Presenters at a debate today emphasised that in order to make significant progress in this new Bangladesh, the telecommunications sector must be completely restructured through the implementation of regulatory changes.
Additionally, they recommended a pro-people regulatory environment to ensure that everyone may benefit from the internet and other telecommunications-based services.
The discussion meeting “BTRC’s empowerment, amendment of telecommunication act and present situation” was arranged by the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association (BMPCA) at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity.
In his keynote address, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, the founder and managing director of BuildCon Consultancies, stated that the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), the Telecom Ministry, and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) have overlapping duties that hinder Bangladesh’s telecom regulation.
“This creates inefficiencies and slows down progress,” he observed, suggesting the interim government to merge BTRC with DOT.
“The interim government must streamline regulatory roles by merging DOT with BTRC, enabling BTRC to both regulate and formulate policy, while the Ministry provides overarching guidance,” he added.
“Meaningful progress in the telecom sector will remain elusive without this reform,” stated Mahtab, the CEO of mobile phone provider Robi.
He continued, “If the country truly wants to achieve “Smart Bangladesh,” it’s time to prioritise national interests, remove political cronyism, and create a competitive environment that fosters innovation, growth, and digital inclusivity for all.” He claimed that monopolistic control, antiquated policies, and regulatory inefficiencies are holding back Bangladesh’s telecom sector.
In order to satisfy the changing needs of the telecom sector, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed introduced a new three-tier licensing model during the meeting. Its goals are to increase quality, streamline services, and bring Bangladesh into line with other countries’ best practices in the region.
Initially, he suggested end-user access to telecom networks for voice and data, including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).
He also selected Infrastructure Service, which provides MNOs, ISPs, and MVNOs with transmission support through towers, fibre, and submarine cable services.
Furthermore, he advocated for services and contents, which would focuses on delivering digital services beyond traditional telecom offerings, enhancing customer experiences.
“This model would optimize Bangladesh’s 2,900+ licenses across 29 categories,” added Mahtab.
Mustafa Mahmud Hussain, a telecom policy analyst, also advocated for an effective telecom regulation as well as encouraging the content creators to develop educative contents.
ISPAB President Emdadul Hoque laid emphasis on full independence of BTRC, saying if BTRC had independent characteristics, it wouldn’t have been issued licenses in political consideration.
“We wouldn’t get an appropriate policy until BTRC has the authority to issue and revoke license as well as get full monitoring access,” he said, adding that BTRC should have the authority to act as an independent commission for the better industry.
Given that so many licenses have already been granted for various jobs, the ISPAB President suggested having a conversation with the stakeholders regarding the reevaluation of the various licensing tiers in order to prevent any chaos.
President of the BMPCA Mohiuddin Ahmed urged the government and telecom regulator to hold various operators accountable because many of them are not adhering to QoS.
