Cyber café owners threaten ‘digital hartal’

Cyber café owners today threatened to enforce a “digital hartal” across the country by shutting down internet services to realize their six-point demand.

Cyber Café Owners Association of Bangladesh (CCOAB) also threatened to lay siege to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) headquarters in Dhaka on October 28 if their six-point demand is not met by this time.

CCOAB President SM Zulfiqar Haidar announced the programme at Jatiya Press Club.

Last month, the government scrapped licenses of 33 internet service providers (ISP) after they failed to pay for their license renewal within the stipulated time.

The CCOAB also demanded that authorities concerned stop harassing companies who have applied for internet service provider’s license.

Their six-point demand include, issuing license for local internet service providers (ISPs) and stopping harassment on the companies who applied for the license, AM Kalmal Uddin Ahmed Salim, general secretary of CCOAB, told The Daily Star over phone.

“The organisation will go for a “digital hartal” if the government does not meet their demands by October 27,” he said.