The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) is being turned into a public limited company as Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) from today with a view to ensuring better services to the customers.

The Government also formed another company titled Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL), which would also start functioning from today.

"The main goal of the formation of the two public limited companies is to ensure better customer service and turn those into leading service providers utilising the modern telecommunication technology," said Special Assistant to Chief Adviser on the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Brig Gen (Retd) MA Malek, while announcing the transformation of the government entities into limited companies at a press conference at the BTTB conference room.

Secretary of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Iqbal Mahmud will be made the first Chairman of the BTCL while BTTB Chairman Md Ashraful Alim the first Managing Director of the company.

MA Malek said the BTCL will be a public limited company and at present its 100 per cent share will remain in government hands.

"In future the shares of the BTCL will be released in the market" he said adding that it might take one-year time.

The Special Assistant hoped that corporatisation of the two new public limited companies would ensure transparency and accountability in providing better customer services.

He said all the officials and employees of the BTTB would be absorbed in the newly formed companies since the Government wanted to ensure the security of their jobs. The BTCL would start its journey with an approved investment of Tk 15,000 crore and all property of the BTTB.

Emphasising the need for ensuring better service to the customers, he said if the BTCL failed to do something better it would have to be out of what he termed very competitive market.

He said the BTCL employees would be given increase salaries and facilities, if they can ensure better services to the customers and earn more money for the company.

He, however, cautioned that quick action would be taken against the persons involved in any irregularities or malpractice.

Replying to a question he said if anyone does not want to work for the company he or she could leave his/her job with all dues said.

He said the BTCL would be turned into an effective commercial organisation maintaining its social and economic responsibilities and accountabilities.

The BTCL would expand the telephone and broadband Internet services across the country together, he said adding that it would bring the service to the doorsteps at customers.

Secretary of Post and Telecommunications Ministry Iqbal Mahmud and BTTB Chairman Md Ashraful Alim, among others, were present at the press conference.

Meanwhile, the subscribers of BTCL will enjoy new reduced tariff rates from today. The revised rates approved yesterday are as below: BTTB to BTTB local calls at Tk 0.15 per minute for peak hour and Tk 0.10 for off-peak hour; BTTB to BTTB NWD call will be Tk 1 per minute for peak hour and Tk 0.70 for off-peak hour.

BTTB calls to other operators (PSTN) will be Tk 80 per minute for peak hour and Tk 0.70 for off-peak hour while calls to mobile from BTTB will be charged at Tk 1 per minute for peak hour and Tk 0.70 for off-peak hour.

The monthly line rent for Dhaka and Chittagong will be Tk 80 with the subscribers enjoying 50 local calls free while monthly line rent at division/district will be Tk 70 with 100 local calls free, whereas the rate at upazila and growth centres will be Tk 50 with 100 free local calls.