Internet freedom and access to information: Where are we?

Access to information and internet freedom are an integral part of today’s societies. The UN declared 28 September as International Day for Universal Access to Information.

According to the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB), the total number of internet subscribers reached 130.94 million at the end of July 2023. Referring to BTRC, AMTOB on its official website says, at the end of the July 2023, Bangladesh had 118.79 million mobile internet users while ISP and PSTN subscribers’ number is 12.15 million.   

As per the 2022 census, Bangladesh’s population is 160.98 million. More than 81 per cent of people are able to access the internet now while it was only 1.8 per cent in 2007.  

Since 2008, ‘Digital Bangladesh’ has become one of the most discussed slogans in Bangladesh as ruling Awami League has begun working on the Vision 2021. Political leaders have been committed to transform Bangladesh from analog to digital.  

Bangladesh dreamed to be digital by 2021, as it was the year of golden jubilee of the country’s independence. Initiatives at various labels had been taken to fulfil the dream. These initiatives created an ecosystem for the rapid growth of digital environment.  

Also, the government enacted the Right to information Act, 2009 to ensure the free flow of information.

However, there is another side to the coin. There is a contrast between ‘internet access’ and ‘internet freedom’ in Bangladesh. To understand the trends and dynamics of access to information and internet freedom of this country, we have to look at the other side of the coin. 

If we look at the situation of ‘internet freedom’, it’s a bit gloomy. According to the international watchdog Freedom House’s latest report published in 2022, Bangladesh falls under ‘partly free’ country’s category. Out of 100, Bangladesh has earned only 43. Previously, it was even lower than this. 

Freedom House, in its report writes, "Internet freedom in Bangladesh remained low during the coverage period […]. Authorities frequently arrest online critics of the government, ministers, and political leaders under the Digital Security Act (DSA), fueling self-censorship online."  

 According to the latest report published in 2022 by the global digital rights watchdog Access Now and #KeepItOn, Bangladesh ranked 5th as authorities have shut down the internet six times in 2022 as “weapons of control”.  

The European Union on its website defines internet shutdown means slowdown internet access, block specific apps, and partially or completely close down the internet.  

According to the Freedom House’s 2022 report, ‘authorities throttled internet connections in October 2021 amid a series of attacks against Hindu people during the Hindu religious festival Durga Puja; the attacks were incited in part by videos posted online’.  

A Daily Star report published on 29 March 2021, says, ‘during the anti-Modi protests in March 2021, in areas near the capital were briefly experiencing restrictions to 3G and 4G Internet service’. During the protest, Facebook and Facebook Messenger services were throttled for 3 days.   

Before the national elections in 2018, BTRC briefly blocked Skype. In the very same year, the government throttled internet speed during the road-safety movement to disrupt information from being shared online.  

In 2015, the government blocked social media sites for 22 days, reports Asia Dialogue on 21 June 2018. The shutdown was imposed to quell the protests the verdicts of International Crimes Tribunal. Many more similar incidents could be mentioned.

However, shutdown is not the only way how government violates people's right to information.   

Laws have become another weapon to terrorise netizens. Incidents of internet users being arrested or facing criminal penalties for free expression reported more frequently. 

In 2006 the authority came up with the ICT Act that had a draconian section 57. Under the immense pressure from the civil society, the government was forced to replace the Act by Digital Security Act (DSA) in 2018.  

DSA was nothing but old wine in a new bottle. The new law threatened the freedom of expression, freedom of press and created ambiguity by putting vaguely defined ‘hurting religious sentiment’.  

According to a Dhaka Tribune’s report, ‘Over 7,000 cases have been filed under DSA’ while Prothom Alo reports, ‘229 journalists sued under Digital Security Act’. Most accused under DSA The Business Standard reports, are politicians and journalists.  

Once again civil society raised their voice against DSA. International communities also expressed their concerns against the draconian Act. As a result, the law was, recently, reformed. Now, the DSA is replaced by the Cyber Security Act 2023 (CSA).  

However, the civil society and the international community such as Amnesty International asked the Bangladeshi govt to remove the draconian provisions from the CSA as it has the same repressive features as DSA.   

Under the controversial DSA, people with different political, religious and cultural views such as singer, cartoonist, writer, journalists, students and teacher were arrested. DSA’s sections 21 and 28 that ambiguously describe “derogatory comments” against liberation war, and “hurting religious sentiments” still remain undefined even in the CSA.  

In addition to CSA, the draft of BTRC's regulations for digital, social media, and OTT platforms has become another concern for people as the draft has a long list of 'prohibited content'.   People fears, the proposed OTT regulation could be another tool of controlling freedom of expression.

Bangladesh has achieved a great success in terms of internet access. However, it needs to work on ‘internet freedom’ as freedom of expression has been facing challenges due to the governments controlling mindset.   

In the name of national security or for the sake of curbing unrest, the government imposes internet shutdown. However, controlling the flow of information, limiting citizens opportunities of interactions and exchange of views creates distrust and distance between the people and the government. It also causes economic harm as business and services are heavily dependent on the internet.  

In Bangladesh we also see digital divide among male and female, rich and poor, and rural and urban.  

The government is dreaming to make Bangladesh Smart by 2041. Smart Bangladesh needs a smart society. In this digital age, internet freedom is the basic requirement for a society. Without having freedom of thought and expression how could a society flourish intellectually?

*Afroja Shoma is a journalism and media studies teacher, researcher and poet.