State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim yesterday said Facebook would not be blocked even for an hour.
“…the government has not taken any decision in this regard. We have already conveyed the message to the cabinet division,” she told reporters during a media briefing at her secretariat office in Dhaka.
“This government has shown people how to use social media including Facebook. So it will not take any moves which will bar the way of digitisation,” she said.
In a letter dated March 23, the cabinet division drew the telecom division’s attention to a “decision” taken during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s open discussion with deputy commissioners last year.
“Facebook browsing at the dead of night is especially hampering students’ studies and work of youths … Facebook may be blocked from 12:00 at night to 6:00 in the morning for developing a healthy, able and active nation,” reads the letter.
The letter sought a report on implementation and development following proper steps on the prime minister’s “directive”.
Referring to the letter, Tarana said the cabinet division was seeking opinions. “The division just did the routine work. But it does not mean the decision has been taken,” she said.
The telecom division had forwarded the letter to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for recommendations.
Instead of going for the ban, the BTRC, in a letter sent to the telecom division on Monday, recommended that parents be urged to use parental control software, security software and privacy features to prevent their children from using Facebook excessively.
It recommended government steps like launching awareness programmes in schools and colleges and in the media about responsible use of Facebook.
The BTRC also laid importance on guardians’ awareness on the mobile and internet usage of their wards.
Talking to The Daily Star, BTRC Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood said, “We were told that top-level government officials are not in favour of any step that blocks Facebook usage.”
Report: The Daily Star