Bangladesh sets pre-condition for lifting ban on Facebook

by Blitz Desk
June 1, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/764/bangladesh-sets-pre-condition-for-lifting-ban-on

While Pakistani authorities already lifted two-week long ban on Facebook after the deadline of May 31, 2010, authorities in Bangladesh has set several pre-conditions for lifting the ban on this extremely popular social networking site.

Pakistan banned Facebook on 19 May in response to an online competition that invited people around the world to submit drawings of the prophet Muhammad. Muslims consider all depictions of Muhammad as heretical.

Pakistan already bans a wide variety of websites with political or human rights content including those run by Baloch or Sindh nationalists, and videos of Pakistani soldiers beating civilians. Pornography, however, is freely available.

On condition of anonymity, a highly placed source in the government told media that, the present government is considering lifting the ban if Facebook authorities can give assurance that no one will be allowed to upload any content against Islam or any of the leaders of the ruling party in the country.

"We are willing to ensure freedom of expression, but at the same time, we cannot tolerate abuse of such freedom by any individual", said the source.

While thousands of students in various campuses in Bangladesh protested government's decision on blocking Facebook, several advisors of the government are seen actively enthusiastic in encouraging the government to continue the ban. Several Islamist leaders, including known anti-US Jihadist cleric Mufti Fazlul Huq Amini expressed 'great satisfaction' at government's decision in banning Facebook.

A number of radical and fanatic Islamist groups and political parties in Bangladesh suggested the government to ban all other 'western sites' where anti-Islamic contents are available.

Another source at Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission told Weekly Blitz that, they have sent email to Facebook authorities on Monday [May 31, 2010] asking the site to remove 'anti Islamic' and 'objectionable' contents from it in order to help Bangladesh authorities in lifting the ban.

"We all know that Facebook is a popular social networking site, but we cannot afford to allow them continuing anti-Islamic or blasphemous campaign to hurt the religious sentiment of Muslims", said the source.

It may be mentioned here that, the present government in Bangladesh is actively taking multiple initiatives in suffocating freedom of press and freedom of media in the country. The government has already shut down two private television channels and it is greatly anticipated that few more channels, mostly belonging to political opponents of the ruling party may be shut down soon. On the other hand, the ruling party is issuing broadcast license for starting private television channels to several high profile leaders and 'patrons' of the current ruling party in Bangladesh.

In their electoral mandate, the ruling Bangladesh Awami League promised to implement their plan of 'Digital Bangladesh' making remarkable progress in country's information technology sector. But, recent actions of the government show the opposite side. Critics are saying the present government is establishing 'Difficult Bangladesh' instead of their promise digital Bangladesh.

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