Manzur Elahi, adviser for Posts and Telecommunications. said on Tuesday the government will set up a cell soon to formulate a telecommunication policy, reports BSS.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of VSAT operation and on-line internet services in Bangladesh here.

Chairman of Bangladesh T and T Board M H Chowdhury. Chairman of Information Services Network (ISN) and Editor of the weekly Holiday Enayetullah Khan, and ISN Managing Director AK Say-eedul Haq also spoke on the occasion.

The adviser said Bangladesh is far behind in the telecom-

munications facilities in comparison to other countries even including the neighbours.

He said introducing the VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) system, the ISN has brought forward further telecommunications facilities in Bangladesh, which has still nbt fallen into the mainstream erf modern telecommunication system.

Elahi stressed the need for participation of private sector along side the governmental departments to provide better service to the subscribers and said role of government should be that of facilitating rather than the regulatory particularly in the power and telecommft-

nications sectors.

Enayetullah Khan. also a former minister and ambassador. said the best way of accessing the internet is via a direct data connection between the local network and an online internet node, which is not possible in Bangladesh so far. Now ISN has the connectivity with an overseas internet service provider.

A local internet user, who must have a computer, a MDOEM and local telephone line to enter the ISN Server, can connect the overseas internet service provider at a minimum cost, which is less than E-mail cost as well as the consumption of time, he said.