[Bangladesh] Facebook blocked

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    Date: 
    1 June 2010

    Regulators yesterday "temporarily" blocked access to Facebook, a popular social networking site.

    The decision came after the arrest of a youth for uploading satiric images of some politicians, including the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.

    The government did not make any official statement yet, but sources in Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said part of the reason is the posting of some anti-religious and porn links by users across the globe.

    "We have blocked all access to Facebook temporarily," said a high official of BTRC. "It was done in line with a decision of government high-ups."

    In a late-night development, a group of Dhaka University students took to the streets to protest the government's decision.

    In instant reactions to The Daily Star yesterday evening, IT experts criticised the government for the move.