Bangladesh has scored 44 points in ‘Freedom on the Net 2019’ survey, indicating the country partly enjoys internet and digital media freedom.
Freedom House, an independent watchdog which conducted the survey, said internet freedom in Bangladesh was tightened during the coverage period and the government allegedly used a variety of methods to restrict the online space.
In the survey, Iceland topped the list scoring 95. The watchdog rated the countries in three separate tiers –score 100-70 is Free, 69-40 is Partly Free and 39-0 is Not Free.
Freedom House surveyed 65 countries including Bangladesh.
More than 90 per cent of users in Bangladesh access the internet through mobile service providers, the study said.
“Users continue to complain about the high cost of private internet service. Restrictions on connectivity to mobile internet service and social media platforms increased in the coverage period, notably during key political events,” the study read about Bangladesh.
Of the 65 countries assessed, 33 have been on an overall decline since June 2018, compared to 16 that registered net improvements. The biggest score declines took place in Sudan and Kazakhstan followed by Brazil, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
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