BTRC snubs ministry proposal
Saturday, 14 January 2012
BTRC has rejected a proposal by the telecoms ministry and the parliamentary standing committee on it to take experts on board a committee to evaluate applications for three types of licences, reports bdnews24.com
"BTRC is legally mandated to evaluate applications for licences. There is no need for any outsider," its chairman Zia Ahmed told the agency on Thursday night.
The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission has issued over 800 licences without any outside help, he said, defending their position.
The telecoms ministry wrote to BTRC this week proposing inclusion of three experts - one from the ministry and two from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) - in the committee to evaluate applications for licences for International Gateway (IGW), Interconnection Exchange (ICX) and International Internet Gateway (IIG).
The BTRC said on Thursday that the law does not allow them to accept the recommendations of the ministry and the watchdog.
Though BTRC said it wrote back, telecoms secretary Sunil Kanti Bose told bdnews24.com that the ministry had not received a reply until 4pm on Thursday.
He will speak about the issue after getting the reply, he added.
A tug-of-war between the ministry and the commission started after parliament had amended the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act in 2010, delegating authority to issue licences to the ministry, taking it away from the commission.
According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act (Amendment) 2010, licence-seekers will have to submit applications to BTRC which will issue the licences after getting government permission.
The BTRC chairman told bdnews24.com that there will be 'several problems' if BTRC goes beyond law by appointing any outsider to the panel to evaluate applications.
He said evaluation of 153 applications, submitted on Dec 8, for IGW, ICX and IIG licences is in the final stage.
"We'll give it (the list of companies) to the ministry after rating them. But there will be no short list after evaluation this time. BTRC will send the list with names of all companies by rating them.
"The ministry will take the decision to issue licences on the basis of the list," Zia Ahmed added.
The BTRC chairman said applicants can make complaints if they feel the evaluation was not done as per law.
"Applicants may move court in the future," he said.
"BTRC is legally mandated to evaluate applications for licences. There is no need for any outsider," its chairman Zia Ahmed told the agency on Thursday night.
The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission has issued over 800 licences without any outside help, he said, defending their position.
The telecoms ministry wrote to BTRC this week proposing inclusion of three experts - one from the ministry and two from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) - in the committee to evaluate applications for licences for International Gateway (IGW), Interconnection Exchange (ICX) and International Internet Gateway (IIG).
The BTRC said on Thursday that the law does not allow them to accept the recommendations of the ministry and the watchdog.
Though BTRC said it wrote back, telecoms secretary Sunil Kanti Bose told bdnews24.com that the ministry had not received a reply until 4pm on Thursday.
He will speak about the issue after getting the reply, he added.
A tug-of-war between the ministry and the commission started after parliament had amended the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act in 2010, delegating authority to issue licences to the ministry, taking it away from the commission.
According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act (Amendment) 2010, licence-seekers will have to submit applications to BTRC which will issue the licences after getting government permission.
The BTRC chairman told bdnews24.com that there will be 'several problems' if BTRC goes beyond law by appointing any outsider to the panel to evaluate applications.
He said evaluation of 153 applications, submitted on Dec 8, for IGW, ICX and IIG licences is in the final stage.
"We'll give it (the list of companies) to the ministry after rating them. But there will be no short list after evaluation this time. BTRC will send the list with names of all companies by rating them.
"The ministry will take the decision to issue licences on the basis of the list," Zia Ahmed added.
The BTRC chairman said applicants can make complaints if they feel the evaluation was not done as per law.
"Applicants may move court in the future," he said.