Social media companies including Facebook and TikTok have been sent letters by the government, said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak after a meeting today with telecom operators at the BTRC (Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission) Bhaban.

They have been asked to provide a response in person by July 31, he informed.

The government has taken a tough stance against social media giants in light of the recent violence around the quota reform movement and the spread of video and other content on these platforms.

Earlier on Wednesday, Palak said social media platforms, especially Facebook and YouTube, have not been complying with Bangladesh's laws.

"They are also not taking into account the situation on the ground, violating their policy guidelines … Amid this, who will take the risk [of opening the social media platforms]?" he said.

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"Access to the platforms will be reopened if they promise to comply," Palak added.

He had informed the media then that the government will write to the platforms seeking explanation for their non-compliance with orders.

Earlier, The Daily Star had learnt from people with knowledge of the matter that the international internet gateway (IIG) operators were instructed to block Facebook, the most popular app in the country with about 5.5 crore users, from the gateway devices by the BTRC.

Meta's other platforms such as Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp and ByteDance's TikTok—the most popular social media and instant messaging apps—are on top of the block list, they said.