Mob violence is increasing, the government seeks cooperation from mobile operators

The government has sought advance cooperation from mobile operators to prevent mob violence. In this regard, it has been requested to analyze the information through data analytics and AI and provide advance warnings to the law enforcement agencies. A meeting has already been held with the concerned parties to work jointly. Faiz Ahmed Tayyab, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor, hopes that the ongoing situation will improve through this initiative. Last Wednesday (July 9), a scrap dealer, Lal Chand alias Sohag, was beaten to death with pieces of bricks and stones in public on a busy road in front of Mitford Hospital in the capital. No one came forward to save him. Recently, a woman was beaten up after brutal torture in Comilla. According to the information of the human rights organization Human Rights Support Society, 31 people were killed in 70 mass beatings in the first three months of this year. Panic and anxiety are increasing in the public mind about mob terrorism. In such a reality, the government has taken the initiative to use telecom technology to prevent mobs. Mobile phones are always connected to the nearest tower. The location of the subscriber and public gatherings can be determined by analyzing the signal information of the handset through the tower. As a result, if there is a risk of mob formation in a specific area, it is possible to get a prediction by analyzing the signal of the nearby tower. Robi’s Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer Shahed Alam told Somoy Sangbad, “We requested the government to set up a National Data Analytics Center, through which it is now possible to find out where the movement of people is more, but now with the help of technology.” And the government has requested operators to provide this information to the law enforcement agencies. In this regard, Faiz Ahmed Tayyab said, we have started preliminary discussions on how to involve the police by analyzing the data from where the mobs are formed. A meeting has already been held at the police headquarters in this regard. Mobile operators say that they are ready to provide any kind of cooperation in the national interest. Grameenphone’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Tanvir Mohammad said, “We have not received the request yet. However, we will decide on the action to be taken once we receive the request.” Banglalink’s Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer Taimur Rahman said, “If there is any security requirement in our technology, we will definitely cooperate with the government.” Currently, four mobile operators are serving more than 185 million customers.