BTRC sets bad instance blocking Skype: BNP

The main political opposition BNP today blasted the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) as it reportedly blocked telecommunication application Skype across the country.

“We came to know that BTRC blocked the Skype service. The government regulated-body has set up a bad instance through the blocking,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed alleged.

Addressing a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka, Rizvi, also spokesperson of the party, said that all internet-based communication services of the party Chief Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office have already been shut down.

The government came up with the move as Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said the commission has "nothing to do" with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s involvement in the election processes of the party.

He said the government’s move proved that the ruling quarter wants to keep the electoral ground across the country under its absolute control.

“The government is engaged in using all state organs relentlessly to hinder our electoral activities,” the BNP leader blamed.

He also expressed his party’s strong condemnation to the government for blocking all communication mediums at Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office.

Terming such move as an outcome of the narrow minded mentality of the government, he called upon it to immediately restore the Skype service across the country.