On the one hand, social media platforms were used to organise the movement. But on the other hand, the government periodically shut down or restricted internet access to thwart the movement in late July.
Following the regime change, former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak was detained by the law enforcement agencies on August 6. He was replaced by Md Nahid Islam, one of the key coordinators of the movement, who became the ICT Division's adviser.
The issue of shutting down the internet or slowing it down came into the limelight at the very beginning of the year when the Hasina-led government held the 12th national election amid massive controversies both at home and abroad.
The then Election Commission (EC) assured of keeping the internet active in the wake of requests from global bodies.
On January 5, a US-based organisation working on rights on digital platforms called Access Now urged the government not to disrupt the internet during the elections.
It mentioned the previous incidents of internet shutdown by
the government, which was highly controversial for making laws that undermined freedom of speech.
The Cyber Security Act passed in September 2023 was in discussion all year round because it was seen as a tool of the fascist government to repress anyone using ICT, including journalists and rights activists.
Following extensive discussions and reviews, the interim government in November this year decided to repeal the law.
In the past few months, the corruption and irregularities of the previous government and its accomplices started getting exposed.
The Awami League government had over the years boasted about the ICT sector's achievement. Yet, Bangladesh's position remained low in different ICT rankings.
On the 2024 ICT Development Index, Bangladesh scored 62 out of 100 and was placed behind many peer economies, including Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Vietnam, and Bhutan.
In July, the report of 50 million Bangladeshi citizens' personal data leak again revealed the ICT sector's shortcomings. The leaked data, including names, dates of birth, and national identification (NID) numbers, was accessible through a simple Google search.
Later in October, a significant data breach was reported as the personal information of smart NID card holders was readily available on a channel on Telegram, an instant messaging service.
Last week, the EC terminated its NID data verification service contract with the Bangladesh Computer Council because of a breach of terms.
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