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
3 more submarine cables: Private companies to invest Tk 2,000cr
Three private firms will invest around Tk 2,000 crore collectively to connect Bangladesh with at least three more submarine communication cables, in a development that would ensure smooth supply of bandwidth amid surging internet use.
21 September 2022, 02:10 AM
BTCL defaults on Tk 2,259cr to exchequer
The state coffer is at least Tk 2,258.76 crore short, thanks to Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited’s failure to deposit the sum for mismanagement, shows audit report.
17 September 2022, 02:00 AM
Pran-RFL enters mobile phone manufacturing
The country’s manufacturing and processing behemoth Pran-RFL Group has made a foray into mobile phone manufacturing to capture a slice of the rapidly expanding digital device market in Bangladesh.
15 September 2022, 02:10 AM
Internet users rise in July
The number of internet users in Bangladesh rose in July on the back of a spike in mobile data consumption as operators try to expand their network and improve the quality of 4G service.
11 September 2022, 02:30 AM
Competent and compliant
Over a decade ago, Kamal Quadir adorned the venue of the launching ceremony of bKash, a nascent mobile financial service provider that he just founded at that time, with some black and white pictures in big frames.
10 September 2022, 18:00 PM
Ban on new SIM sales erodes GP subscriber base
Grameenphone lost 8 lakh customers in July as the country’s top mobile network provider is starting to feel the pinch of a ban on new SIM sales imposed by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
8 September 2022, 02:45 AM
Doel fails to spread wings
In 2011, state-owned Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) made Bangladesh proud by assembling the country’s first laptop, showing promises to deliver the device at an affordable price and help the government to implement its digitalisation agenda.
4 September 2022, 02:10 AM
3 private firms get nod to lay, run undersea cables
The government has selected three private firms to award them the licence to establish, maintain and operate submarine cables as it looks to ramp up the supply of bandwidth amid a surge in data consumption.
30 August 2022, 02:15 AM
Logistics firms irked by draft law
The government has formulated a draft law to regulate logistics companies, which will establish stiff control and impede growth in the industry, according to market players.
26 August 2022, 03:15 AM
Former Robi CEO Mahtab files Tk 227 crore suit against Robi
Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, former managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Robi Axiata, has filed a suit against the telecom operator, its board chairman and former group CEO seeking Tk 227 crore in retirement benefits and damages for 'wrongful dismissal'.
23 August 2022, 10:42 AM
Another digital vision with many still unconnected
The government is gearing up to implement a new “Smart Bangladesh” vision by 2041 with the belief that a preceding “Digital Bangladesh” had been realised by 2021.
23 August 2022, 02:30 AM
Bangladesh poised to be a big payment market
Bangladesh’s payment ecosystem is poised to leapfrog to become a very large substantial payment market within the South Asia and Asia Pacific region in the next few years, said Vikas Varma, chief operating officer for South Asia at Mastercard.
21 August 2022, 03:45 AM
Online shopping becomes costlier
Online purchases are getting costlier as courier companies in the country have collectively raised their fares in response to the recent increase in fuel prices.
19 August 2022, 02:30 AM
Mobile makers in trouble as sales plummet
The nascent mobile phone manufacturing industry in Bangladesh has been hit hard by the higher inflation, unprecedented dollar price hike, and increased value-added tax as their sales have plummeted amid belt-tightening by consumers.
18 August 2022, 02:00 AM
MFS providers see surge in utility payments
Utility bill payments through mobile financial service (MFS) providers crossed the Tk 2,000-crore mark in June, underscoring the growing preference among users to make payments from the comfort of their homes.
16 August 2022, 03:30 AM
Riders feel the pinch of fuel price hike
Ride-sharing service users in Bangladesh could not escape from the impact of the recent fuel price increase as Pathao has already announced new fares while Uber is set to follow suit.
11 August 2022, 03:00 AM
Telecom operators, ISPs asked to share digital ad spending info
The telecom regulator in Bangladesh yesterday directed mobile network operators and internet service providers (ISPs) to furnish it with information about their spending on digital advertisements on different social media platforms in 2021.
11 August 2022, 02:45 AM
Links lead to betting promotions on BSEC site
If you type Betwinner, which is an online sports betting site, on Google and scroll past a couple of search results, you will find a link related to Bangladesh.
7 August 2022, 03:15 AM
Valere Healthcare to connect doctors, patients, hospitals
Patients in Bangladesh, even for a simple treatment or consultation, often get bewildered how they would find their desired doctors and locate the nearest or best hospitals or labs.
6 August 2022, 18:00 PM
Teletalk’s dues to govt pile up
State-run mobile network operator Teletalk has yet again failed to pay fees to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for the spectrum it acquired in the latest auction.
5 August 2022, 02:00 AM