Bangladesh officials plan major changes to fix the telecom mess. Special Adviser Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb says corrupt groups have stolen money for years. These criminals got special protection from past governments. The old licensing system let them grab hundreds of millions. Companies paid just 5-10 crores but earned 400 crores each year.
More than 3,400 businesses got licenses during the past 15 years. The government only received half the money they should have gotten. Criminals stole the rest through fake deals and bribes. Getting licenses required going through many steps with crooked middlemen. These crooks charged illegal fees at every stage.
Bangladesh internet service remains terrible for most people. About 70 percent of internet connections came from India until recently. Many companies brought internet bandwidth into the country without permission. New rules force providers to use the submarine cable for at least half their service. Officials want to raise minimum internet speeds from 5 to 12-15 megabits per second.
The telecom company BTCL faces serious problems staying competitive. Private firms upgrade their networks but leave BTCL behind. A 300-crore fiber project could help BTCL survive against bigger competitors. Government teams are investigating past corruption in both telecom and computer sectors. Officials promise to award contracts only to honest companies that can do good work.
More than 3,400 businesses got licenses during the past 15 years. The government only received half the money they should have gotten. Criminals stole the rest through fake deals and bribes. Getting licenses required going through many steps with crooked middlemen. These crooks charged illegal fees at every stage.
Bangladesh internet service remains terrible for most people. About 70 percent of internet connections came from India until recently. Many companies brought internet bandwidth into the country without permission. New rules force providers to use the submarine cable for at least half their service. Officials want to raise minimum internet speeds from 5 to 12-15 megabits per second.
The telecom company BTCL faces serious problems staying competitive. Private firms upgrade their networks but leave BTCL behind. A 300-crore fiber project could help BTCL survive against bigger competitors. Government teams are investigating past corruption in both telecom and computer sectors. Officials promise to award contracts only to honest companies that can do good work.
