The telecom regulator has asked all the internet service providers (ISPs) to keep records of use history, system failure, SNMP traffic data and bandwidth utilisation of their individual users as live daily log for at least six months.
The ISPs have to keep these records for additional six months as storage.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Communication (BTRC) is also going to amend guideline clause 25.4 of the ISP licencing guidelines.
A BTRC official concerned said the amendment is going to beef up internet security in the country.
As per the existing guidelines, the licensees would maintain their individual users' history records, system failure records, SNMP traffic data and bandwidth utilisation records as daily log for at least three months. All these records would be made available on request by the Commission or LEA.
"However, for any particular case, the ISPs will preserve specific records for six months, if requested by the LEA/Commission," it added.
The BTRC now proposes that the ISP licensees would maintain their individual users' history records, system failure records, SNMP traffic data and bandwidth utilisation records as daily log for at least six months as live and additional six months as storage.
All these records would be made available for one year as and when required by the Commission or LEA, the proposed clause said.
The BTRC also asked the stakeholders concerned to submit opinions on the proposed amendment by next 15 days.
President of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) said this decision would raise their operation cost significantly, also raising internet cost as well.
"We have to increase the number of servers and workforce, if we have to keep records of all users for one year."
He also termed this amendment unnecessary.
The government issued the ISP guidelines in 2020 following four years of consultation and drafting.