I am from Dhaka, Bangladesh and currently located in Berlin, Germany. I blog at The 3rd world view since 2003. I have been bridgeblogging the Bangladeshi and South Asian Blogosphere in Global Voices since 2005. I am also the translator coordinator for the Global Voices Bangla Lingua and love translating selected Global Voices posts into my mother tongue Bangla. I also like to follow the groundbreaking outreach projects of Rising Voices and write about them.
Latest posts by Rezwan
‘Post at your own risk': An interview with Indian journalist Srishti Jaswal
Global Voices conducted a telephonic interview with Srishti Jaswal, an award-winning journalist from India who became the target of online harassment from right-wing trolls, receiving thousands of threats.
Sri Lanka's proposed anti-terrorism law aims to curb civil protests
There is growing dissent within Sri Lanka against the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), which is intended to replace the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the accompanying bill.
The true colours of Truecaller in India: app accused of being negligent about data privacy
According to recently published research, the popular app TrueCaller is plagued with constant breaches and data security failures, and the company is avoiding regulations and taxes in India.
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka briefly restricted amidst curfew and protests
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Viber, have been restored after a 16-hour ban imposed to quell anti-government protests amidst the ongoing economic crisis.
Bangladesh media accused of bias by Russia on Ukraine war coverage
The Russian ambassador to Bangladesh accused Bangladeshi media of taking a “biased approach” in their coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
2021 in retrospective: Authoritarian practices threatened journalists and restricted media freedom in South Asia
In this retrospective, we will review issues of online and press freedom, censorship, the safety of journalists and digital rights in South Asia that we covered during the year.
Twitter vs India: The battle of BJP and Congress over a ‘fake toolkit’ on COVID-19
Twitter expressed concern about the “use of intimidation tactics by the police” and “the potential threat to freedom of expression” for the Indian users.
In Bangladesh, criticism of government response to the COVID-19 pandemic is risky
"Would it be wrong if someone says that the authorities in Bangladesh, equipped with Digital Security Act, launched a crackdown on those critical to the government?"
Baul singer Shariat Sarkar arrested in Bangladesh for ‘insulting’ Islam
Baul singer Shariat Sarkar is accused of making comments which hurt the “religious sentiment” of Muslims. He says that there is no evidence forbidding music in Islam.
India partially lifts communications blackout in Kashmir, internet still down
According to a recent report, Kashmiris are resisting the clampdowns and shutdowns imposed by the Indian Central Government “through satyagraha or non-violent civil disobedience”.
Bangladesh Regulator blocks engineering university web page containing reports of student abuse
The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission blocked an online page where over 175 complaints were anonymously made by current and former students of the top engineering university of the country.
Indian government asks Twitter to remove accounts ‘spreading rumours’ about Kashmir
With the communication blackout inside Kashmir, netizens elsewhere resorted to Twitter to speak out against India's revocation of the region's autonomous status.
Laughing in the Face of an Internet Shutdown In Bangladesh
"To stop the leaks, better to cancel the exam rather than shutting the internet down. Then you won't have to worry about leaks anymore."
‘According to the Digital Security Law, I am a Spy': Bangladeshi Journalists Defend Their Right to Investigate
"The Digital Security Act (2018) is an Eyewash. It is section 57 (ICT Act) for all intent and purposes. All the provisions have merely been redistributed among other sections."
From Internet Blackouts to Violent Attacks, South Asia Saw New Threats to Free Expression Online in 2017
In 2017, South Asian countries faced growing challenges in the field of internet freedom, censorship, and freedom of expression.
Freedom of Expression or ‘Obscene Representation'? The Case Against Indian Cartoonist Bala G
"The incident made me think that my children were burning. I have no words to express my sorrow, so I drew the cartoon out of rage."
India Bans the Internet Archive and More Than 2,600 File-Sharing Websites to Protect Bollywood
The ban is the result of a court ruling, based on the petitions of two Bollywood producers, to stop file-sharing websites from distributing pirated copies of recently released movies.
Bangladesh's ICT Act Paved the Way for Hundreds Lawsuits Over Online Speech
There are currently 319 cases being heard in the courts under Bangladesh's notoriously broad ICT Act. Many of them involve lawsuits against journalists.
Police Threaten Maldivian Bloggers Abroad With Arrest Over Twitter
Four independent Maldivian bloggers and activists living overseas have been issued arrest warrants by police over the past week. Apparently, they were targeted because they promote secularism or secularists.
Mumbai Technologists Are Using TV Spectrum to Bring More Internet Access to India
Poor Internet infrastructure leaves the vast majority of Indians limited to mobile Internet only, making it difficult to engage deeply with Internet technology.
