BTRC Warns Two Chattogram Commercial Malls

Cracking down on predatory commercial monopolies and ensuring open-access fiber distribution, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has issued strict warnings to commercial complex authorities in Chattogram. The regulatory action followed an official complaint filed by the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) alleging arbitrary blocking, unfair fees, and access restrictions imposed on licensed ISPs at Meridian Kohinoor City and Bali Arcade.

According to institutional sources, a tripartite dispute-resolution conference convening senior officials from the BTRC, the respective mall managements, and ISPAB executives was held on Monday, October 5, 2026, at the BTRC headquarters in Dhaka. In a press statement issued on Tuesday, October 6, ISPAB confirmed that the telecom regulator issued verbal warnings and direct policy mandates to the mall administrations.

During the hearing, ISPAB highlighted that the management of Meridian Kohinoor City forced operators onto its private network infrastructure, demanding a BDT 1 lakh one-time entry charge alongside a 35 percent monthly revenue cut from ISP subscriber billings. Concurrently, Bali Arcade procured bandwidth from a single vendor, bundling internet as a proprietary utility service and billing merchants directly. The regulator cautioned the management to halt all unauthorized fee extractions and dismantle arbitrary operational barriers immediately.

The commission firmly ruled that retail tenants, commercial offices, and standalone subscribers within Meridian Kohinoor City and Bali Arcade retain the absolute legal right to choose any BTRC-licensed ISP at approved government tariffs. To safeguard building aesthetics and technical integrity, ISPAB was instructed to coordinate cable management protocols across optical fiber deployments. The regulator further announced that strict punitive legal actions and license cancellations will be executed against any licensed ISP conspiring to build exclusive access cartels across residential or commercial complexes.

ISPAB President Aminul Hakim stated that the association will continue collaborating with the regulator and sectoral stakeholders to secure subscriber autonomy, healthy market competition, and parity for licensed operators. ISPAB Secretary General Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan affirmed expectations that commercial facility administrations will implement the BTRC directives, upholding consumer rights and seamless connectivity across enterprise hubs.

 //DBTech/BKIS/SMP/MPB//