The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has claimed that broadband connections remain operational in the hill districts. The statement came in response to disruptions in mobile networks and fixed broadband internet services in Khagrachari and Rangamati amid recent unrest.
In a statement released to the media on Saturday (September 21), the commission said that clashes occurred in Dighinala, Khagrachari on Thursday (September 19). During the conflict, a fire broke out around 4 pm, damaging the optical fiber lines of Summit Communications Limited, a Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) operator, and Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL). This incident caused 16 mobile towers operated by Robi to go offline. Robi has about 150 towers in the district. Immediate repairs were not possible due to the tense situation.
The statement added that as of September 20, Robi had restored service to 14 towers, with 2 towers still awaiting repairs. All towers are expected to be operational soon. In Khagrachari, Teletalk has 72 towers, 29 of which are currently down—23 due to a lack of electricity from the PDB and 6 due to other reasons.
BTRC further stated that despite the ongoing clashes between the indigenous and Bengali communities in Khagrachari and Rangamati on September 20, broadband internet services remain functional. However, some cables were damaged, and power outages have prevented a few customers from accessing the internet. Internet service providers (ISPs) are actively restoring damaged networks and providing service through generators, gradually restoring broadband connectivity in affected areas.
The commission clarified that no directive had been issued to shut down mobile networks or fixed broadband internet. BTRC apologized to customers for any temporary inconvenience caused by the disruptions.