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Speakers on Sunday said policy loopholes and licensing violations under the current ILDTS framework are causing significant revenue losses for Bangladesh, which stakeholders estimate amounts to over a couple of million dollars in a month.
Over 30 million international application-to-person (A2P) SMS messages bypass the International Long Distance Telecommunication Services (ILDTS) system each month.
Stakeholders from the International Gateway (IGW) sector estimate that this results in over USD 2.4 million in lost revenue monthly.
In addition, they said direct SMS services offered by mobile network operators are reportedly costing the government another USD 3 million annually.
These were revealed during a workshop and briefing titled "Challenges and Opportunities in the International Gateway (IGW) Industry", held on Sunday at the RAOWA Convention Centre in the capital.
The event was hosted by the Telecommunication Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB) and brought together industry experts, regulators, and stakeholders to examine the current state of IGW operations and the revenue-sharing mechanisms in place.
TRNB General Secretary Masuduzzaman Robin gave the welcome speech, and President Samir Kumar Dey moderated the discussion.
Speakers emphasised that while 23 companies have already cleared BDT 18 billion in dues, seven Interconnection Exchange Operators (IOS) have deposited a total of BDT 9 billion as bank guarantees.
"This was mandated under the International Outgoing Framework (IOF), which the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) implemented in 2015. Since then, the IOF has contributed BDT 56.07 billion to the national exchequer as of April this year."
However, they said the industry is facing a sharp decline in international voice call volumes, which have dropped from around 100 million minutes per month to just 12-13 million, primarily due to the rise of OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms.
Despite this shift, IGW operators argue that mobile operators retain control over international SMS traffic, resulting in lost opportunities for earning valuable foreign currency.
According to them, if the IOF policy were fully enforced, BTRC's revenue could increase eightfold, potentially raising the government's annual income to BDT 2 billion.
Members of the International Gateway Operators Forum (IOF) voiced strong concerns about current licensing structures, claiming that offshore operations and exclusive contracts granted to multinational mobile operators are undermining national revenue interests.
"Multinational interests are being favoured over national priorities under the existing licensing system," warned Mushfiq Manzur, chief operating officer of IOF.
"This not only affects revenue but could also pose national security risks."
Among other notable participants were IOF President Asif Siraj Rabbani; Vice President Abdus Salam; CEO of Bangla Tel Brigadier General Md. Khurshid Alam (Retd.); CEO of Mir Telecom Limited Brigadier General Md. Abdul Hannan (Retd.); and Novotel Managing Director Hasibur Rashid. They called for urgent regulatory reforms to ensure a level playing field and secure Bangladesh's rightful share of international telecom revenues.
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