ICT and Telecom White Papers Await Publication, Expose Large-Scale Corruption Under Former Regime
The long-anticipated white papers on corruption and irregularities in Bangladesh’s ICT and telecom sectors are now awaiting official release. The two documents, which detail extensive misconduct during the tenure of the ousted Awami League government, were handed over to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus on 2 December. According to sources, the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing is expected to publish them at any time.
Both white papers highlight that sectoral development was severely hindered due to “deep governance failures, institutional weaknesses, and operational disorder.” To address these issues, the reports recommend digital transformation of human resource management, balancing autonomy with accountability, forming a national telecom master plan, tightening oversight of public projects, establishing an independent appeals system, and strengthening consumer protection.
Key Findings from the ICT Sector White Paper
The ICT white paper, spanning 650 pages across 15 chapters, presents case studies covering corruption and irregularities over the past 15 years in areas such as digital connectivity, hi-tech parks, a2i, and various training initiatives.
The report was prepared under the leadership of internationally renowned development economist Prof. Dr. M. Niaz Asadullah. Other contributors include Prof. Rezwan Khan, Chairman of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh; Prof. Chowdhury Mofizur Rahman of BRAC University’s CSE Department; and Prof. Rifat Shahriar of BUET’s CSE Department.
Telecom Sector White Paper Reveals Deeper Irregularities
The telecom white paper is significantly larger—around 2,500 pages. It exposes irregularities involving Tk 2,500 crore from the Social Obligation Fund (SOF) out of Tk 3,500 crore allocated across seven projects, in addition to longstanding mismanagement of the fund.
Prepared by a seven-member committee headed by BUET Prof. Dr. Kamrul Hasan, the report found irregularities in nearly half of the 42 projects under the Posts and Telecommunications Division (PTD). It reveals years of stagnation in the Social Obligation Fund, which is intended to expand digital services to underserved communities.
The report also underscores irregular contract awards using the Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) to bypass competition, as well as tender manipulation and single-source contracting practices.
Structural Failures in Telecom Governance
The white paper describes Bangladesh’s telecom sector as “fundamentally weak, poorly managed, and unable to deliver affordable and reliable connectivity.” The investigative committee included experts such as Prof. Dr. Mushabber Uddin Ahmed (Dhaka University, EEE), Dr. Niaz Asadullah, Prof. Dr. Lutfa Akter (BUET, EEE), Ekhlaas Uddin Ahmed (CTO, BdREN), technologist Fida Haque, and Prof. Md. Azhar Uddin (Dhaka University, CSE).
The report highlights severe weaknesses in licensing policies from 2009 to 2024, leading to market instability and enabling dominance by powerful groups. It notes that the project formerly known as Bangabandhu Satellite-1, now Bangladesh Satellite-1, was approved without adequate feasibility studies, and several audit objections remain unresolved.
The committee found that investments in Teletalk towers and BTCL Wi-Fi hotspots were largely ineffective, rendering major portions of public investment unproductive.
Regulatory and Institutional Breakdown
Serious concerns were raised about the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), which the report identifies as the “primary source of systemic dysfunction” due to irregular appointments, age relaxations, converting project staff into permanent positions, rehiring retirees, and conflict-of-interest-laden recruitment. These actions, the white paper notes, damaged public trust in the regulatory framework.
The investigation also uncovered corruption and nepotism in state-owned entities BTCL and Teletalk, including politically influenced postings, regularization of contract staff, and even recruitment using fake documents.
The report concludes that “autonomy without accountability ultimately promotes nepotism and normalizes rule-breaking,” leading to institutional collapse.
DBTech/IH/OR
