The appointments of two commissioners of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) have been terminated before the completion of their terms. The officials are Md. Aminul Haque (Babu), Vice Chairman and Commissioner (Legal and Judicial Category), and Dr. Mushfiq Mannan Chowdhury, Commissioner (Business, Finance, Management, or Administration Category).
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification on Thursday, December 12, officially canceling their appointments. Md. Aminul Haque was appointed as Commissioner (Legal) on February 19, 2023, while Dr. Mushfiq Mannan Chowdhury, a professor in the Department of Management at Dhaka University, was appointed as Commissioner on December 4, 2022. Both were initially appointed for a three-year term from their respective dates of joining.
Sources revealed that the decision was part of ongoing reforms within the BTRC. Business communities had reportedly raised concerns regarding frequent fines, license cancellation threats, and disruptions in internet services caused by sudden bandwidth capping, often without giving entities adequate opportunities for defense. Allegations also surfaced about the emergence of an “invisible chamber” within the regulatory body during this period.
The termination was formalized through a notification signed by Abul Hayat Md. Rafiq, Deputy Secretary of the Contractual and Foreign Appointment Wing of the Ministry of Public Administration, under the directive of the President.
