Bangladesh authorities have blocked access to a Sweden-based investigative website after it published a report alleging corruption by an influential Bangladeshi minister.
Netra News, the website was blocked in Bangladesh within 72 hours of publishing the story about Obaidul Quader, Bangladesh’s minister of road transport and bridges.
The article raised questions about his collection of luxury watches from brands including Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Ulysse Nardin.
Readers in Bangladesh contacted Netra News to complain that they could not access the website without using a VPN.
Jahurul Haque, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) told Athat he did not receive “any official order from the government” to block the website.
However, he also said that Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) – the intelligence agency of the Bangladesh armed forces – also has the capacity to block a website.
Netra News told in a statement that they had been able to independently verify that their website is blocked by the defence agency.
DGFI has not commented on the issue.