Bangladesh lifts ban on YouTube

DHAKA – Bangladesh on Wednesday lifted a ban on video-sharing site YouTube which has been blocked since September after an online anti-Islam movie which had sparked worldwide protests.

The amateur video, ‘Innocence of Muslims‘, apparently denigrated the Prophet Mohammad, billed as a film trailer and made in California with private funding, provoked a wave of anti-American unrest in dozens of Muslim countries in September.

“The ban has been lifted as it was hurting thousands of people who use YouTube for good purposes such as educational or research,” said Sunil Kanti Bose, head of Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory body.

The BTRC chairman said the ban was lifted after getting assurance from Google that it would filter the objectionable video.

“A cautionary note – ‘It contains sensitive news, you may not open it’ – will be displayed on the page of the video until it is fully filtered from the site,” Sunil said.

Google has assured the BTRC of installing an independent server in Bangladesh as soon as possible for filtering objectionable items on YouTube in future, he added.

Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory blocked YouTube in Bangladesh on September 17 last year to prevent people from watching the 14-minute trailer on a film titled ‘Innocence of Muslims’ which sparked deadly protests from the Middle East to Southeast Asia claiming many lives.

The BTRC took the decision to block YouTube as the Google US and Google APAC, which controls YouTube operations across the Asia-Pacific region, did not respond to Bangladesh’s request to withdraw the video.

For Muslims, any portrayal of the Prophet is considered blasphemous.

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