Recentemente Bangladesh se tornou o segundo país na Ásia, depois do Paquistão, a bloquear por completo o domínio do Facebook [en]. No dia 28 de maio de 2010, sexta-feira, por volta das 8h30min, o banimento foi realizado por causa de propagandas maliciosas contra a Primeira Ministra Sheikh Hasina e de ofensas à religião, como conta [bn] o blogueiro e jornalista Biplob Rahman no blog MuktoMona. Mesmo assim, o website ainda é acessível via celular (m.facebook.com).
Os jornais logo confirmaram [en] por meio de funcionários autorizados da Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC, Comissão Reguladora da Bangladesh Telecom), os quais afirmaram que o Facebook estava bloqueado temporariamente.
Earlier, the BTRC had directed internet data service handlers Mango Telecom and Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd to find a way to block antisocial contents posted by Facebookers.
But the two companies failed to fix the problem, which prompted the government to block the entire site, said the official, asking not to be named.
Anteriormente, a BTRC direcionou os encarregados pelo serviço de informação da internet, Mango Telecom e Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (Companhia Bangladesh de Telecomunicações Ltda.), para encontrarem uma forma de bloquear conteúdos antissociais postados pelos usuários do Facebook.
Mas as duas companhias falharam em resolver o problema, o que levou o governo ao bloqueio total do site, disse um representante, que pediu para não ser ter seu nome revelado.
The Daily Star [en]
Segundo o Facebook [en], existem cerca de 900.000 usuários da rede social em Bangladesh, sendo que 60% deles têm idade entre 18 e 24 anos. Muitos internautas, como Sukanta Rai [bn], do blog Prothom Alo, se perguntavam:
ফেসবুক কি দোষ করল কেউ কি আমারে বলবা?
S. M. Mahbub Morshed informa [en] no Sachalayatan:
বাংলাদেশের দ্বিতীয় জনপ্রিয় সাইট ফেইসবুকে হাসিনা-খালেদার ব্যাঙ্গাত্মক ছবি প্রকাশের পর মাহাবুব আলম রডিনকে গ্রেপ্তার করে র্যাব। এর কিছুক্ষণ পরেই বাংলাদেশ থেকে ফেইসবুক এক্সেস না করার খবর আসতে শুরু করে।
Chitpotang, no blog Unheard Voices, se pergunta [en] sobre uma ameaça de alguns partidos religiosos para induzir o governo a tomar uma decisão como essa:
That’s the “official” eyewash. What’s the real reason? Hmm, could it have something to do with Naya Diganta and Khatme Nabuwwat, Amini, et al’s return in the form of exporting Pakistan’s Facebook ban for the Mohammed Cartoon Contest? The threats to hold a rally the day after BNP’s June rally that will be even bigger? As usual AL (Awami League) responds in only way it knows to an Islamist/Rightist threat, cave in immediately.
Entretanto, Aminul Islam Sajib opina [en] no Life with technology:
Although the BTRC is saying that the site has been blocked for hosting anti-religious and pornographic contents, I feel that the site is blocked mainly for the reason that caricatures of two political leaders were shared on the site. The government could take necessary steps to remove those contents. Instead they are blocking us for their own interest and trying to make us understand that the reason is something else (anti-religious stuffs). Don’t they know that there are over hundreds of proxies such as hidemyass.com, redfish.tk (giving you the links so that you can still access the network) to gain access to Facebook. So, why ban Facebook? Banning Facebook does not block people’s access to the site. It’s like a showdown that we have banned Facebook on grounds of being abused.
Os internautas bengalis estão surpresos e indignados com todo esse drama. Blogueiros como Shahriar [bn], no blog Cadet College, estão explicando como contornar facilmente o bloqueio usando endereços e outros proxys. Entretanto, Aranya Anam, no blog Amar, avisa [bn] aos internautas para tomarem cuidado com o uso de sites de proxys e disponibiliza alguns links úteis.
Haseeb, no Sachalayatan, nomeia o bloqueio [bn] de “comércio de sentimentos”.
Arup Rahee comenta [bn] no Somewherein:
ফেসবুক বন্ধ করা কোন সমাধান না। কেউ কোন বিষয়ে কোনখানে মতামত, সমালোচনা, ব্যঙ্গ-বিদ্রুপ ইত্যাদি করলে সেই মাধ্যমটাকেই বন্ধ করা খুব একটা কাজে যে আসে না, তা ইতিহাস বারবার প্রমান করতেছে।
Samir Kumar Ghosh diz [bn]:
আমার মতে এই উদ্যোগ টি নেয়ার আগে সরকারের একটু ভাবা উচিৎ ছিলো। সরকার যদি এসব করার ব্যাপারে সবাইকে সতর্ক করে দিতেন বা আইনের ভয় দেখাতেন তাহলে হয়তো এর চেয়ে বেশি ফল দিতো।
Mesmo assim existem algumas opiniões a favor do bloqueio. Guru Bhai diz [bn] no Somewherein:
যেসময় ওদের খেলার মাঠে বন্ধুদেরকে নিয়া খেলার কথা অথবা হোমওয়ার্ক করার কথা ,সেইসময় মোবাইল বা কম্পিউটার নিয়ে সোশ্যাল নেটওয়ারকিং এর নামে পরকীয়ায় বা ভার্চুয়াল ডেটিংয়ে (কিংবা অন্য কিছুতে) ব্যস্ত ,যা একটি স্বাধীন সার্বভৌম রাষ্ট্রের জন্য অত্যন্ত লজ্জাজনক
Os tuiteiros também reagiram:
taslimanasreen: Is banning contagious !! Pakistan banned facebook ! Now Bangladesh !
julu_vai: govt. in bangladesh, by closing facebook for their own personal anger, are causing needless pain to millions. Where is my Freedom of speech?
kowsheek: Finally govt realised that facebook is injurious for pm's health. #bangladesh
DarthShayan: People from #Bangladesh need to make a stand. We always let the political ppl dominate us. Is Bangladesh not a democracy with freedom?
taslimanasreen [en]: O bloqueio é contagioso!? O Paquistão baniu o Facebook! Agora Bangladesh!
julu_vai [en]: O governo em Bangladesh, ao fechar o Facebook por sua própria raiva, está causando um incômodo desnecessário a milhões. Onde está minha liberdade de expressão?
kowsheek [en]: Finalmente o governo percebeu que o Facebook é perigoso para a saúde da Primeira Ministra. #bangladesh
DarthShayan [en]: Pessoas de #Bangladesh precisam tomar partido. Nós sempre deixamos a política nos dominar. Bangladesh não é uma democracia com liberdade?
Um grupo no Facebook chamado Withdraw the ban on Facebook in Bangladesh [Remova o bloqueio do Facebook em Bangladesh, en] foi criado. Kajal Abdullah relata [bn] que os protestos offline já estão se materializando:
অলরেডী প্রতিবাদ শুরু হয়ে গেছে। ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের শিক্ষার্থীরা আজ রাত ১২ টায় রাজু ভাস্কর্যের সামনে ফেসবুক বন্ধের প্রতিবাদে ব্যাপক প্রতিবাদ কর্মসূচী পালন করেছেন। এবং হুশিয়ারি দিয়েছেন অবিলম্বে ফেসবুক চালু না করে দিলে আগামী কাল থেকেই ঢাবি শিক্ষার্থীরা মানববন্ধনসহ নানা আন্দোলনে যাবে।
Nazrul Islam conta [bn] no Sachalayatan:
আমরা প্রথমত একটা গণতান্ত্রিক সরকার চাই। যেই সরকার সবাইকে কথা বলার সুযোগ দিবে। সবার মত প্রকাশের সুযোগ দিবে।
ডিজিটাল বাংলাদেশ গড়ার স্বপ্ন দেখিয়ে বর্তমান সরকার ক্ষমতা নিলো। কিন্তু আমরা দেখলাম এই সরকার ডিজিটের কিছুই জানে না।আমাদের সরকার জানেই না, যে এসব নিষেধাজ্ঞা কোনো কাজের কথা না। বর্তমান দুনিয়ায় নিষেধাজ্ঞার চেয়ে হাস্যকর কিছু নাই আসলে। যার দেখার সে ফেসবুক কেন, দুনিয়ার সবকিছু দেখতে পারবে। তবু সরকার নিষেধাজ্ঞা জারী করে। [..]
এই নিষেধাজ্ঞা হয়তো কয়েকদিন পরই তুলে নিতে হবে। কিন্তু এই সরকারের ইতিহাসে তা আজীবন রয়ে যাবে।
Nós queremos um governo democrático que permita a liberdade para falar – que garanta a liberdade de expressão a todos. Esse governo chegou ao poder prometendo uma Bangladesh digital. Mas nós estamos testemunhando que ele não sabe nada a respeito do termo ‘digital’.
Nosso governo não sabe que esses bloqueios não são eficientes – não há nada mais besta do que isso no mundo atual. Se alguém quiser, ele/ela pode acessar o Facebook ou qualquer outra coisa na internet. Ainda assim, o governo vai para outro bloqueio.
Talvez eles sejam forçados a desfazer esse bloqueio em alguns dias. Mas isso deixará uma má impressão no mandato desse governo.