MAHMUDUL HASAN

Bangladesh’s telecom sector is suffering from entrenched corruption, systemic irregularities and a governance breakdown that has weakened regulatory credibility, distorted markets and wasted public resources, according to a government-commissioned white paper.

Prepared by a seven-member committee headed by Buet Professor Kamrul Hasan, the white paper paints a bleak picture of a sector “structurally misaligned, operationally compromised and failing to deliver trusted, affordable connectivity”.

Formed on April 20, the committee reviewed governance practices across 10 entities under the Posts and Telecommunications Division (PTD).

It found that policy neglect, unchecked favouritism, politicised appointments and procurement manipulation had accumulated over the years.

The document, based on a forensic review of 10 key entities under the PTD, exposes a systemic “governance capture” that has crippled regulatory authority, bled state-owned enterprises and defrauded the public.

From the highest regulatory body to project implementation cells, the sector operates on favouritism, bypasses competitive processes and treats public resources as a vehicle for patronage.

“These structural deficiencies produce systemic risks to meritocracy, institutional credibility, service delivery and long-term sector reform.”

The chaos is “symptomatic of misaligned institutional architecture rather than isolated incidents”.

At the heart of the crisis is the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the agency tasked with regulating the sector.

The white paper found the BTRC itself to be a primary source of irregularity, with its credibility shattered by its own actions.

The commission was accused of “non-competitive recruitment, misclassification of candidates, excessive age relaxations, improper absorption of project-funded staff, re-employment of retirees and conflicted commissioner appointments”.

By blurring the lines between regulator and employer, the BTRC created a self-serving system.

“BTRC’s practices have eroded institutional integrity and diminished the credibility of sector oversight,” the report said.

The irregularities at the top set a precedent for the entire ecosystem.

The malaise spread through state-owned

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