Bangladesh again blocks FDI in telecoms

Posted on September 23, 2009 / 2 Comments

Foreign investors, including non-resident Bangladeshi citizens, have been again declared persona non grata in Bangladesh’s crumbling international telecoms business.The regulator has invited public consultation and clause 6.01 of the proposed IGW, ICX and IIG licensing guidelines explicitly forbids any form of offshore investment.

The nine-month old political government is keen to build “Digital Bangladesh.” But its regulator is following the immediate past military regime’s roadmap to improve the illegal bypass accounts’ digits. The military rulers could deliberately misadventure at gunpoint. The elected government, however, lacks that luxury. Possibly it’s time for some lawyers to get rich.

2 Comments

Amar
September 23, 2009, 12:03 pm
Very ecstatic about how BTRC are running these days. There is no need for FDI in low tech, Non Capital-Intensive sectors such as IIG,IWG, & ICX. After when the duopoly in IIG is broken there will be Multiple competition in every nooks and cranny in BD telecom industry.
1. haider
  
  September 24, 2009, 3:51 pm
  
  internal investment can be a good sign to enhance bangladeshi investors move a head on high tech oriented investment. But it should be well monitored by BTRC that after getting licence local company can provide service, not like what happen to the local investors on Call centers, they simply failed to attract any business from offshore. And not to mention Wimax may go the same direction. Bangladesh investors should be merged with foreign investors to rip a good fruit, it should be a 50-50 joint venture to have a win-win solution.