Bangladesh Forms Committee to Draft Telecommunications Policy 2026

The government has initiated a new policy framework to simplify the country’s long-standing multilayered telecommunications licensing system and make the sector more modern, investment-friendly and consumer-oriented. The Posts and Telecommunications Division has formed a five-member high-level committee to review the existing Telecommunications Network and Licensing Policy, 2025 and prepare a draft of the Telecommunications Network and Licensing Policy, 2026. The committee has been instructed to submit its draft report within seven working days.

The formation of the committee was announced in an office order signed by Mohammad Shahidullah, Senior Assistant Secretary of the Posts and Telecommunications Division, on Wednesday, November 11.

According to the order, the Joint Secretary (Telecom) of the division will serve as the convener, while the Deputy Secretary or Senior Assistant Secretary (Telecom) will act as the member secretary.

The other members will include one representative at the director level or above from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), one representative at the director level or above from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and one representative at the General Manager level or above from the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL).

Legal Framework and Election Manifesto Under Review

The office order has specified the committee’s terms of reference. It will comprehensively review the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, 2001 (Act No. 18 of 2001), the recently passed Bangladesh Telecommunication (Amendment) Act, 2026, the Secretariat Instructions 2024, the Rules of Business 1996—including the 2026 amendments—and the current government’s election manifesto.

Based on these legal instruments and national policy priorities, the committee must prepare a comprehensive draft of the Telecommunications Network and Licensing Policy, 2026, ensuring that it is modern, relevant to current needs and consumer-friendly.

The committee has been given a firm deadline of seven working days to submit the draft report to the Posts and Telecommunications Division.

Plan to Replace More Than 30 Licences with Major Categories

According to sources in the sector and regulatory bodies, one of the key objectives of the proposed policy is to address inconsistencies in earlier proposed and formulated policies and modernise telecommunications infrastructure management.

The proposed reform aims to replace more than 30 fragmented, multilayered licences with a smaller number of major licensing categories covering the broader telecommunications ecosystem.

The proposed categories include Access Network Service, National Infrastructure and Connectivity, and International Gateway/Connectivity.

The plan also includes integrating International Internet Gateway (IIG), International Gateway (IGW) and Interconnection Exchange (ICX) services into a single pipeline after the expiry of their respective licences.

Infrastructure Sharing and Anti-Blackout Measures

The proposed framework is also expected to make fibreisation and active infrastructure sharing mandatory.

It will include legal obligations to prevent artificial internet blackouts or deliberate disconnection of internet services. The plan also envisages stricter regulations to prevent concentration of ownership or control by members of the same family across different layers of the telecommunications sector.

Focus on Service Quality and Investment

The ministry expects the new policy to improve operators’ quality of service (QoS), increase broadband internet speeds and make infrastructure utilisation more efficient.

Another key objective is to create a transparent environment for direct investment and facilitate new investment in the telecommunications sector.

However, the final licensing structure, the process for integrating expired licences and the scope of regulatory restrictions will depend on the committee’s recommendations and subsequent policy decisions.

//DBTech/Correspondent/Edited/Output//