Bangladesh not to route internet to Northeastern states

Bangladesh's internet regulator has reversed a decision of the Sheikh Hasina government that allowed the country to be the transit point for internet supply to India's northeastern states.

The internet regulator has claimed that the plan, if implemented, will adversely impact the country's prospects to become a regional internet hub, ET has learnt.

In 2023, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) sought the country's telecom ministry's permission after local firms Summit Communications and Fiber@Home applied to supply bandwidth from Singapore via the Akhaura border to the northeastern region of India through Bharti Airtel.


Sources in Dhaka claimed that the Hasina government's decision would have "impacted" Bangladesh's ability to provide internet services to parts of Myanmar and northwestern China through its own infrastructure.

Under the previous arrangement, Bangladesh would have served as the transit route-enabling faster internet connection for Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

At present, the northeastern states receive internet connection via Singapore through submarine cables in Chennai using India's domestic fibre optic network. This has impacted the speed of the internet in the northeastern states.

ET has learnt that in the coming days, Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus may also review other cross-border projects that were put in place over the last 15 years.

Meanwhile, US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has expressed grave concern over the recent unrest in Bangladesh following the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari.