Hosted by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the 10th Asia Pacific Telecommunication and ICT Development Forum (ADF-10), a three-day-long international telecommunication and ICT development summit will begin in Dhaka today.
Surprisingly, only a few media houses, handpicked by the BTRC will have access to the event, which will involve the government, the BTRC, industry players and all stakeholders.
“We have only invited ten media houses with three government owned institutions. The decision was made by the chairman,” a BTRC high-up told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
He said, BTRC have invited four private televisions along with state-owned BTV. At the same time, they have asked only three English newspapers, government-run news agency BSS and Bangladesh Betar.
However, Zakir Hossain Khan, assistant director for media and publications at BTRC told the Dhaka Tribune: “Though we have sent only ten invitations, I can ensue you that all the journalists can cover the event.”
Organised by the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), the three-day-long forum will host 10 working sessions as well as the opening and closing sessions. APT Secretary General Toshiyuki Yamada attending both of them.
The forum will mainly discuss ways for development of telecommunications and ICT including mobile and broadband services within the region.
At the same time it will assist development of the rural communities with appropriate strategies for ICT development and share the outcome and achievements of the Projects on Exchange of ICT Researchers and Engineers and ICT Pilot Projects for rural areas.
Telecommunication minister Advocate Shahara Khatun will present at inaugural session and ICT minister Mostafa Raruque Mohammed will present at closing session.
Meanwhile, BTRC officials said that it is chalking out a “media free” 3G spectrum auction, scheduled to be held on September 8 this year. Though still in the planning, BTRC is weighing up options to allow media only before and after the auction, sources said.
“BTRC wants to distribute five cards to each operators and no one else will be able to enter the auction room without these cards,” sources informed.
When some journalists talked to the BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose regarding the matter, and said they will arrange a human chain if such decisions are taken. BTRC chairman, however, said: “Now a day’s human chains are a very common event, and I have seen a lot of human chains in my life.”