Reform BTTB

No regime could control the head-in-the-sand attitude of BTTB, which always go slow in providing telephone services to this fast developing society. It is holding on to outdated fixed-line telephone system, and the service standard is lousy, to say the least. The vested groups inside are powerfully backed by hidden godfathers.

Example; the fake premature opening of the BTTB mobile telephone service; while secret negotiations are believed to be going on through back doors for 'graft-toll'.

The latest news is that an US company (in joint collaboration) has started a WLL fixed telephone service outside Dhaka. This is a new trend, which deserves close attention. WLL might be suitable for outlying rural areas. Give each farmer a telephone (use mini solar power kits for self-installation).

The high rates of the private mobile companies cannot be reduced so long as they have to pass through the BTTB network for additional services to the other districts and internationally. The situation would ease after the opening of the submarine cable service. Ignoring this route was a colossal blunder of the earlier regimes.

Similar monopoly existed in PDB; and now the situation has slightly improved in reduction of the systems losses. The delays in approval of electric supply development projects come from the suspected unholy negotiations preceding such big projects. The government is aware of it, as the regime cancelled several projects approved by the preceding regime. Begum Khaleda Zia's government has to take some drastic actions (referring to her soothing closing speech at the JS a few days ago). She presented one side of the dirty coin.