Then why do BTRC officials take salaries?

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission commenced its operations on January 31, 2002. Its inaugural office was located in the 'Style Nahar' building on Road No. 135, Gulshan-1. The first chairman was Syed Margub Morshed, who previously served as the Establishment Secretary of the Bangladesh Government. At that time, I was employed as a staff reporter for the daily Sangbad. Approximately a month after the BTRC began its functions, I was assigned to visit the new BTRC office. I was tasked with conducting a thorough investigation into this new commission. The then Chief Reporter of the newspaper, Kashem Humayun Bhai, noted down various questions regarding the responsibilities of the commission and its potential impact on telecommunication companies, which were sent along with my assignment.

On my first day, I had a conversation with Chairman Syed Margub Morshed. He emphasized certain provisions of the 2001 Telecommunications Act and underscored the importance of establishing the BTRC. Although two decades have passed, my recollection is somewhat hazy. However, I distinctly remember him stating that the primary role of the BTRC would be to develop policies pertaining to the telecommunications sector and to oversee whether the sector's activities align with those policies.

I recall one additional detail. He mentioned that in the near future, there is a likelihood of significant advancements in new technologies, which will render the telecommunications sector the most crucial area for the nation's development. Consequently, this new independent commission will devise new policies and establish a fair competitive environment for both domestic and foreign entrepreneurs and investors in the telecommunications sector through the licensing framework.

I had nearly forgotten the identities of the other commissioners from the inaugural BTRC commission. By reviewing a few notes from that period through various means, I managed to uncover the names of two individuals. Subsequently, I obtained the names of all commission members thanks to the assistance of a former BTCL official. Although this official provided the information from memory, he advised me to verify certain details. I consulted one or two acquaintances from that time and confirmed the names listed below. Perhaps it is unnecessary to include the names of all commission members in this article. However, I am providing them to illustrate the historical context of the BTRC's foundational journey for the current generation of journalist colleagues. The first vice chairman was FQM Faruque. The other three commissioners included AFM Nazmul Hossain Chowdhury, Khandaker Md Abu Bakar and Muhammad Rezaul Haque. In fact, all historical information regarding the BTRC should be accessible on the BTRC website. Unfortunately, the website lacks sufficient information.

Interestingly, when I click on the achievements of the commission in the 'BTRC related' section, I only encounter a PDF document detailing the achievements from 2016-2021. The updated information is dated October 17, 2023. As you can see, the BTRC website has not been updated since then and a new visitor to this site will assume that BTRC had no significant achievements outside the period from 2016 to 2021 or before or after! Look again, the website has both Bangla and English versions. But ‘Vision and History’ is only in English. No matter which version you go to above, you will get the content in English. There is no detailed information about the beginning of BTRC’s journey in the history section.

The BTRC authorities have made the decision regarding the information that will be published on their official website. I will refrain from discussing this matter further. However, it is worth noting that despite the availability of both Bangla and English versions, the publication of the content in the ‘Vision and History’ section in only one language renders the entire site appear ‘unsmart’. This section was last updated on November 17, 2016, and it seems that no other official at any level within BTRC has likely accessed this section since then! If you navigate to the organizational structure section, you will encounter some peculiar philosophy written in the smallest font imaginable. Ironically, the magnifying button provided there is non-functional!

I observed a photo gallery that contains merely one image of the current Minister of Telecommunications and the IT Adviser during their visit to the BTRC office. However, numerous discussions and seminars have taken place with the presence of BTRC journalists, many of which featured the BTRC Chairman as the chief guest. Yet, there is not a single piece of information or photo documenting these events! If a 'press corner' were available on the site, journalists would have discovered a wealth of information there, including daily updates.

I will refrain from making comparisons with other countries. Nevertheless, it is abundantly clear that the website of a critical state institution like BTRC is managed with a significant lack of responsibility. The appearance of its homepage does not reflect contemporary standards but rather resembles a faded page from history! A website serves as the public face of an organization. Thus, one must question why the BTRC site presents such an unappealing appearance. BTRC officials are undoubtedly among the most intelligent and capable individuals currently. Can the unsophisticated appearance of the website, overseen by them, truly be justified?

Indeed, BTRC has never established a stable organizational structure since its founding. Essentially, BTRC functions as a collective of dispatch officers. An officer arrives on a dispatch and is reassigned shortly after acclimatizing to their position. A new dispatch officer then takes their place, starting the process anew. Furthermore, the officers appointed on dispatch often do not feel a significant sense of responsibility towards the workplace they are assigned to, as there is no assurance of their return. Many rely on superficial information from various sources when making decisions, and some may act to safeguard the interests of specific companies or groups. Organizations that depend on additional dispatch officers tend to be internally weakened, and BTRC is no exception. The primary function of BTRC is to formulate new policies that align with contemporary needs.

However, it has come to light through newspaper reports that BTRC officials are receiving extra compensation as honorarium by misrepresenting their routine activities as research and special projects. Why should honorarium be claimed for participating in meetings related to the regular duties of the office while present in the BTRC auditorium? The reports indicate that they categorize the task of policy creation as specialized work.

This raises a public inquiry: why do BTRC officials receive salaries? A clear distinction between salary and honorarium should be provided by BTRC. Moreover, this issue is not limited to BTRC; all state-owned enterprises in the telecommunications sector exhibit a high level of honorarium concerning their boards and meetings. If an unpaid board member is eligible for honorarium, why should those who are compensated also receive it?

It is often stated that without the officers appointed by BTRC, the reckless conduct and irregularities of BTRC's own personnel would have escalated to unprecedented levels! This raises the question of how many of BTRC's officers are genuinely qualified in the present context. Furthermore, I inquire about the level of competence exhibited by the officers assigned by BTRC. If they are indeed competent, why is there such a deadlock in the implementation of NEIR concerning mobile handsets? What accounts for the widespread dissatisfaction among all licensed service providers regarding the execution of any policy? Why do customers express significant discontent with the service quality of mobile operators? Why does BTRC appear powerless against the tyranny of unlicensed illegal traders in the ISP services sector? The answer to each of these inquiries points to the fact that BTRC has not evolved into a sufficiently organized institution.

This situation also reflects a considerable responsibility on the part of the government. Initially, BTRC functioned as an independent commission, but that is no longer the case. The commission, which embarked on a robust journey under the guidance of an exceptionally skilled and talented leader like Syed Margub Morshed, was rendered nearly ineffective in 2005 when Undersecretary Omar Farooq was appointed as its chairman. While fulfilling his professional responsibilities, I have heard him state on multiple occasions, 'I am not a technology person; I do not comprehend these matters, so please do not pose such questions to me.' During his tenure, BTRC lacked any regular activities, and some officials were often seen sitting in the office in a state of frustration.

During the previous Awami League administration, unnecessary modifications were made to the law in 2001, resulting in the BTRC no longer being regarded as an independent commission. The ongoing conflict between the ministry and the BTRC regarding these amendments has become increasingly apparent, and the necessary work to develop policies that align with contemporary needs has not been accomplished. Subsequently, the former interim government issued an ordinance on February 5, just one week prior to the national elections, which amended the 2001 law, effectively reclassifying the BTRC as a department under the ministry. This raises the question: what further actions can the officials at BTRC undertake? Is it not reasonable for them to seek additional financial gain in any manner possible while they remain in their positions?

There remains an opportunity for change. The government must assume responsibility for transforming the BTRC into a genuinely effective institution. While the BTRC should operate independently in fulfilling its duties, there must also be a robust system in place to ensure accountability. If the BTRC continues to struggle in its current state, we will find ourselves adrift in the vast currents of the information technology landscape, navigating awkwardly without even the chance to stay afloat in a small boat.

Rased Mehedi, Telecommunications and Information Technology Sector Analyst, Editor, Views Bangladesh