Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has said that mobile network and fixed broadband internet services have been disrupted in Khagrachhari and Rangamati districts due to ongoing clashes.

A day-long clash occurred in Dighinala, Khagrachhari on Thursday leading to significant damage to local telecommunications infrastructure. A fire incident around 4:00 pm resulted in the damage of optical fiber cables belonging to Summit Communications Limited and Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL), causing 16 towers of mobile operator Robi to go offline, according to a press release issued on Saturday.

Robi, which has about 150 towers in the district, was unable to conduct immediate repairs due to the tense situation. By September 20, Robi managed to restore 14 of the affected towers, while repairs to two towers are still pending. The company expects all sites to be operational soon, it said.

Additionally, Teletalk’s service has also been affected in Khagrachhari. Out of its 72 towers in the district, 29 are currently out of service, with 23 towers offline due to power disconnections by the Power Development Board (PDB) and six others due to various technical reasons.

Despite the unrest, broadband internet services in Khagrachhari and Rangamati remain mostly operational. However, damage to internet cables and unstable electricity in some areas has left some customers without service. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are actively working to restore connections through network repairs and generator support, leading to a gradual reinstatement of broadband services, the release said.

BTRC emphasised that no official directive has been issued to shut down mobile networks or broadband services during this time. The commission expresses regret to customers for the temporary inconveniences caused by the ongoing situation and assures them that efforts are being made to restore full services as quickly as possible.