Regulator to audit Teletalk, BTCL

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will audit Teletalk and Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited (BTCL) to unearth the amount of dues owed to the regulator by the state-run telecom companies.

Companies in the telecommunication sector share revenues for services with the BTRC, which later transfers the proceeds to government coffers.

"We will conduct audits of these companies to see whether they are sharing the revenue with the BTRC properly. Then we will issue a demand note," said Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, chairman of the BTRC.

According to the telecom regulator, it is owed Tk 1,848.63 crore by Teletalk Bangladesh, including due payments for licensing fees, revenue sharing, and spectrum fees alongside payments to the social obligation fund.

On the other hand, the BTCL owes over Tk 1,100 crore to the BTRC, which includes the regulator's share of revenue and different fees.

Ahmed was speaking at a view exchange meeting with journalists at the BTRC building in Dhaka.

He said the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act 2001, under which the BTRC operates, has been amended twice.

"However, it's a commission, not a company. The BTRC has wide scope for work as it still has a sense of independence," he said.

He added that it was important not only to provide connectivity to citizens, but also deliver quality and uninterrupted services.

The BTRC chairman also emphasised the importance of providing information to the media. He pledged to provide updates on the issue once a new policy is drafted prior to its implementation.

Brig Gen Mohammad Khalil-Ur-Rahman, director general for the systems and services division at the BTRC, said the regulator had made it a priority to shut down betting sites, betting apps and porn sites.

BTRC Commissioners Sheikh Reaz Ahmed and Musfiq Mannan Choudhury, and Director Generals Brig Gen Mohammad Moniruzzaman Jewel, Brig Gen Kazi Mustafizur Rahman, Abdullah Al Mamun, and Ashis Kumar Kundu, were among those present.

Md Nurul Hafiz, commission secretary, moderated the event.