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Internet services across the country was severely disrupted early in the last week due to damage of the country's second submarine cable connection. The damage took place when some workers, deployed by a local businessman, were operating an excavator. They were excavating the earth to fill a piece of land next to the landing station of the submarine cable at Alipur in Kalapara upazila under the Patuakhali district. Unaware of the impact of damage, the workers pulled out 25 feet of the cable from five feet below the surface. The authorities of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL), however, moved fast to repair the damage and internet speed came back to normal within a day. A case was also filed and the police have already arrested two of the accused.
The incident is a big example of ignorance and irresponsible attitude. Be it authorised or not, excavation of earth is a big problem in the country. With the backing of politically powerful and influential people, unauthorised excavations and land filings are going on in different parts of the country ignoring the risk of surrounding establishments and damaging the environment. Even approved excavations sometimes ignore the necessary safety measures.
While it is not expected that workers would know and understand the importance of submarine cable, those who deployed them for excavation at least knew that careless excavating would damage the cable. It is because the piece of land they were filling with the excavated earth is next to the landing station of the submarine cable. Three years back, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the station which is a Key Point Installation (KPI). The second cable currently provides nearly 40 per cent of the total internet bandwidth used in the country. The first submarine cable station is situated in Cox's Bazar.
Media reports suggest that those who were conducting the excavation and landfilling overlooked the safety and security of the cable. They also didn't pay any heed to the alarm raised by the security staff of the landing station. There is, however, counter allegation that the security staff was not alert enough and didn't perform its duty properly. Media reports further reveal that the surrounding of the landing station is not suitable. The connecting road to the station is in a dire condition due to ongoing construction work of five sluice gates. Despite a repeated request from the BSCCL, the work is yet to be complete after more than a year.
The whole thing calls for immediate attention of the policymakers and administrative authorities to the matter. A minor damage to the submarine cable is not at all negligible. During the unsettled period of Covid-19, people in Bangladesh, like others the world over, become more dependent on the internet service. From business and education to family affairs, people are relying on online communication. Any disruption to this communication is highly costly. Thus, it is necessary to safeguard the submarine cable network which connects Bangladesh with the rest of the world.