Talking to UNB, some of the sufferers also alleged that mobile operators’ 3G and 4G services remained suspended at some parts of Gulshan-2 and Gulshan-1 since Monday afternoon.
Contacted, BTRC chairman Jahurul Haque said they did not instruct the mobile phone operators to block 3G and 4G services in Gulshan area. ”There may be some problems somewhere for technical reasons,” he said.
Shafiqur Rahman, a resident of Gulshan-2, said, “We’ve been facing serious difficulties as mobile internet service is not available in our neighbourhood.”
Even, he said, they have been facing a serious problem in making normal phone calls as 3G and 4G services remained blocked at some parts of Gulshan-1 and Gulshan-2 near BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Shafiq said he was supposed to send a very important email outside the country today, but he could not do that despite repeated attempts.
Besides, he said, they cannot use any telecommunication application on the mobile phone alongside YouTube. “Sometimes we can send only SMS through WhatsApp, but can’t make any voice or video call.”
Nahida Akater, another resident of Gulshan-2, said they are not getting internet access through mobile data. “But we can use internet through WiFi in our residence.”
Sharing her negative experience, Nahida said, “I went to Labaid Hospital on Monday night with my mother-in-law and faced serious problems to communicate with others, even my driver, from inside the hospital. I couldn’t browse internet there for some necessary information.”
Echoing Shafiq, she said mobile phone operators’ 3G and 4G services are not available there in their area. “We can use some mobile application like WhatsApp, Viber and imo through WiFi, but Skype service is not available,” she said.
Abul Kalam, another resident of Gulshan-1 area, said they are in a serious problem as they are unable to carry out important activities using mobile internet service.
“We can’t use video calling apps from mobile, YouTube and even Facebook as 3G and 4G services are not available in our area. Most of my family members stay abroad, but I can’t contact them when I remain outside home.”
Earlier on Monday night, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed that all the internet-based services have been shut down in their party chairperson’s Gulshan office and its adjoining areas so that their party acting chairman Tarique Rahman cannot talk to their party’s nomination seekers through Skype.
Tarique took interviews of BNP nomination seekers on Sunday and Monday by joining the party nomination board through Skype availing of the internet service.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) reportedly blocked telecommunication application Skype across the country on Monday evening.
However, BNP leaders who faced interview of BNP nomination board Tuesday said Tarique is taking interview through videoconferencing using another app.
A BNP senior leader, wishing anonymity, told UNB that their party is using Virtual Private Network (VPN) in their chairperson’s Gulshan office to operate another video calling app.
According to ICT experts, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides a secure, encrypted tunnel to transmit the data between a remote user and any company network