The telecom regulator in the country has been frequently cheating the government by favouring the telecom operator Banglaphone, from the last couple of years by hiding information, sources of the industry informed.
Last update is about the issue that the government allowed a permit to Banglaphone on 8 May with three conditions for one year tenure and sent the letter to the regulator to fix related fees and charges which other licensees paid, but the BTRC didn’t follow the order, rather they allowed Banglaphone to continue its business until further order or decision without mentioning any charge.
The Dhaka Tribune obtains both the letters and found anomalies.
Banglaphone is a private landphone operator permitted landline business in the northeast zone on June 2004, but they are also maintaining networking business taking permits from the telecom watchdog hiding the government from 2011.
Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) also awarded permit to Banglaphone for at least three years without government’s consent, to save the company crores in various fees.
But according to the telecom act prior approval is mandatory from the government to award permit to any company.
“Actually I have no idea about the present situation of Banglaphone issue. I heard some problems about it earlier but I have no information why don’t we carry out government’s order,” Md Giashuddin Ahmed, Vice Chairman of the BTRC told the Dhaka Tribune on Thursday before leaving for USA.
BTRC's Sunil Kanti Bose is also out of the country from last week.
Without a proper license, Banglaphone also managed to ink agreements with top most operators like mobile operator Robi and Teletalk, Wi-max operator Banglalion, leading ISP of the country Aamra and a largest government office Bangladesh Post Office.
Sources of the telecom watchdog said, some senior officials of BTRC try to bypass all the rules and regulations for favouring Banglaphone.
Amjad Khan, the managing director of Banglaphone, also acknowledged that they have gotten a permit without any time bar and without any condition but denied to term it as a favour.
“I did not ask for favour. Our company did not ask for favour. We simply want ministry, BTRC and all other agencies of the government to create a level playing field for all,” Amjad Khan told the Dhaka Tribune.
But government order which gave them one more year from 23 April 2014 also reads “Banglaphone can’t build any network of establish any instrument by this time.”
The government also directed the BTRC fix annual fee, revenue sharing to Banglaphone like other companies, order reads.
According to guideline of Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licenses they have to pay Tk50,000 for application fees, Tk3 crore for license fees, Tk25 lakh for annual license fees, Tk10 crore of bank performance guaranty and also share revenues 1% to 3% in different time duration.
BTRC discussed the issue on last commission meeting but fail to come in a decision though they have sent letter to Banglaphone and informed about the permit, sources also informed.
But Amjad Khan said government can’t write in this way that’s why BTRC made it easy for him, and also claiming that he has an order from the court so ministry can’t state them that during the extension period no network can be expanded.
“This clause is a violation of the Court Order. Ministry violated the court order but BTRC in their extension of permit on May 26, 2014 did not violate that court order,” Amjad Khan also told the Dhaka Tribune.
Earlier, Banglaphone applied for a NTTN license which is currently under government consideration, and as by this time Banglaphone’s permit date (22 April) expired and they went to court. Court ordered the government allows their service till disposal of the NTTN license application.
A senior official of the ministry said, “Honouring the court order we allowed one more year permit with some conditions which is already applied to the other players and government will go for a decision about Banglaphone’s application within a short time.”
