Limited access to broadband internet was restored on Tuesday (July 23) following a five-day nationwide blackout caused by violence related to quota protests.

Priorities will initially be given to the financial, commercial, technology, exports, outsourcing service providers, and media outlets during the area-based partial restoration of broadband connectivity. Zunaid Ahmad Palak, the State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology spoke on Tuesday (July 23) at a press briefing at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

The restoration of internet service to the rest of the country will soon follow, he added.

Data Center located in nearby buildings suffered damage to their internet transmission links when fire broke out in the Department of Disaster Management building in Mohakhali on July 18.

Around 8 pm on the same day, representatives of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) warned that a fire could consume between 30 to 40 percent of the available bandwidth, disconnecting some users and slowing down a large number of others. However, Bangladesh experienced a total internet shutdown at approximately 9 pm.