The fire at Khawaja Tower in Dhaka's Mohakhali, which caused significant disruption to Bangladesh's internet and telecommunication services, may soon be resolved. The blaze affected the operations of several international internet gateway (IIG) service providers, data centres, and interconnection exchanges (ICXs) which were housed in the tower. As a consequence, internet and voice connections across the country were severely hampered, with many residents unable to access online services or make calls. Mobile internet and voice connection disruptions were especially noticeable, as these also draw bandwidth from the IIGs.
Speaking about the aftermath and the efforts to restore services, Md Emdadul Hoque, President of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), stated, "Because of the Khawaja tower fire, two of our data centres: Dhakacolo on the 10th floor and NRB Telecom on the 11th floor got damaged. The lack of electricity due to the fire contributed to uninterrupted service. Around 6 to 7 hundred Internet Service Providers in Dhaka and its surroundings have shared resources and helped one another to provide internet. However, this resulted in slow and interrupted internet for users."
While the situation remains challenging, with many still experiencing sluggish internet speeds, the ISPAB is working to rectify the issue. "We are still assessing all our damages and trying to move our service equipment from Khawaja Tower to other areas. We are hopeful to provide a smooth Internet connection from tonight or tomorrow morning," Hoque added.
The IIGs are crucial as they operate as international gateways for internet traffic, managing data flow between Bangladesh and the rest of the world, while ICXs provide interconnections among the telecommunication networks of operators.
