“Big Brother is watching you.” The iconic warning from George Orwell’s 1984 continues to echo in Bangladesh, where allegations of widespread state surveillance remain strong even after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government last year, reports BBC Bangla.
It quoted a new study by Tech Global Institute, a non-profit that has long tracked surveillance practices in the country, which suggests that the state’s capacity for eavesdropping is not only intact but deeply entrenched.
The report says Bangladesh spent over $190 million– more than 2,000 crore taka– on surveillance and spyware technology between 2015 and 2025. These tools were not limited to monitoring phone calls but were capable of taking “full control” of any digital device.
“The spending pattern clearly shows that surveillance expanded around the 2018 and 2024 elections,” the study notes, implying that dissent was monitored and silenced as part of efforts to maintain power.
One of the most controversial institutions is the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), which began under military intelligence in 2008 and has operated as an independent agency under the Home Ministry since 2014. Between 2016 and 2025 alone, NTMC spent $52 million (631 crore taka) on monitoring technology.
A UN fact-finding mission linked to the July 2024 uprising even recommended disbanding the NTMC and ending illegal mass surveillance. Yet, the agency remains active. BBC Bangla sought comment from the NTMC but received no reply.
Critics warn that the danger of misuse remains high.
“I was a victim– I can say that without hesitation,” politician Mahmudur Rahman Manna told BBC Bangla.
In 2015, his private conversation with late BNP leader Sadeq Hossain Khoka was leaked. He was accused of sedition and spent two years in prison.
“That phone record could only have been collected through illegal surveillance,” he added.
Experts argue that the scale of monitoring has only increased since then.
Tech specialist Suman Ahmed Sabir said: Even after last year’s uprising and reforms in many areas, the intelligence agencies have remained untouched. That was a missed opportunity. Without reform, any future government can abuse these tools in the same way as before.
The legal framework has also drawn scrutiny.
Human rights lawyer Sara Hossain points out that “at least 22 laws give surveillance powers to different authorities. That needs a comprehensive review.”
She added that unlike many democracies where independent oversight is required to access private data, in Bangladesh “law enforcement agencies could simply enter the system without following due process.”
The government, however, insists it is not acting illegally.
Asked recently whether surveillance is ongoing, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said: The government is not engaged in any unlawful activity.”
An investigation committee has reportedly been formed to look into the purchase of spyware following Tech Global’s revelations.
Still, questions remain over future safeguards.
The interim government has repealed the Digital Security Act and introduced a new Cyber Security Ordinance. But provisions for blocking or intercepting data remain. Even the draft guidelines for Starlink internet services contain surveillance clauses, including requirements for telecom operators to retain call records for two years.
“Checks and balances are missing in our system,” said Sabir.“ The judiciary, bureaucracy, and independent regulators should all play a role, but in reality, they don’t.”
Sara Hossain echoed the concern: “There is no independent authority to act as a safeguard. Instead, government bodies themselves are taking data directly.”
