Political leaders, experts reject govt’s telecom policy

Prominent political figures and industry experts have rejected the telecom policy formulated during the interim government, citing that it will create discriminatory barriers for domestic investors. They pledged that a future elected government would review all telecom and related policies.

The call was made at a roundtable titled "Challenges in Shaping the Bangladesh of Tomorrow: The Future of Local Entrepreneurs in the Telecommunications and Information Technology Sectors," organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters' Network, Bangladesh, at a hotel in Dhaka on Saturday (November 22).

Noting that the future government will review the policies, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that the ICT (information and communication technology) and telecom sectors involve critical economic decisions for Bangladesh, so investment, ICT, and telecom policies must be thoroughly assessed before major decisions are made.

He emphasized that telecom regulations must ensure fair opportunities for both local and foreign entrepreneurs and protect digital security.

Other participants included BNP Chairperson's Advisory Council Member Jahiruddin Swapan, Ganosamhati Andolon Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki, media personality Abdun Noor Tushar, senior journalists Masud Kamal, telecom analyst Rased Mehedi, telecom expert Shahed Alam, Fiber@Home Chairman Moynul Haque Siddiqui, ISPAB President Aminul Hakim, telecom policy researcher Abu Nazam Tanveer Hossain, AIOB member Brig Gen (retd) Mostafizur Rahman, and BAHON Limited CEO Rashed Amin. IT sector expert and Fiber@Home Deputy Managing Director Sumon Ahmed Sabir delivered the keynote address. TRNB President Samir Kumar Dey chaired it while its General Secretary Masuduzzaman Robin delivered the welcome address.

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury emphasized that telecom policies are critical and must be formulated with input from all stakeholders. He observed that over the past 15 years, the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission should have been an independent authority, but its independence was undermined during the previous government.

He stressed that any changes must protect domestic investment and digital security. “In a sector with such high profits, domestic investors should be able to participate fully. The new telecom policy, aimed at creating the ‘best, fastest, and most secure’ network, must not discriminate between domestic and foreign entrepreneurs,” he added.

He assured domestic entrepreneurs across the telecommunications sector that safeguarding the industry will be the responsibility of the future elected government, which will review all policies, including telecom, currently implemented by the interim government.

BNP Chairperson's Advisory Council Member Jahiruddin Swapan stated: “No policy can exist without accountability. Policies must consider both current and future realities, ensuring digital sovereignty and confirming digital security.”

Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of the Ganosamhati Andolon, stated that while policies are needed to address future challenges, the current policies risk placing the country’s telecommunications sector in the hands of foreign companies rather than domestic firms. He also noted that several key ports are being handed over to foreigners. Saki emphasized that policies that limit domestic investment in telecom and threaten the employment of 500,000–700,000 people in the sector are unacceptable and are being rejected.

Prominent media personality Dr. Abdun Noor Tushar stated: “If business discrimination is not addressed, foreign investors will dominate the sector. However, it is essential to preserve business opportunities for domestic entrepreneurs and ensure their independence.”

Journalist Masud Kamal said: "A government without accountability creates the greatest insecurity for the people. This is the current situation in Bangladesh, where no one in the government is accountable. Policies made by the interim government could become a significant burden for the future elected administration."

Journalist Rased Mehedi said: “A visionary policy is now needed to help the country keep pace with the rapid transformation of information technology. Without developing our own cloud and digital platforms to manage the growth of AI and IoT, it will be difficult to sustain our data flow capacity.”

“The current policy, however, risks making Bangladesh dependent on foreign companies, putting both national security and revenue collection in the telecom and IT sectors under foreign control,” he added.

Journalist Shahed Alam said: "The development of information technology is happening very rapidly. Earlier, video calls were unthinkable. Now, video calls are widespread. Now there should be a policy on how to quickly bring the benefits of information technology to the common people. In that case, foreign investment should be attracted while protecting the interests of domestic entrepreneurs."

Fiber@Home Ltd Chairman Moynul Haque Siddiqui stated that domestic transmission companies have installed nearly 200,000 kilometers of fiber optics network, bringing internet speeds in remote villages on par with Dhaka. Before this expansion, internet access was limited to a few cities. The nationwide deployment of fiber networks has made high-speed broadband and mobile internet widely accessible and affordable across Bangladesh.

He warned that the current telecom policy fails to protect the interests of domestic entrepreneurs, while also raising internet prices and threatening employment in the sector.

ISPAB President Aminul Hakim said: “Our ISPs provide services from villages to cities. The sector includes around 2,500 entrepreneurs, with investments totaling Tk 4,500–5,000 crore.” He noted that major political parties had already held a press conference opposing the telecom policy and expressed hope that the government would withdraw it.

“Since that has not happened, we expect that if the BNP forms the next government, it will reconsider this harmful policy,” he added.

Telecommunications policy expert Abu Nazam Tanveer Hossain said that no national policy should be made in haste. Policymakers must consider the current situation, future needs, ways to boost domestic investment and capacity, and how to attract necessary foreign investment through appropriate policy measures. He warned that rushing from one policy to another is neither sound nor widely acceptable.