Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission
Independent commission of the Bangladeshi government
 BTRC Bhaban | |
| Abbreviation | BTRC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2002 |
| Purpose | Regulate telecommunication in Bangladesh |
| Headquarters | Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka |
Region served | Bangladesh |
Official language | Bengali |
Chairman | Md Mohiuddin Ahmed |
Parent organization | Posts and Telecommunications Division |
| Website | www |
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ টেলিযোগাযোগ নিয়ন্ত্রণ কমিশন) is an independent commission founded under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act, 2001 (Act # 18 of 2001). The BTRC is responsible for regulating all matters related to telecommunications (wire, cellular, satellite and cable) of Bangladesh.[1] The chairman of the commission has the status of a judge of the Bangladesh High Court.[2] Md Mohiuddin Ahmed is the chairman of the commission.[3]
History
In 1979, the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board was created through the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board ordinance.[4] The ordinance was revised in 1995.[4]
The BTRC started operating from 31 January 2002 with a vision of facilitating affordable telecommunication services and increasing the teledensity to at least 10 telephones per 100 inhabitants by 2010.[4] The ordinance was updated with the passage of Telecommunication Act (Corrected) bill in 2010.[4]
In 2016, the salaries of the commissions and chairman was doubled by the government of Bangladesh.[5]
Censorship
In March 2013, BTRC was criticised by the Human Rights Watch[6] and other groups for banning a number of "atheist blogger" websites.[7] Blogs banned by the BTRC included the award-winning popular blog[8] by Asif Mohiuddin, who had been attacked by a machete wielding group in January.[9]
Mohiuddin was arrested the following month,[10] along with three other bloggers .[11]
Chairmen
| Sl No. | Name | Term Start | Term End | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Syed Margub Murshed | 31 January 2002 | 30 January 2005 | [12] |
| 2. | Muhammad Omar Farooq | 31 March 2005 | 15 March 2007 | [12] |
| 3. | Major General Manzurul Alam | 22 April 2007 | 10 February 2009 | [12] |
| 4. | Major General Zia Ahmed | 26 February 2009 | 10 September 2012 | [12] |
| 5. | Md. Giashuddin Ahmed | 10 September 2012 | 22 October 2012 | [12] |
| 6. | Sunil Kanti Bose | 23 October 2012 | 23 September 2015 | [13][14] |
| 7. | Shahjahan Mahmood | 24 September 2015 | 1 September 2018 | [14] |
| 8. | Md Jahurul Haque | 31 January 2019 | 4 December 2020 | [15][16] |
| 9. | Shyam Sunder Sikder | 14 December 2020 | 11 December 2023 | [16] |
| 10. | Md Mohiuddin Ahmed | 11 December 2023 | 19 August 2024 |
Gallery
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Under Construction in BTRC Building -
Under Construction in BTRC Building Southwest side -
Under Construction in BTRC Building Southeast side
See also
Bangladesh portal
Telecommunications portal
References
- ^ "BTRC a key organisation in building Smart Bangladesh: State Minister Palak". 6 December 2023.
- ^ "BTRC chairman to enjoy status of HC judge". UNB. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Comissioners". Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Vision & History". Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ Ahmed, Shamim. "Salaries 'to double' for BTRC chief, commissioners". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Bangladesh: Crackdown on Bloggers, Editors Escalates". Human Rights Watch. 15 April 2013.
- ^ Arafatul Islam (25 March 2013). "Bangladesh gags award-winning blogger". Deutsche-Welle.
- ^ Asif Mohiuddin. "God, Almighty only in name but impotent in reality (transl)". somewhereinblog.net. present blog page reads: "blog has been withdrawn or cancelled for violating terms and conditions" (transl.)
- ^ "4 held over attempt to kill blogger". The Daily Star. 2 April 2013.
- ^ "Blogger Asif Mohiuddin arrested over "blasphemous" blog posts". Reporters Without Borders. 3 April 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. quote: "We call for Mohiuddin’s immediate and unconditional release," Reporters Without Borders said.
- ^ Emran Hossain (4 March 2013). "Bangladesh Arrests 'Atheist Bloggers,' Cracking Down on Critics". The Huffington Post.
- ^ a b c d e "Previous Comissioners". Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Sunil Kanti Bose is new BTRC Chairman". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ a b "MNP will solve call drops menace, says outgoing BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "BTRC gets new chairman". The Daily Star. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Shyam Sunder Sikder made BTRC chairman". Dhaka Tribune. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
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