Mahmudul Hasan

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is formulating a new rule to enable customers to receive compensation for every call drop suffered, albeit a maximum of seven a day.

The court-appointed board for Evaly called for an investigation of money laundering as vast sums of cash remain traceless in the controversial e-commerce platform’s accounts.

The adoption of digital technology has significantly transformed Bangladesh’s financial sector in the last one-and-a-half decades, bringing millions under banking services that have even reached the village level.

Evaly’s creditors are unlikely to get their money back as there is no documentation at the controversial e-commerce platform’s end, making it difficult to verify who is owed what amount, found an audit into the company’s books commissioned by the court-appointed board.

Three private firms will invest around Tk 2,000 crore collectively to connect Bangladesh with at least three more submarine communication cables, in a development that would ensure smooth supply of bandwidth amid surging internet use.

The state coffer is at least Tk 2,258.76 crore short, thanks to Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited’s failure to deposit the sum for mismanagement, shows audit report.

The country’s manufacturing and processing behemoth Pran-RFL Group has made a foray into mobile phone manufacturing to capture a slice of the rapidly expanding digital device market in Bangladesh. 

The number of internet users in Bangladesh rose in July on the back of a spike in mobile data consumption as operators try to expand their network and improve the quality of 4G service. 

Over a decade ago, Kamal Quadir adorned the venue of the launching ceremony of bKash, a nascent mobile financial service provider that he just founded at that time, with some black and white pictures in big frames.

Grameenphone lost 8 lakh customers in July as the country’s top mobile network provider is starting to feel the pinch of a ban on new SIM sales imposed by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

In 2011, state-owned Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) made Bangladesh proud by assembling the country’s first laptop, showing promises to deliver the device at an affordable price and help the government to implement its digitalisation agenda.   

The government has selected three private firms to award them the licence to establish, maintain and operate submarine cables as it looks to ramp up the supply of bandwidth amid a surge in data consumption. 

The government has formulated a draft law to regulate logistics companies, which will establish stiff control and impede growth in the industry, according to market players.

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, former managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Robi Axiata, has filed a suit against the telecom operator, its board chairman and former group CEO seeking Tk 227 crore in retirement benefits and damages for 'wrongful dismissal'.

The government is gearing up to implement a new “Smart Bangladesh” vision by 2041 with the belief that a preceding “Digital Bangladesh” had been realised by 2021.

Bangladesh’s payment ecosystem is poised to leapfrog to become a very large substantial payment market within the South Asia and Asia Pacific region in the next few years, said Vikas Varma, chief operating officer for South Asia at Mastercard.

Online purchases are getting costlier as courier companies in the country have collectively raised their fares in response to the recent increase in fuel prices.

The nascent mobile phone manufacturing industry in Bangladesh has been hit hard by the higher inflation, unprecedented dollar price hike, and increased value-added tax as their sales have plummeted amid belt-tightening by consumers. 

Utility bill payments through mobile financial service (MFS)  providers crossed the Tk 2,000-crore mark in June, underscoring the  growing preference among users to make payments from the comfort of  their homes.

Ride-sharing service users in Bangladesh could not escape from the impact of the recent fuel price increase as Pathao has already announced new fares while Uber is set to follow suit.