Mobile users to receive all SMS in Bangla by next June
Highlights
- · At present 87% SMS sent in Bangla
- · A total of 151.85 crore SMSs are being delivered to users daily
The country's telecom operators will send all promotional, system-generated Short Messaging Services (SMSs) and notifications to customers in Bangla from next June.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on Sunday inaugurated the service to mark the International Mother Language Day 2022.
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Attending the inauguration program as the chief guest, Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar said to respect the buyers, operators should communicate in the buyers' language.
"Customers will not understand and receive a service if it is not delivered to them in their mother language," he said.
"Mobile operators are implementing the initiative as a commitment to the country and the people. Therefore, users won't pay any cost for this service," he said.
With a few exceptions, mobile operators have set a target of sending all bulk text messages in Bangla by June, revealed BTRC Director General Brigadier General Nasim Parvez while addressing the press.
As of 20 February, the top telcos -- Grameenphone, Banglalink, Teletalk and Robi -- have already translated 87% of their all text messages to Bangla, according to official data.
As of yesterday, Banglalink had turned 95% of its total text messages to Bangla, the highest among all other telcos.
Meanwhile, the figures are 90% for Grameenphone, 85% for state-owned Teletalk, and 78% for Robi.
On average, mobile operators of the country send some 151.85 crore text messages to their users daily.
Yasir Azman, CEO at Grameenphone, said, "It was a very complex job at the beginning to introduce Bangla in the machine system. Despite that we have implemented the initiative.
"Bangla should be employed in technology in such a way that people can simply comprehend and apply it," stated Robi's acting CEO Riaz Rashid.
Taimur Rahman, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer, Banglalink, said, "It is our honour to be the first operator to enable all major SMS notifications in Bangla. We are proud to implement this great initiative starting from tomorrow. Also, our customers have the option to choose their preferred language. Our endless and humble respect for the language martyrs can be further enforced by such initiatives. Banglalink will keep providing simple solutions like this to the customers."
Among others, Md Khalilur Rahman, secretary at the Posts and Telecommunication and Shyam Sunder Sikder, chairman of BTRC, spoke at the inauguration programme.
