BTRC moves to build Telecom Tower

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission plans to build a Tk 200 crore building in the capital as its head office. The BTRC has recently sought the Telecom Division's permission to spend Tk 100 crore from its own revenue on the 13-storey Telecom Tower.

The BTRC took the initiative to build its headquarters in 2008, and purchased one acre of land in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar from the government for Tk 1.82 core.

It took six years to complete registration and mutation processes, according to a senior official of BTRC.

Unfortunately, the project has not got off the ground despite the initiative taken seven years ago, said Shahjahan Mahmood, chairman of BTRC. 

"We have requested the government to allow us to begin construction and we are hoping for a positive response," said Mahmood.

The BTRC has already finalised a structural design drawn by the Department of Architecture for Tk 28.3 lakh, he said.

The BTRC pays Tk 43.89 lakh in office rents a month, which will increase to Tk 79.85 lakh after September, as per the notice issued by the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (EIB), owner of the premises, the regulator said in its letter. 

After the increase, the BTRC's annual rent expense will jump to Tk 9.58 crore, and it will only increase every year. 

"By building the tower, we can save on our rent expenses and earn from renting out the extra space and contribute Tk 15 crore to the national exchequer a year," the BTRC said in its letter.

The BTRC expects to earn Tk 10 crore in rents from the new building, estimated with the rate of Tk 75 per square feet, according to the letter.

The Telecom Division plans to organise a meeting shortly, to make a final decision. In a recent meeting, the parliamentary standing committee on telecom ministry also advised the government to build an iconic Telecom Tower, to reflect the architecture of the city.