There is no relation between the fire incident at Mahakhali Data Center and suspension of mobile internet from July 15 and broadband internet from July 18 this year during the period of recent movement, according to the primary probe report submitted on Tuesday.
The probe report also claimed that the internet service was suspended with the verbal order of the-then State Minister for Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and instruction of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Authority's Chairman Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed.
According to a Post and Telecommunication and ICT Ministry press release issued on the day, after taking the charge of the ministry, newly appointed adviser Nahid Islam asked the authorities concerned to investigate the matter of sudden internet suspension across the country and a seven-member probe body was formed.
It said that the probe body has submitted its primary report on Tuesday and the complete investigation will continue until it is needed to probe the matter that damaged the image of the country globally creating sufferings of the mass people, especially the business community.
The government, on Sunday, formed the seven-member committee to investigate the actual causes behind the nationwide internet blackout during the recent student protests, which escalated into a mass uprising and led to the ousting of the Awami League government on last week (August 5).
AKM Amirul Islam, Additional Secretary of Posts and Telecommunications Division, has been leading the seven-member probe body that includes six telecom officials from various government entities.
According to primary probe report, the internet shutdown took place with the verbal directives of the-then state minister Palak without any administrative approval of the ministry or authorities. The directive was implemented with the instruction of BTRC chairman Mohiuddin Ahmed.
It, however, claimed that the internet service was disrupted from July 17 to August 15 with the directives of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) under the Home Ministry.
The primary report stated that there was no relation of fire incident at the data centre with the disruption of internet services.
"Zunaid Ahmed Palak resorted to deception with the mass people by dishing out falsehood," it added.
