Thana ISP Representatives Meet BTRC Officials Over License Retention
Just seven days after submitting a memorandum demanding the retention of Thana ISP licenses under the new policy, a seven-member delegation of Thana ISP entrepreneurs met with officials at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Tuesday. During the meeting with BTRC Commissioner (Engineering & Operations) Brigadier General Iqbal Ahmed, the grassroots internet service providers (ISPs) were assured of their inclusion in the ongoing license reform discussions.
Following the two-hour-long meeting, Anwar Ahmed Mithu, owner of Wide Communications, stated, “Our participation has been confirmed. Initially, four members will join the discussions, while one representative will be present in the final meeting. BTRC has assured us that they are advocating to retain our licenses. We have been asked to prepare a presentation on our expectations within a short time.”
He further added, “We have been assured that the reform initiative aims to reduce middlemen. BTRC has pledged not to implement any measures that would harm us or jeopardize our investments.”
Zubair Ahmed, owner of Zubair IT Expert, expressed optimism following the meeting, saying, “One of our representatives will be present in the core discussions to present our demands, ensuring transparency. We must not be misled by rumors. The meeting dispelled our previous misconceptions about BTRC.”
Other members of the delegation included Saeed E Azmi Shaon, owner of Gazipur ISP; Alamgir Hossain, managing director of Digital Communications; Raisul Islam Tuhin, owner of Tuhin Enterprise; and Tariq Hasan Turjo, owner of City Link Communications.
Earlier in the day, the ISP entrepreneurs gathered outside the BTRC office to seek an update regarding the memorandum submitted to the BTRC Chairman. However, they were informed that the chairman was abroad. As around 300 business owners staged a demonstration outside the building for one and a half hours, they were invited for a meeting.
According to the invitation, the seven signatories of the memorandum met with Brigadier General Iqbal Ahmed, where they presented their five-point demands and arguments in favor of retaining Thana ISP licenses.
