What transpired at BTRC's seventh public hearing?

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) held its 7th public hearing on telecom service quality, customer grievances, and sector issues. The hybrid event took place on Wednesday (August 19) at the BTRC building in Agargaon, Dhaka. As part of the National Integrity Strategy action plan, the virtual session utilized the homegrown AI-driven meeting platform 'Konvey' alongside Zoom connectivity for journalists and stakeholders.

Spectrum Commissioner Mahmud Hossain presided over the hearing, while Director General of the Systems and Services Division, Brigadier General Shahzad Parvez Mohiuddin, moderated the session.

A total of 2,990 participants registered online for the hearing between July 17 and July 27. The issues raised included 1,045 related to Systems and Services, 844 to Engineering and Operations, 63 to Spectrum, 19 to Legal and Licensing, and 5 to Enforcement and Inspection. Key concerns centered on call rates, tariffs, data validity, carry-forward, network coverage, SIM registration, and NEIR.

In his welcome speech, Spectrum Commissioner Mahmud Hossain noted that under Section 87 of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act, 2001 (Amended 2026), public hearings will occur every four months. All constructive feedback will be tracked in BTRC’s monitoring matrix for actionable resolution.

Brigadier General Shahzad Parvez Mohiuddin reported that out of 1,756 complaints from the 2025 hearing, 221 commission-specific issues were resolved across divisions. BTRC also recorded an 86.7% resolution rate (11,279 resolved out of 13,000 complaints). In 2026, participation increased by 12%, with 2,290 responses received, including 11 direct inquiries.

Addressing a query from ISP entrepreneur Salauddin regarding connectivity bottlenecks and the National Fiber Grid, BTRC confirmed extensive ongoing work to build a robust nationwide backbone. The Systems and Services DG added that inter-operator consultations are complete, and a unified policy will soon allow multi-service delivery over a single shared fiber line.

Responding to Jamalpur participant Rakib Raihan on high call tariffs, the Systems and Services DG stated that BTRC is actively working to reduce the current voice call floor price below 45 paisa. Regarding Teletalk's rural coverage, Director General of Engineering and Operations, Brigadier General Shafiul Azam Parvez, affirmed that Teletalk has fulfilled its rollout obligations and continues expanding network footprints in remote and wetland regions.

Answering Touhid Hasan’s concern on SMS masking and OTP delays, BTRC clarified that while A2P messages are masked, regulatory steps are underway to bring all SMS streams under masking. Regarding package clarity raised by Anwar Sadat, BTRC stated that operators must fully disclose all terms and added that an automated capacity monitoring platform is now live.

Responding to Fuad Hasan Khan regarding data carry-forward and 5G speeds, BTRC clarified that drive tests showed telecom parameters within threshold limits, debunking claims about internet radiation hazards. Monthly Quality of Service (QoS) reports will be published starting next month. BTRC highlighted that the country needs over 70,000 telecom towers against the current 56,000.

BTRC Director General of Administration Mehdi Ul Sahid, Director General of Spectrum Brigadier General Md. Aminul Haque, and Director General of Legal and Licensing Ashish Kumar Kundu were also present at the session. 
//DBTech/IH/MIS//