Leaders of Bangladesh's telecommunications sector have warned that the government's proposed new telecom policy could undermine domestic entrepreneurs, create monopolies favouring large or foreign operators, and put local investors in harm's way.
They urged immediate revision of several clauses of the draft policy, threatening legal action if their demands is not addressed.
The concerns were raised at a discussion meeting titled "New Telecom Policy: Questioning the Existence of Domestic Entrepreneurs", organised by the Telecom Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB) at Mohakhali in Dhaka on Sunday.
The meeting was attended by leaders of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), International Internet Gateway (IIG) Forum, Interconnection Exchange (ICX) operators, International Gateway (IGW) operators, and the NTTN Operators Forum (NOF), alongside representatives from the Association of IP Telephony Operators of Bangladesh (AIOB).
Speaking at the meeting, ISPAB President Aminul Hakim congratulated the government on its initiative to update telecom regulations but insisted that five clauses in the policy needed urgent amendment to safeguard domestic investors.
"We hope today's discussion will convey a clear message to the government. We are ready to engage constructively, but if our concerns are not resolved, we will be forced to take recourse to the law," he told journalists.
IGW operators' leader Asif Rabbani echoed the warning, saying, "We will appeal directly to the Chief Adviser to accept our demands if they are found reasonable."
Concerns over market monopoly
Entrepreneurs alleged that the policy-making process lacked transparency and participatory engagement.
They warned that the proposed framework risked creating a monopoly market, particularly by favouring large operators and foreign multinationals.
"This will dissolve the existence of local entrepreneurs and strip away investments worth thousands of crores of taka," said ISPAB Joint Secretary General Fuad Muhammad Sharfuddin.
The planned abolition of the ICX layer drew strong criticism from operators, who argued that it would disrupt fair competition, discriminate against smaller operators, and jeopardise employment for more than 1,000 engineers and professionals. Investments of over Tk 40 billion already made in the sector -- including Tk 1.3 billion in new IP-based equipment with a lifespan of at least 15 years --would be rendered uncertain, they cautioned.
Operators further warned that the move would deprive the government of Tk 2.8 billion in annual revenue while also increasing risks of illegal VoIP, SIM cloning, and number masking, thereby posing a threat to national security.
Objections to specific clauses
ISPAB leaders identified several clauses in the draft that they argued discriminated against smaller operators. Clause 7.4.5, for example, would compel divisional ISPs to expand nationwide to become fixed telecom service providers (FTSPs), while restricting district and upazila-level ISPs to district operations. ISPAB contended that such measures ignored the two decades of experience and last-mile reach already built by small-scale ISPs.
Clause 7.4.7, which limits district-level ISPs to providing only internet and data services, was also criticised. ISPAB argued that in the era of digital transformation, these operators should be allowed to offer value-added services such as IP telephony, telemedicine, and other digital solutions.
Other contested provisions include clauses 7.7.6 and 7.7.11, which confine NTTN operators to transmission roles. While ISPAB expressed support for that approach, they questioned whether areas unserved by NTTN operators would remain disconnected, perpetuating the digital divide.
Entrepreneurs also objected to what they described as ambiguities around cable and wireless network use by CMSPs, unequal treatment of FPSPs, and failure to safeguard cottage-scale telecom businesses. They claimed such gaps could open the door to money laundering and unfair advantages for entrenched players.
Calls for fairness
Speakers, including ISPAB Senior Vice President Saiful Islam Siddique, General Secretary Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan, IIG Forum General Secretary Ahmed Junaid, AIOB President Mostafizur Rahman, and TRNB leaders, urged policymakers to ensure fairness, transparency, and equality of opportunity across the sector.
"Without amendments, the new telecom policy will create an uneven playing field that endangers both domestic investors and consumers," one operator remarked, adding that they expected the authorities to act before the matter escalated further.
