After Pakistan, Bangladesh blocks Facebook

Bangladesh on Saturday temporarily blocked the social networking site Facebook amid demands by a radical organisation to ban the website for hurting the sentiments of Muslims.

No official comment was immediately available for the closure of the popular network. However, an official source on condition of anonymity told PTI that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission blocked it on directives from the government.

The private news agency said the measure was taken after a request from the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion. Users were suddenly barred from logging into the network since 6.30 pm.

A RAB spokesman rejected the report, saying no request was made on their behalf to block the network. The development came two days after the leader of the radical Islamic Shashantantrik Andolon, Fazlul Haque Amini, demanded a ban on the network for alleged postings hurting religious sentiments.

Pakistan recently decided to cut off access to Facebook till May 31 over a page featuring blasphemous cartoons of Prophet Mohammed.

The Bangladesh government-run BSS news agency earlier on Saturday reported that the RAB troops arrested a 'cyber criminal' of the city on charges of 'cyber crimes'.

It said the detained man recently posted 'objectionable, disfigured and satirical photographs' of several government leaders using different accounts.