lack of their good command on information technology (IT) while the activists of militant and extremist organizations performing their activities smoothly.
Experts are of the view that blocking social media cannot be a solution and the technology-based crimes should be tackled with technology. Though the government shut down operations of many social network services in the country, ruling Awami League’s verified Facebook fanpage was found functioning and being constantly updated on Tuesday.
According to experts, people could have access to blocked social networking services by new apps, proxy servers or other social networks. This accessibility is called ‘leakage’.
Social network sites of ruling Awami League are run by the party’s Centre for Research and Information (CRI). CRI Executive Director Sabbir Bin Shams said, “All admin panels of AL Facebook fanpage live in Bangladesh.”
AL’s publicity and publication affairs secretary Hasan Mahmud said, “We have many well-wishers living abroad. They might have updated the page from foreign countries.”
Telecoms regulator Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood said it is difficult to completely block social networking services like Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp as they are run by dynamic IPs.
Former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Shameem Ahsan said, “The users access these sites through proxy servers.”
Viber, Tango, WhatsApp, Line, and mypeople are some popular calling and messaging services across the world, including Bangladesh. The National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), which has been working under the Home Ministry needs to be strengthened technologically so that it can be used as a platform for all forces.
IT expert Mostafa Jabber said, “The blocking of social networks is like cutting your nose to spite your face.”
“Only technology can tackle technology-based crimes. Blocking cannot be a solution. Increasing capacity can be an answer. The country is lacking in this regard,” Jabber said.
The government has already taken initiative to increase its technological capacity and is recruiting skilled manpower to tackle cyber crimes. Earlier on November 17, the government closed operations of many social network services, including Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, Line, Tango, and Hangouts, in the country. The regulatory body at first closed Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger in a directive sent to mobile phone operators and internet service providers. Later, it sent another directive shutting Line, Tango and Hangouts.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday claimed that government achieved positive result of short-term blocking the social network Mervices.
The services will resume soon after analyzing the country’s atmosphere, the minister said. He said this to reporters at his office in Secretariat on Tuesday afternoon.
