Last update on: Thu Mar 27, 2025 02:04 PM
Satellite service providers operating in Bangladesh must route internet traffic through local gateways and connect to an International Internet Gateway (IIG) for data supply, giving the government the ability to shut down internet access if needed.
According to the final version of the guidelines titled “Regulatory and Licensing Guidelines for Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Satellite Services Operators in Bangladesh”, the licensee must establish at least one gateway system within the territory of Bangladesh before commencing its service.
However, the commission encourages the licensee to establish redundant gateways.
Additionally, any user terminal placed and used within the geographical boundaries of Bangladesh must be authenticated and served through this local gateway.
All traffic from these terminals must be routed through this local gateway to provide services under these guidelines within Bangladesh.
The licensee must connect its NGSO gateway with any of the licensed IIGs to carry international internet data traffic.
For seamless operation, the licensee must have redundant connections from the licensed IIGs.
The regulator issues the guideline the time when the government has taken initiative to allow Starlink to launch its services in Bangladesh.
Earlier this week, in a statement, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus directed authorities to ensure Starlink’s commercial launch within 90 days.
Starlink typically delivers bandwidth through two methods. One involves connecting to ground stations (gateways) that link to the global internet via fiber-optic networks, including submarine cables, requiring local ground stations.
The other method relies on inter-satellite links, allowing data to be transmitted through space, bypassing local internet gateways and reducing dependence on submarine cables.
Bangladesh has chosen the former, making government-imposed internet shutdowns technically feasible.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Act, 2001 permits internet shutdowns during emergencies, for national security, or to maintain law and order.
Citing the law, the guideline states that it may suspend satellite internet services or cancel the licenses of satellite companies if national security, integrity, sovereignty, stability, or harmony is compromised through the licensee’s infrastructure.
Internet shutdowns have been a widely discussed issue in Bangladesh since the July uprising last year, when the government completely shut down broadband for five days and mobile internet for 11 days.
In his speech to the nation on the occasion of Independence Day and Eid-ul-Fitr, Dr. Yunus said: “With Starlink, low-cost high-speed internet will bring a revolution to Bangladesh’s digital world.
“Once Starlink services are launched, every village, island, and remote mountainous area in the country will have access to ultra-high-speed internet. In the future, no government will be able to shut down internet services or lock people out of information.”
The guideline however keeps scope for the authorities to shut the internet down.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has finalized the guidelines with the go-ahead from the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser with executive authority over the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and ICT, and Md. Emdad ul Bari, chairman of the BTRC, have not immediately responded to The Daily Star’s request for a comment.
Bari earlier stated that internet shutdowns are a legal matter, and the government should determine its approach.
“However, I believe internet access should be declared an essential service, and the internet should never be shut down,” he added.
The NGSO guidelines are the complete opposite of the aspirations of the people, said Fahim Mashroor, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).
“People are excited about the announcement of Starlink and other satellite data services because these provide freedom from potential government actions to block the internet in the future. Open internet is an aspiration of the youth, just like democracy.”
“The youth of this country have earned that right by sacrificing their lives in July. Any law that grants the government the authority to shut down the internet is a direct betrayal of the people.”
“The Constitution Reform Commission has also included internet access as a basic human right. Therefore, the proposed NGSO clause allowing the government to shut down the internet contradicts this constitutional right of citizens,” Mashroor said.
“The BTRC must revise this. Otherwise, human rights groups and young people will oppose this move.”
