Bangladesh lifts ban on Facebook but will 'monitor' content

Bangladesh today lifted a ban on Facebook, a week after it blocked the popular social network website over blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Mohammed and "obnoxious" images of its leaders but said it will "strongly monitor" the postings.

Apart from blasphemous images of Prophet Mohammed, pictures of prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her arch-rival Khaleda Zia of opposition BNP were also posted on the website leading to an uproar in the country.

"We opened Facebook to the users last night in line with directives of Bangladesh Telecommunication Authority (BTRC)," Internet gateways handler Mango Telecom Services said in a statement here.

BTRC chief Zia Ahmed said the ban was lifted after the removal of the "offensive item" but the regulatory authority would "strongly monitor" the postings on the site.

A BTRC official at that time said the site was blocked temporarily and it was done "in line with a decision of government high-ups" as some users had posted anti-Islamic content about the Prophet which the government took seriously.

Several right-wing Islamic groups earlier last week demanded a ban on the network for reported posting of materials hurting Muslim religious sentiments.

But the block was enforced hours after elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a Bangladeshi youth for uploading satirical images of the politicians who was later remanded in police custody on a court order for interrogation.

The ban, however, triggered a counter-protest, especially from the youths while the mainstream media and intellectuals also criticised the government decision apparently prompting the authorities to seek quick intervention of the Facebook team form removal of the offensive contents.

"I look forward to learning more about your local standards and working together to promote safe use of Facebook in Bangladesh," the Daily Star quoted Facebook's chief security officer Joe Sullivan as saying in a letter to BTRC.

Bangladesh last year also blocked YouTube for several days after the video site hosted a recording of a close door meeting between Sheikh Hasina and military officers just after the February 25-26 bloody mutiny by Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) soldiers killing 57 army officers serving the paramilitary border force.

The government's move to lift the ban on Facebook came after Pakistan lifted a similar ban on the site last week following a court order. More than 10 lakh people use the internet in Bangladesh. Facebook is the most popular social network, especially among the youth.