‘Six countries waiting to invest in Bangladesh telecom sector’
Minister Mustafa Jabbar said there is nothing to worry about if the foreign telecom companies leave the country as the government keeps pressurising them to pay their dues
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar has said six countries are waiting to invest in the telecommunications sector in Bangladesh. He, however, did not disclose the details.
Mustafa Jabbar said, "People, who fear that existing foreign telcos will leave the country if we pressurise them to pay their dues, are wrong. Even the World Bank now wants to invest in Bangladesh, but we will not take their money."
About the telecom companies' audit disputes with the government, the minister commented, "Foreign companies will not be able to embezzle Bangladesh's money. They will have to pay before going away."
Jabbar made the statements while addressing a seminar titled "Connectivity in Production, Country in Development" at the auditorium of Bangladesh Post Department on Thursday.
Posts and Telecommunications Division organised the programme to mark the Digital Bangladesh Day 2019.
Mustafa Jabbar said the lone state-owned mobile service operator Teletalk will be the top company by 2021 in term of its volume and service.
He said more than Tk82 crore is being transacted every day via Nagad — a digital financial service under the Bangladesh Post Office.
The minister said, "If we can secure the second place even after beginning the journey in March 2019, it is very possible to top by 2021. I can say with pride that my BTCL [Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited] has bounced back. We will also show the world how the Bangladesh Post Office has fought back."
Secretary to Posts and Telecommunication Division Md Nur-ur-Rahman presided over the meeting while Canadian University Bangladesh Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mahfuzul Islam presented the keynote.
President of Parliamentary Standing Committee for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry AKM Rahmat Ullah, MP, and members – Benzir Ahmed, MP, and Begum Aparajita Haque, Director General of Postal Division Sudhangshu Shekhar Bhadra and Policy Adviser to A2I project Anir Chowdhury were present as special guests.
