Outgoing Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Sunil Kanti Bose urged the government to increase the efficiency of the organization for a sustainable telecommunication sector.
“Trained human resources are required in the regulatory body for efficient regulation of the industry . . . but, at the same time more freedom of the regulator is needed to run the sector in a discipline manner,” he added.
Bose made the suggestion at a view exchange meeting on Wednesday with journalists at BTRC meeting room as he attended the office for the last day as the Chairman of the regulatory body.
In the meeting, the outgoing chairman, who served as the Secretary of the Posts and Telecommunications Ministry for four years before joining BTRC, talked about different policies and initiatives taken during his tenure.
Talking about the newly formed Department of Telecommunications (DOT), Bose opined, “The job of regulation might be in the hands of BTRC and the government has to realize that the telecommunication industry would not have flourished without the BTRC”.
The DoT has been created to absorb the officials of the telecommunications cadre who are now attached to the state-owned BTCL on deputation.
Turning to the issue of call drop, Sunil Kanti Bose said introduction of mobile number portability (MNP) is the only way to minimize the call drop and other problems related to the services.
“MNP will empower the user to switch operator keeping the existing number unchanged that might compel the operators to improve their quality of services to grip the customers,” he said.
Bose, however, said the call drop cannot be eliminated cent percent and no country could do it.
The telecommunication ministry already announced that MNP would be introduced next year.
About the International Gateway Operators’ Forum (IoF), the outgoing chairman said: “The IoF is not permanent. So, the government has to solve the issue and there is scope for minimizing it”.
On the merger of Robi and Airtel, he said currently Bangladesh market has not enough room for the survival of six operators. “An operator is running well while another one or two operators are doing moderate businesses and the remaining operators are not in comfortable situation. So, they have to die or join others”.
For the internet security, Sunil Kanti Bose emphasized the necessity of trained manpower.
BTRC Vice Chairman Brig Gen Ahsan Habib Khan (retd) and other commissioners and high officials were present.
