On the orders of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak has admitted to purposefully shutting down the internet across the country during the July mass uprising.
Chief Prosecutor Md Tajul Islam told reporters at the tribunal this afternoon that ICT’s investigation agency had recorded his testimony after a questioning session yesterday.
“They [Hasina and Awami League lawmakers] wanted to ensure that Bangladesh was disconnected from the rest of the world and hide the instances of mass killings during the protests,” Tajul stated.
The chief prosecutor claims that Palak also denied that the internet blackout at that time was caused by a fire that occurred in data centers in Mohakhali, Dhaka, and that some criminals had destroyed the telecommunications infrastructure.
