Mahmudul Hasan

From underwater drones exploring the ocean depths to Mars rovers navigating simulated alien terrain, Bangladeshi youth are quietly but confidently reshaping the nation’s technological landscape.

Over the past month, two major developments have stood out in the Asian telecommunications market. Telenor, the Norwegian telecom company, has finalised the sale of its Pakistan operations, nearly two years after announcing its exit, and reached an agreement to sell its stake in Thailand, further shrinking its presence in Asia.

Bangladesh has drafted a national artificial intelligence (AI) policy to guide the use of AI across all sectors, aiming to become a producer of homegrown innovation, modernise public services, and promote inclusive economic growth.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has asked all mobile network operators to submit reports within a week detailing the measures they are taking to reduce data package prices, amid growing public concern over rising mobile internet costs.

Bangladesh’s current internet penetration stands at 53 percent, placing it behind regional leaders such as Bhutan at 88 percent and the Maldives at 85 percent, but broadly in line with several neighbouring countries, according to a recent Asian Development Bank (ADB) report.

The 700 MHz band is valued for its ability to cover wide areas and penetrate buildings more effectively

Let’s walk down memory lane to 1971, when a new nation had just emerged after a brutal nine-month war.

The government-commissioned white paper on ICT has been removed from the official website of the ICT Division just days after it was uploaded.

A Tk 3,500cr fund from mobile operators promised internet for remote areas, but most projects exist only on paper

After years of inertia, Bangladesh’s telecom sector has begun to move again under the interim government, reopening long-stalled reform pathways even as deep structural problems continue to weigh on investment and innovation, according to Grameenphone (GP) CEO Yasir Azman.

Robi confirmed the decision in a statement to The Daily Star yesterday

BTRC will go ahead with the auction plan, as preparations have been ongoing since 2024

The auction faces another complication as 20MHz of the 700MHz band remains tied up in a long-running legal dispute

Officially, NEIR is described as a regulatory system, not a surveillance mechanism

The National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) is built on three core identifiers: IMEI, MSISDN, and IMSI

Many mobile phone users were unable to connect their handsets to mobile networks following the launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system on Thursday.

Many mobile phone users were unable to connect their handsets to mobile networks yesterday

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has recently amended its rules for the upcoming auction of the 700-megahertz (MHz) band, allowing a single mobile operator to acquire up to 60 percent of the spectrum available in the auction.

The centrepiece of the year's reform agenda was the new Telecommunication Licensing Policy

Local manufacturing of 5G handsets crossed the one lakh mark in October for the second time since June 2024, as manufacturers grew optimistic following the commercial launch of 5G services by mobile operators.