The four-day conference, organized by the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) and in collaboration with the ICT Business Promotion Council, kicked off at Hotel Cox Today in Cox’s Bazar on Friday, May 27. Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Mostafa Jabbar inaugurated the first Networking Lab of Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) in Dhaka by attending the inaugural function of the conference virtually.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and BPC Coordinator Md. Abdur Rahim; Additional Commissioner of Bangladesh Police Nazmul Islam and Bijoy Digital CEO Jasmine Juin were present as special guests while the program was presided over by ISPAB President Imdadul Haque.
Speaking on the occasion, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mostafa Jabbar said that 3340 Gbps bandwidth is being used in the country now. The new machine (DPI) will be installed after June 15. As a result, after that time, no more gambling sites and pornography sites will be seen in the country. “We have shut down 22,000 pornographic sites and 6,000 gambling sites,” he said. Something could be seen earlier due to lack of capacity of DPI machine. That will no longer happen.
In his speech, ISPAB President Imdadul Haque drew the attention of the Minister to the concerns expressed by the declining range of Internet service providers. “Once upon a time, we used to do business in four layers,” he said. But taking advantage of this layer, our business is now being taken over by others.
Earlier in his welcome address, Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan, Secretary General of the organization, sought the attention of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications seeking permission for active sharing of last mile network among ISP service providers.
In response, the minister assured that he would take a positive decision on the issue after discussing the issue of active sharing (Last Mile Active Sharing) with the regulatory body BTRC. At the same time, Mostafa Jabbar urged the traders present not to use the overhead cable in the internet service.
Commenting on the launch of 5G network in the country from 2G with the support of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Minister said, “I think connectivity inequality is more important than economic inequality.” In the meantime, the inequality has diminished as the entire structure of the economy has shifted to digital structures. Now the network has to be delivered from house to house. The ISPs will do this on one cable. It will do so by sharing the cable, not by sharing the license. Mobile operators will only be able to share the tower, not cable.
Addressing the ISPAB leaders, Mostafa Jabbar said that the trade body of an industrial sector plays the biggest role in the development. They have to be vocal in realizing the demands. We have to solve our problems at home and increase our strength. And I don’t know any local ISP. I know ISPAB. Any issue has to come through this one organization to be resolved. And if an illegal ISP or someone obstructs the service, shows muscle-strength, then report it directly to my office. There will be no bullying in providing internet services. Everything will go according to the rules.
At this time, ISPAB will set up another full-fledged lab with all kinds of vendor equipment including Cisco, Juniper and Mycotic to complete the world-class network of network engineers in the country, said the president of the organization.
ISPAB Senior Vice President Saiful Islam Siddique, Vice President Md. Anwarul Azim, Joint Secretary General Md. Abdul Qayyum Rashed, Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Treasurer Md. Asaduzzaman, Director Sakif Ahmed, Mahbub Alam, Md. Zakir Hossain, AM Kamal Uddin Ahmed Selim, Fouad Muhammad Sharfuddin and Md. Nasir Uddin were present in the event among others.
About 400 Internet engineers, network experts, representatives of various government agencies and Internet traders are participating in the event. The workshop will be conducted by a panel of local and foreign experts every morning till evening till May 30. BTRC Chairman Shyam Sundar Sikder will be present at the workshop on the last day.