Days spent without water, electricity

Citizens around the country are suffering immensely due to the countrywide internet outage. They have become unable to recharge their prepaid metres because of network complications. As a result, many are forced to live without electricity.

Consequently, city dwellers are also unable to run water pumps and have to spend days without water supply as well. Prepaid gas consumers are also suffering similarly. Long queues formed to recharge prepaid cards for electricity.

The capital’s Mohammadpur area’s resident Mahmudur Rahman said, he tried a few times on Friday but could not recharge his electricity prepaid card through bKash. His metre is low on balance, so he is using lights and ceiling fans less than usual.

Water supply has also hit a snag. There is a WASA drinking water ATM booth next to the DPDC office in the capital’s Gulbagh. It has remained unusable since Thursday. As a result, a few hundred people queued for water from the deep tube well next to the ATM booth.

Regarding people’s sufferings, State Minister Nasrul Hamid told journalists on Sunday that consumers can avail Tk 200 advance balance. To do this, they have to press the metre’s B button, followed by the A button.

Meanwhile, the digital lifestyle has come to a standstill. Online-based financial transactions have halted completely. Several lakhs of freelancers are facing the fear of losing their livelihood. Tech sector traders fear a massive collapse in the near future if the internet does not come back soon.

The lack of internet services has also halted online-based educational activities. Airlines have become unable to sell tickets. Urgent news circulation is also being disrupted.

Software Exporters’ organisation BASIS President Rasel T Ahmed told the Daily Samakal that communicating with foreign buyers has become impossible. Many organisations in the country offer tech support and call centre services to foreign companies. They are facing troubles due to the internet outage. If freelancers are unable to supply their work timely, their ratings will fall.

He also mentioned that the internet outage has caused Tk 80 crore losses daily in the ICT export sector and Tk 40 crore daily in the e-commerce sector.

As per the BTRC authority, 4G services were limited at university and college campuses from Tuesday (16 July) evening. On Wednesday, 4G services were halted countrywide, consequently causing a countrywide mobile internet outage. Then, broadband internet was shut off countrywide at around 9pm on Thursday (18 July).