How our family living abroad felt disconnected from their loved ones

Fabia Moumita, an NGO worker, shared that her niece, who lives in the UK, commented on the internet blackout context, "Mami, I came to know that you people are living in the stone age? Without any internet?" All laughed at the statement of a 4-year-old.

Sabrina Ahmed, a resident of New York City, lived a week in terror as she couldn't contact her family members residing in Bangladesh. "I kept trying to call my sisters, brothers, and other relatives, knowing the situation, but I failed to connect with any of them. This is the worst time I've passed recently. Still, I can barely have a proper conversation with them."

Such experiences panicked so many people who were disconnected from their families amid the political context of Bangladesh. During the quota reform movement, country people faced internet blackout for around five days, from 18 July evening to 23 July midnight.

Internet was provided on the next day, 24 July, but with a very slow bandwidth and area-based. According to the reports, due to the fire at the Data Centre by the mobster, all wires got fired, which resulted in the immediate internet shutdown, including both broadband and mobile data, though many denied the statement. 

The five days between the movements were terrific for everyone. However, internet service disruption caused widespread issues in professional and personal lives.

Nearly every family had at least one member living abroad who couldn't communicate with their loved ones in Bangladesh, which caused significant concern.

The shutdown particularly distressed students studying abroad, which was equally bad for international students in Bangladesh.

According to the reports, she is a student but not involved in the movement; her failure to communicate with her family compelled many to leave the country in such unrest circumstances.   

Even the mobile network needed to be improved, and people between the countries could barely have the opportunity to converse appropriately. On the other hand, relatives also tried calling over the phone, which cost much more. 

After nearly a week, the internet was restored with a weak connection to broadband lines. While many celebrated the return of the internet, others criticized this reaction, as the circumstances were not the same for everybody. Nonetheless, reconnecting with relatives abroad brought peace of mind despite the poor connection. 

Still, the government restricts using a few social media, so people are leaning toward using other call applications. 

The internet connection has made life so easy, and now and then, audio calls, video calls, and online chit-chats never distance anyone. This unwanted internet shutdown hampered so many lives in so many unexplainable ways. Because it is not only for entertainment purposes but has been an essential requirement for many years. Many freelancers are even seen losing their jobs and their partnerships. Unfortunately, nobody is liable for such mishaps.

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