DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP) — Bangladesh authorities have blocked more than 500 pornographic websites as part of a major morality drive, officials said yesterday.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said it had ordered local internet service providers to stop the sites from streaming amid fears over the impact of children.

“We’re blocking the porn sites in a bid to protect our children and youths from the harmful impact of pornography,” BTRC spokesman Sarwar Alam said.

“This is part of a major effort to promote our culture and moral values.

“We’ve set up a committee which has drawn up a list of 560 (porn) sites. The committee has told local ISPs to block them,” Alam said, adding the regulator would gradually broaden the blacklist.

More than a third of Bangladesh’s 160 million people have access to internet including millions of underaged teenagers who browse with smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Junior telecoms minister Tarana Halim wrote on her Facebook page that blocking all access to porn in Bangladesh would “be a challenge” but added that any crackdown could only be of benefit.