Submarine cable damage affects millions of Bangladeshi Internet users

Dhaka, Bangladesh (4E) – A submarine cable off the Singapore coast has been damaged, affecting Internet services across Bangladesh.

Millions of Bangladeshis reported slow connections, while others had no service at all. The cause of the damage could not be immediately determined.

Bangladesh has nearly 7 million broadband Internet users. “Almost all Bangladeshi Internet users are facing difficulties in accessing Internet or sending emails overseas,” said Akhtaruzzaman Monju, president of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh.

The damage to the SEA-ME-WE-4 cable not only affected private users but also the country’s key garment export sector.

“It may take a week for the system to return to normalcy,” Monwar Hossain, managing director of the Bangladesh Submarine Cable Co., told AFP. No other countries were affected, added Hossain.

“Bangladesh does not have an alternate submarine cable or any other connection,” Hossain said.

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