The main reason behind the launch of Elon Musk’s Starlink in Bangladesh is to prevent future internet shutdowns, according to Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus. He shared his views on this in a Facebook post at 10:24 am on Tuesday.
“The main reason Elon Musk’s Starlink is invited and being launched in Bangladesh is to stop the business of online shutdown forever. The Sheikh Hasina dictatorship shut down Internet on scores of occasions during her 16 years rule. Internet shutdown is a favourite tool of the dictators and autocrats to crack down protests or suppress any major opposition agitations. But in the process, hundreds of thousands of free lancers were affected. Some lose their contracts and jobs forever,” the Press Secretary wrote.
“Starlink's arrival in the Bangladesh market means no future government can fully shut down the Internet. At least BPO firms, call centres and free lancers will never be hit by any new attempt to stop the net,” he added.