BANGLADESH Telecommunication Company Limited (BTCL) is in default of Tk 1,830 crore to national exchequer since October 2008 when it should have earned huge profit from the monopoly in handling international calls and other businesses in domestic sector. A report in a national daily made the disclosure on Friday making many to wonder how the publicly owned company is deceitfully depriving the government of its share of revenue. Question arises who are controlling the financial management of BTCL, which is by far the largest telecom company in the country and why the government is tolerating the default over the years.
It is very shocking that despite Bangladesh Tele-Regulatory Commission’s repeated reminder BTCL did not take any effective step so far to pay the overdue. It is no unknown that a section of ruling party men wielding huge power in the government establishment is holding the company hostage and minting money illegally. It is an open secret that ruling party men have set up local telecom firms and illegally using BTCL frequency to run unauthorized Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) centers facilitating international calls dodging government revenue. Some ministers’ indirect involvement even came up in media report in the past in such unauthorized business when there is no effective step to bring it out of this situation.
The BTCL has been set up as a public limited company restructuring Bangladesh Telegraph & Telephone Board in 2008. Bur ever since it has turned into a den of corruption in the hands of dishonest officials who are operating under the shelter of powerful political quarters. As per a TIB report released in 2015 such dishonest quarters are siphoning over Tk 2,000 crore every year when BTCL officials are tampering call records, facilitating illegal logistics, engaging in illegal VoIP business and renting BTCL-owned land to others. The government is losing on an average three cent per call in illegal VoIP business, which is punishable under existing law. But the illegal business is continuing.
Needless to say TeleTalk, another subsidiary of the government has turned into a chronic loss making entity which even failed in recent past to pay the auction fees of 3-G mobile service. Surprisingly it applied to the government to make payment for it. Some ministers also actively lobbied with the Finance Minister to agree to the payment.
It is unbelievable that big public telecom companies will continue to be defaulter over the years to pay the government share of the revenue while vested interest quarters are misusing their service and income; which is not acceptable at all. We must say that the government should take steps to recover money from BTCL and hold its full control on the firm to save the country’s financial system from predators’ hand.
It is very shocking that despite Bangladesh Tele-Regulatory Commission’s repeated reminder BTCL did not take any effective step so far to pay the overdue. It is no unknown that a section of ruling party men wielding huge power in the government establishment is holding the company hostage and minting money illegally. It is an open secret that ruling party men have set up local telecom firms and illegally using BTCL frequency to run unauthorized Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) centers facilitating international calls dodging government revenue. Some ministers’ indirect involvement even came up in media report in the past in such unauthorized business when there is no effective step to bring it out of this situation.
The BTCL has been set up as a public limited company restructuring Bangladesh Telegraph & Telephone Board in 2008. Bur ever since it has turned into a den of corruption in the hands of dishonest officials who are operating under the shelter of powerful political quarters. As per a TIB report released in 2015 such dishonest quarters are siphoning over Tk 2,000 crore every year when BTCL officials are tampering call records, facilitating illegal logistics, engaging in illegal VoIP business and renting BTCL-owned land to others. The government is losing on an average three cent per call in illegal VoIP business, which is punishable under existing law. But the illegal business is continuing.
Needless to say TeleTalk, another subsidiary of the government has turned into a chronic loss making entity which even failed in recent past to pay the auction fees of 3-G mobile service. Surprisingly it applied to the government to make payment for it. Some ministers also actively lobbied with the Finance Minister to agree to the payment.
It is unbelievable that big public telecom companies will continue to be defaulter over the years to pay the government share of the revenue while vested interest quarters are misusing their service and income; which is not acceptable at all. We must say that the government should take steps to recover money from BTCL and hold its full control on the firm to save the country’s financial system from predators’ hand.
