Malaysian digital technology company REDtone, Malaysia has expressed keen interest in investing in the telecommunication infrastructure sector, including mobile phones in Bangladesh. A delegation of the company paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Mostafa Jabbar, at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat today. During the meeting, the leader of the four-member delegation REDtone, Malaysia Group CEO Lao Bik Son expressed their interest in investing in Bangladesh.
The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications mentioned Bangladesh’s telecommunication sector as a thrust sector for investment and said that digital connectivity is the highway of digital technology, the foundation of building digital Bangladesh. Mentioning that Bangladesh has started the journey of building Smart Bangladesh after the construction of Digital Bangladesh, the Minister said that following the announcement of Digital Bangladesh in 2008, in the last 14 years from 2009, under the visionary and wise leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it has achieved amazing success.
He said that broadband internet connection has been provided to almost every union in the country. We are now working towards providing broadband internet connectivity to every village.
The minister said, we have been able to cover 4G mobile network in almost 98 percent of the country’s areas. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched 2G in 1997, 3G in 2013, 4G in 2018 and in 2021 Bangladesh entered the 5G technology era under her leadership. The government is working towards using the latest version of technology 5-GK AI, Robotics, IoT, Blockchain etc. for the needs of the industry. Highlighting the program taken by the government to eliminate digital discrimination, this pioneer of digital technology development said, “We have used the state mobile operator Teletalk to deliver telecommunication facilities including internet to the doorsteps of the marginalized communities of remote hilly areas, Char, Haor and islands.” For the sustainable development of the country’s telecommunication sector, the Minister assured the REDtone delegation to provide all possible cooperation in the implementation of any initiative of Malaysia. The minister highlighted the various initiatives taken including tower sharing to ensure uninterrupted mobile services and fair competition among operators in the country.
He said that the telecommunication sector is a very profitable sector for investment. He expressed his commitment to provide any cooperation in investment in mobile and telecommunication infrastructure sector in Bangladesh using the investment friendly policy of the government.
Lao Bik Son praised Bangladesh’s success in developing telecommunication infrastructure. He apprised the Minister of his organization’s long experience in the digital infrastructure sector.
Other members of the REDtone Malaysia delegation are REDtone Malaysia Director Reza Imran Bin Abdul Rahim, Head of Marketing Hisam Uddin Bin Ahmed Nawaji and REDtone’s local representative Toufiq Malek.
