It is with the utmost concern that we view the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission's (BTRC) recent mandate that all smartphones sold -- both manufactured in Bangladesh and imported from elsewhere -- have a specific application be installed in order for the devices to be cleared for selling.
The devices would be running the Android mobile operating system which, as of February of last year, has had a market share of over 96% in Bangladesh -- the overwhelming majority of all smartphones both currently in use and being bought.
The application in question is the Bijoy keyboard, which is known for its poor quality and dubious reputation of having innumerable security flaws for the end user. With poor reviews from users abound, for the BTRC to mandate its compulsory installation into smartphones is nothing short of baffling.
Further troubling is the fact that installing the application requires a method that goes against platform holder Google's own recommendations as device manufacturers would have to bypass the security measures put in place to ensure that users' data cannot be compromised by bad actors, which is a can of worms unto itself.
This is an incredibly troubling mandate, and one we hope the regulatory body retracts before it is implemented.
The government's Digital Bangladesh manifesto has, without question, resulted in our country being far more advanced now than it ever has been at any other point in history. But with increased digitalization must come an increased focus on cyber security and data laws that protect citizens' right to keeping their private information private.
However, a number of developments which have occurred over the past few weeks make us think twice on whether pro-user data laws are indeed a priority for the administration.
Draconian laws and mandates for pre-installed applications -- especially those of ill repute -- are not the way to fulfill the vision of a Digital Bangladesh.
