BANGLADESH

Telecom regulator BTRC has awarded three different types of licences to 78 companies to operate in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission chairman Zia Ahmed handed over the licences to the representatives of the firms at a programme at the commission's conference room on Thursday.

"The telecom operators have some call-sharing issues with the companies who just got the licences. We will sit with everyone and solve the issues," he said.

The operators, who are already in the business, have been opposing the government move to allow so many companies in the telecom sector saying 'this would upset the balance in the telecommunication market'.

BTRC sent letters to 82 firms on Mar 8 asking them to collect their licences after the post and telecommunications ministry finalised a list of 85 licence seekers. Of them, 78 companies paid the licence fees until Wednesday.