![Internet blackout paints dark picture for Bangladesh call centres](https://www.americanmarconiwirelessnews.com/media/shared/articles/7a/34/17/Internet-blackout-paints-dark-pictu-721744.jpg)
-
Peru mourns divisive former strongman Fujimori
-
Vaughan's son takes 11 wickets as Somerset revive title bid by beating champions Surrey
-
Long-awaited case on Man City charges to start on Monday: report
-
PSG refuse League order to pay Mbappe disputed €55 million
-
Harris, Trump target swing states after fierce debate
-
Ten Hag hits back at Ronaldo criticism over Man Utd ambition
-
Oscar hopefuls to bookend US French film festival
-
UN chief calls for 'courage' ahead of Summit of the Future
-
French rugby federation blames 'poorly managed' supervision for youth player drowning
-
Movie producer Harvey Weinstein indicted on new charges: US media
-
Ex-Scotland captain Hogg to miss Montpellier match after bail release
-
'Historic': Bad weather slashes wine harvest in France's Jura
-
ECB rate cut boosts European stocks, euro
-
Piastri not 'pulling over' for Norris at every race
-
'Energised' Tebogo looking to close season with Diamond League bang
-
Millions in SE Asia battle floods, death toll passes 250
-
Fiat 500 electric production pauses for one month
-
London Fashion Week opens with Charli XCX party and second-hand runways
-
ECB cuts rates again, Lagarde backs EU reform call
-
Storm Francine downgraded but still drenching US south
-
Everton say 'work to be done' on Textor takeover
-
Shelling kills 3 Red Cross workers in E.Ukraine
-
Shelling kills 3 Red Cross workers killed in E.Ukraine
-
Iran president makes 'historic' visit to Iraqi Kurdistan
-
Brigitte Macron awarded damages over false trans claim
-
ECB rate cut boosts Europeans stocks, euro
-
Deadly Israeli strike on Gaza school draws global condemnation
-
Russia recaptures part of Kursk region
-
Bike-loving Dutch grapple with 'fatbike' phenomena
-
Ahead of Champions League warm-up, PSG are soaring and Brest slumping
-
ECB cuts rates again as inflation slows
-
Denmark's von Trier to direct a new film
-
Arteta agrees new Arsenal deal
-
Jon Bon Jovi helps woman standing on edge of US bridge
-
SpaceX makes history with first spacewalks by private citizens
-
England's Livingstone 'feels like a kid again' after injury setbacks
-
Brazil urges EU to suspend 'punitive' anti-deforestation law
-
Myanmar residents flee deadly floods in boats and on makeshift rafts
-
Power struggle and chaotic player trading: What's going at Chelsea?
-
Blinken seeks common cause in Poland after Ukraine jitters
-
Stocks rally on cooler US inflation, before ECB rate call
-
Spanish PM meets Venezuelan opposition figure amid tensions
-
McLaren set to introduce team orders to support Norris title bid
-
Tottenham's Bentancur charged with misconduct over remarks about teammate Son
-
UniCredit CEO says Commerzbank takeover an option: Bloomberg
-
Pogacar aims to conquer Canada before cycling worlds
-
UK military urged to stop using bearskin hats on cost grounds
-
New Queen Elizabeth II statue panned in Northern Ireland
-
Ireland launches EU privacy probe into Google AI development
-
Irish skipper Tom Dolan wins Solitaire du Figaro sailing race
![Internet blackout paints dark picture for Bangladesh call centres](https://www.americanmarconiwirelessnews.com/media/shared/articles/7a/34/17/Internet-blackout-paints-dark-pictu-721744.jpg)
Internet blackout paints dark picture for Bangladesh call centres
Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis work in outsourcing firms and the industry generates billions every year, but executives fear the internet shutdown imposed by authorities seeking to quell anti-government protests threatens its entire existence.
Packed into tiny desks in cramped office spaces, ranks of workers provide international clients with support services in the form of live voice and text chat, back office support, email support, invoicing, online store management, image processing and more.
The industry, known as business process outsourcing (BPO), generates estimated annual revenues of two billion dollars in Bangladesh.
But it now faces the threat of closures and redundancies, after authorities imposed an internet shutdown Thursday to quell protests against employment quotas that have spiralled into deadly unrest.
"When a five-minute delay is not acceptable in this line of work, a total blackout is nothing short of a disaster," said Fahim Mashroor, tech entrepreneur and former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services.
He is CEO of Bdjobs.com, which provides services to clients from 13 countries, including German sportswear maker Puma and Swedish fashion brand Ellos.
"All of our communication is done through email and when internet was disconnected suddenly, we couldn't let the client know about our situation."
The government announced broadband internet would be restored Tuesday evening, but executives believe it is already too late.
BPO groups say the industry has been losing $7 million a day since the internet shutdown began, and Bangladeshi companies believe regional rivals in India, the Philippines and Vietnam will be hoovering up their clients.
"It took us 10 years to build a clientele of 150 and I fear I lost all of them in a few days," said Monir Hosen, managing director of call centre firm Creative Clipping Path, which employs around 300 people.
"Bangladesh's reputation will be permanently damaged for the clients," he said.
BPO firm ASL employs 200 staff and provides 24/7 back-office support to two major clients in the EU.
But founder and CEO Zayed Uddin Ahmed fears he may soon have to close down and dismiss his workers.
Many international clients demand uninterrupted service for real-time communication, feedback and payment processing, he said.
"They are reliant on us 24 hours a day and if we don't provide what they need, they will divert the orders to our neighbouring and competitor countries," he said.
"The extent of losses is immeasurable for us."
- 'My family will be destitute' -
One trainer at his company, Jannati Tazrimin, said she and others feared for their jobs.
"Since we work on a project basis, everyone in my project would lose their job if the client cancels the contract with us because of the blackout," she said.
"Not only me -- the anxiety of losing their jobs has gripped my entire team.
"I want to get back to work. I need it desperately. But for that, I want internet service back immediately," she added.
The situation for Humayun Kabir, a production manager of Creative Clipping Path, is worse than at any time during his 11 years in the industry.
Even during the Covid pandemic, he did not fear unemployment.
"But for the first time, I am afraid of losing my job," the father of two said.
The firm's customers expect timely delivery of processed images so that they can upload them to e-commerce sites.
"Somalia and Nigeria have already emerged as tough competitors offering lower rates," Kabir told AFP, adding that losing clients to them could lead to he and his colleagues being laid off.
"At mid-career, I will not be able to change my profession," the 36-year-old added.
"My family will be destitute."
str-es-s/slb/dhw
P.Santos--AMWN