An internet service provider of Biratnagar blocks news site for critical coverage

BIRATNAGAR: AUGUST 30 – When it comes to blocking and disturbing content of news websites, mainly three things occur occasionally in Nepal.

First, the Press Council, the government regular, that at times blocks news website for covering contents which its calls violating ‘journalistic ethics and laws’. Second, the website developer also has blocked certain news, as was the case of kathmandupress.com months ago. Third, sophisticated hackers at times make troubling circumstances for internet-based news coverage.

This time, however, at Biratnagar, the provincial headquarters of State 1, an internet service provider has blocked a news website of outbiratnagar.net for covering critical news. Classic Tech has blocked outbiratnagar.net for covering news about padlocking of its office by disgruntled clients of Biratnagar.

The internet service provider denied the wronfdoing but clients using Classic Tech were not able to surf ourbiratnagar.net, said Bibek Gautam, the General Secretary of Federation of Nepali Journalists, State One Committee.

”FNJ State one deplores the disgusting act of the internet service provider and urged concerned authorities for the due investigation”, said Gautam in a release Sunday afternoon. FNJ Morang chapter had also criticized the incident in another release.

According to Nawaraj Kattel, the Editor at the news website, their portal had covered the Friday’s incident of padlocking at the Classic tech office for accusing too much slow pace of the internet.

”We did a story on the incident of Friday evening and our news website was intentionally blocked in its area affecting our valued readers”, said Kattel. He added, ”However, after the pressure of FNJ, public and the district administrator of Morang Koshhari Niraula, they finally unblock our news portal after 40 hours on Sunday”.

Kattel said the OB Media Private Limited, the company running the news website, is afoot to sue the internet service provider.

Classic tech officials of Biratnagar, however, have declined to comment publicly on this matter.