Draft telecom policy keeps door open for monopoly
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s (BTRC) draft policy to reform its complex licensing regime arrives with bold promises — streamlining processes, encouraging competition, and attracting foreign investment.
14 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Govt’s bank borrowing target may shrink in next budget
The government is planning to significantly reduce its bank borrowing target in the upcoming fiscal year as it aims to narrow the budget deficit by scaling down the overall budget size.
13 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Starlink gets 90-day waiver to operate without local gateway
The internet regulator in Bangladesh has granted Starlink permission to supply bandwidth from outside the country for 90 days.
12 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Budget to shrink amid fiscal strain
Bangladesh’s interim government is preparing to unveil a rare contractionary budget on June 2, driven by a sharp rise in interest payment that is crowding out fiscal space and forcing spending cuts.
10 May 2025, 18:00 PM
BBS finally empowered to publish data independently
As part of policy reforms aimed at improving the credibility and accuracy of national statistics, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has been empowered to publish official data without prior government approval.
8 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Local handset production drops as grey market expands
Handset production in Bangladesh declined significantly in the first quarter of 2025 as the grey market continued to dominate the domestic market.
29 April 2025, 18:00 PM
BTRC to ask Banglalink to pay at least Tk 70cr in tower sale fees
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has decided to issue a final directive to Banglalink Digital Communications Ltd, asking the mobile operator to deposit 5.5 percent of the total value of its tower sales, along with all applicable VAT and late fees, to Summit Towers Limited within ten working days.
28 April 2025, 18:00 PM
BTRC approves licence for Starlink
This is the swiftest recommendation from the BTRC for any such licence, according to a BTRC official.
27 April 2025, 18:00 PM
17 IIG operators fined Tk 45 lakh
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has recently decided to fine 17 International Internet Gateway (IIG) service operators a total of Tk 45 lakh for violating rules, including under invoicing, not sharing revenue and changing share structures without prior approval.
18 July 2023, 18:00 PM
IT exports rising though growth decelerates
Information technology exports from Bangladesh grew in the July-April period of the just-concluded fiscal year on the bank of higher demand for IT-enabled services from global clients, official figures showed.
12 July 2023, 00:20 AM
Monthly mobile top-up thru MFS tops Tk 1,000cr for first time
Customers are increasingly opting for mobile financial services to top up balances, helping mobile carriers earn more than Tk 1,000 crore a month for the first time from the sales processed through MFS providers.
10 July 2023, 00:50 AM
Yet another controversial law passes JS
For the second time in two weeks, a bill was passed in the parliament that has taken its relevant industry stakeholders by surprise and is now facing a pushback.
6 July 2023, 21:30 PM
Digital debacle
In 2012, the government took on a Tk 541 crore project to convert 8,500 post offices in rural areas to e-centres for the communities.
6 July 2023, 01:00 AM
Regulator asks Banglalink to clear Tk 823cr dues
The telecom regulator has instructed Banglalink to clear dues worth around Tk 823 crore after carrying out an audit into the mobile phone operator for the period from 1996 to 2019.
5 July 2023, 18:00 PM
Internet subscriber base sees growth for 4th month straight
The number of internet subscribers in Bangladesh rose by about 12 lakh in May from a month earlier thanks to an increase in the country’s mobile subscriber base.
5 July 2023, 00:45 AM
Essentials’ Price Spiral: Munshi’s comment exposes govt’s helplessness
The commerce minister’s recent admission that stern measures against market manipulators could create a sudden crisis has exposed the helplessness and lack of political will of the government, said three top economists and a consumers’ body.
27 June 2023, 18:00 PM
“We have created a large oligarch over the years like Russia. There is the existence of those oligarchs in every sector, including the commodity sector. We all know who they are.”
The commerce minister’s recent admission that stern measures against market manipulators could create a sudden crisis has exposed the helplessness and lack of political will of the government, said three top economists and a consumers' body.
27 June 2023, 16:05 PM
GP propels growth in country’s mobile subscriber base
Mobile subscriber numbers witnessed growth in May thanks to a strong performance by the top operator, Grameenphone.
27 June 2023, 00:20 AM
Duties on raw materials of sanitary pads should go
The government should withdraw customs duties slapped on the imports of raw materials used in making sanitary napkins as the penetration of the basic hygiene product is low in Bangladesh due to higher prices, said a top executive.
25 June 2023, 18:00 PM
Online cattle sales rising ahead of Eid
With Eid-ul-Azha fast approaching, online cattle sales are gaining momentum as many are looking to buy their sacrificial animals from the comfort of their homes.
24 June 2023, 18:00 PM
Mobile operators’ handsets now in instalments
Customers now can avail handsets in instalments when purchasing connections as the telecom regulator has finally decided to give the greenlight to mobile network operators in this regard.
22 June 2023, 02:10 AM
No SIM sales for 2 days for NID server outage
People have not been able to purchase SIMs and related services over the last two days as mobile phone operators have been unable to verify buyer information due to difficulties in accessing the national identification (NID) database server at the Election Commission (EC).
20 June 2023, 18:00 PM
Mobile operators face trouble to provide service for EC's NID server problem
People are facing problem in purchasing SIMs and get other services as mobile phone operators can not verify the buyer’s information due to problem in NID database server at the Election Commission.
20 June 2023, 05:28 AM
Digital divide points to disparity in rural-urban internet access
The digital divide continues to exist in Bangladesh underscoring disparities in internet access between rural and urban areas, while gender digital divide also worsened.
14 June 2023, 02:30 AM
Mobile production declines sharply in April
Local production of mobile phones declined substantially in Bangladesh in April as manufacturers grappled with a massive drop in sales amidst the grey market’s expansion.
13 June 2023, 01:10 AM
3 submarine cable firms to team up owing to US dollar crunch
Three private submarine cables have backtracked from their initial decisions to supply bandwidth separately through undersea cables and have now agreed to collaborate on one connection amid the US dollar shortage.
6 June 2023, 02:00 AM
It’s unrealistic, unattainable
The proposed budget for 2023-24 is unrealistic and unattainable as the challenges that caused the economic growth to decelerate, foreign exchange reserves to dip and inflation to surge in the past one year still persist, said economists and think-tanks.
1 June 2023, 18:00 PM
FY24 budget is unjust, illogical, if not immoral: Debapriya
“If a person is not liable for tax, how can you really tax the person? This is a desperate attempt to increase direct taxes,” he added.
1 June 2023, 17:20 PM