Going into its fifth day now, the entirety of Bangladesh has been without internet service primarily due to ongoing and escalating student protests against a quota system for government jobs. This quota system reserves 30% of government jobs for families of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence, which the protesters argue is discriminatory and favors supporters of the ruling party, Awami League. The protests have intensified over the past few weeks, leading to violent clashes between students, police, and government supporters. The government has cited “security reasons” for the internet shutdown, aiming to curb the spread of rumors and maintain stability. The situation has been particularly severe in the capital, Dhaka, where protesters have set fire to the state broadcaster’s headquarters and clashed violently with police, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
The shutdown, which began on July 18, 2024, has affected both mobile and fixed-line internet services. This disruption has significantly impacted daily life and business operations, raising concerns about freedom of expression and access to information. International organizations and human rights groups have condemned the shutdown, urging the government to restore connectivity and respect citizens’ rights.
Reports have been coming in all week about issues with processing work orders as well as receiving work orders for those who actually perform services on behalf of firms based out of Bangladesh. Here is how one of the contractors put it,
Any idea what’s going to happen with the things going on in Bangladesh currently? One of the companies I was sourcing work from has now been no contact for since it began. I have completed work orders that I’m still owed for haven’t been receiving any new work.
For years, Foreclosurepedia has cautioned about the problematic nature of National Association of Mortgage Field Services (NAMFS) members not only outsourcing work to foreign nationals, but additionally questioning the legality of such actions when it comes to the protection of US based homeowner rights pertaining to their Publicly Identifiable Information (PII). We are currently awaiting information from HUD to address the loss of access to work order data and its legality.
