Bangladesh authority on Tuesday night started restoring the broadband internet, censoring Facebook and WhatsApp to curb ‘anti-state propaganda’ on social media.

Initially, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been directed to restore connections to media, hospitals, airports, export-oriented sectors and other important entities.

"We’re planning to restore the internet in phases giving priority to emergency services like media and hospitals. And then export-oriented sectors and freelancers will get the privilege of connectivity. The broadband will be restored on a limited scale," State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said on Tuesday.

Internet Service Providers Association (ISPAB) claimed that the telecom regulator met the representatives of International Internet Gateway (IIG) to assess the restoration of the internet sans social media platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp.

Earlier on Thursday, Palak mentioned that the government suspended mobile internet to combat anti-state propaganda on social media.

Meanwhile, the authorities imposed a complete 'internet blackout' since Friday  night citing the cable damage caused by a fire at a building by the miscreants on that evening.

Talking to the Mirror Asia, the ISPAB leaders claimed that the cables of different private internet exchanges were damaged at Khawaja Tower in Mohakhali adjacent to the Directorate of Disaster Management building which caught fire. Private internet exchanges located at Khawaja Tower represent around 85 percent of broadband connections in the country.

However, end users found a green signal on routers which indicates that the internet connection was cut off from the gateway end. Engineers say the router signals a red colour when any cable is damaged or disconnected.

Since Thursday last, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and ISPAB have been claiming the cable damage behind the internet blackout.

Of the total 141.28 million internet subscribers in Bangladesh, 127.84 million are connected over mobile networks, who suffered disruption since Wednesday midnight.