BTRC asked to block AL websites and social handles

The National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) has requested the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to immediately block or remove all websites linked to the Awami League, its associated, affiliated, and like-minded organisations.

The agency, in a letter, also requested the BTRC to ask platforms such as Meta (Facebook), X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and TikTok to block all social media handles linked to the political group.

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser for telecom and ICT, confirmed the issuance of the letter.

The move comes after the government on May 12 banned all activities of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations, including in cyberspace, until the completion of ongoing trials of its members at the International Crimes Tribunal.

Additionally, the Election Commission of Bangladesh has suspended the Awami League's registration as a political party, the NCSA letter said.

Citing the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025, the NCSA letter said that any digital or electronic content that may threaten national security, integrity, religious harmony, or public order can be ordered to be removed or blocked by law enforcement agencies.

In this context, the agency has compiled a list of URLs and social media links connected to the AL and its front organisations, which must be urgently removed or blocked.

The letter concludes by emphasising the need for swift implementation, by global social media companies, in compliance with existing Bangladeshi laws and recent government notifications.

A BTRC officials said the list of URLs and social media links had already been sent to the global social media platforms on Tuesday night.

 The Bangladesh government can only block websites. It cannot directly remove content or take action against pages or accounts on social media platforms like Facebook or YouTube. Like many other countries, Bangladesh regularly submits requests to tech giants Meta and Google.