Bangladesh Blocks Access to YouTube

By: charles on 22 March 2009
Posted in Bangladesh, Asia, ONI, Political filtering

According to news reports, the government of Bangladesh blocked access to YouTube on March 9 after the site hosted a recording of a meeting between the prime minister and military officials following a border guard mutiny in late February of this year. On March 21, users in Bangladesh confirmed YouTube was unblocked after pressure from activists.

Abbas Faruq, a spokesman for Bangladesh’s Internet regulatory body, YouTube has "been temporarily blocked in the national interest" after the release of an audio clip showing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina defending her decision to negotiate with the guards while army officials jeered.

Telecommunications commission chairman Zia Ahmed confirmed the decision to block YouTube and several other video-sharing websites, stating that “the government can take any decision to stop any activity that threatens national unity and integrity."