STAR BUSINESS REPORT

The telecom regulator has cancelled the enlistment certificates of 22 companies that were authorised to provide application-to-person (A2P) SMS aggregation services in Bangladesh, citing non-renewal of licences and regulatory noncompliance.

In an official notice issued recently, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said the affected firms had either expressed unwillingness to renew their enlistment, failed to apply for renewal within the stipulated timeframe, or were found to have ownership links with entities holding other telecom licences, which violates existing guidelines for domestic A2P service providers.

A2P SMS aggregators act as intermediaries between businesses, government agencies, and mobile network operators.

They enable bulk messaging services such as one-time passwords (OTPs), banking alerts, promotional messages, delivery notifications, public service announcements, and other automated communications sent from applications to mobile subscribers.

BTRC warned that any activities conducted under the cancelled certificates would be considered illegal and punishable under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act, 2001.

The companies have been instructed to surrender their original certificates and settle any outstanding dues within 30 days.

They will also remain liable for any additional financial obligations identified through future audits, according to the BTRC notice.