The interim government of Bangladesh is going to take a step to prevent the communication of party leaders and activists with the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Advisors to the Home Ministry said on Sunday that plans are underway to ban two apps.
The issue of blocking two apps—Telegram and Botim—was discussed at a meeting of the core committee on law and order held at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday. The decision may reportedly be implemented very soon or after the general elections in February. According to sources, Telegram and Botim apps may be banned.
The government is planning to hold the next general election before the start of Ramadan in February. The home ministry expressed concern that Awami League leaders and activists are being mobilised via internet-based platforms, and once the election schedule is declared, they could destabilise Bangladesh.
Telegram and Botim popular among Awami League members
After the July 2024 coup, the political activities of the Awami League, which was once in power in Bangladesh, have been banned step by step. But even then, it has been seen that the leaders and activists of the Awami League are in regular contact with party leader Sheikh Hasina, participating in online meetings and continuing regular party programs by setting up regular procedures. This was announced during a discussion on law and order at a meeting of the Home Ministry on Sunday. 244 people were arrested from the Awami League’s sudden procession in Dhaka last Wednesday. Intelligence sources claim that 150 of them have used Telegram and Botim apps.
It was reported in the meeting on Sunday that Awami League leaders and activists are being activated across the country using the online communication platforms Telegram and Botim apps. It is feared that they may try to destabilize the country by using online platforms like this during the elections. The fear of a big conspiracy cannot be ruled out.
Therefore, the Yunus government has taken the initial decision to control the use of the two apps. The meeting discussed slowing down the speed of these two apps at night and shutting them down altogether following the announcement of the national election schedule.
What are Telegram and Botim?
Telegram is a popular messaging app. Its founder is Russian-born Pavel Durov. On the other hand, Botim is used for talking, video calls and money transactions. Its head office is in the United States. These two apps are going to be banned in Bangladesh to cut off the party’s communication with former PM Sheikh Hasina.