The regular task of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is to advise and provide proposals to the government in formulating national telecommunication-related policies.
However, allegations have made that the commission's officials are receiving separate honorariums by labeling this task as ''research. ''
According to related sources, during a past interim government, an honorarium of Tk 1. 628 million was set for the officials involved in the creation of the ''Telecommunication Network and Licensing Policy, '' which was presented as ''research. '' This amount was approved in the latest commission meeting of the BTRC.
On the other hand, those involved in drafting the ''Guideline for Policy Implementation'' have been allocated Tk 1. 225 million as honorarium. The process of verification for the disbursement of this amount is currently underway.
It is not new for various government organisations to take extra funds in the name of meetings and seminars. This same pattern is now observed in the BTRC as well.
According to the commission's documents, a 10-member committee was formed on 19 December 2024, to reorganise the country's telecommunication network and licensing system, as per the decision of the commission.
Apart from two representatives from the Department of Posts and Telecommunications and the Department of Information and Communication Technology, the rest were officers from various departments of the commission.
The documents reveal that the committee was tasked with preparing a concept paper for the new policy and recommending a roadmap for the government. After initial work was completed, this was presented to the commission as a research proposal labeled as research, and a budget of Tk 2. 9 million was set to ensure the ''successful completion of the research. ''
The BTRC job regulations allow for honorariums for special types of research and development work. However, questions have arisen on whether preparing a telecommunication network and licensing policy falls under special research work.
The honorarium for officials involved in this ''research'' work has been set in three phases. The first involves the honorarium for committee members for research work during the policy preparation process. This includes the main honorarium as members of the research team, meeting honorarium, seminar honorarium, and special responsibility honorarium.
Separate honorariums for eight sessions
According to documents, two seminars were organized for this work. These two seminars were divided into a total of eight sessions, each assigned separate honorariums.
As the convener of the ''research'' committee, an honorarium of Tk 217, 000 was allocated for BTRC Commissioner Iqbal Ahmed. His main honorarium as a member of the research team is Tk 50,000. In addition, the honorarium for 13 meetings is Tk 65, 000. Another Tk 32, 000 is allocated for the eight sessions of the two seminars, with an additional ''special responsibility honorarium'' of Tk 70, 000.
Thirteen external experts were also brought in for the policy formulation meetings. Each of them was awarded an honorarium of Tk 15, 000 for three meetings.
Beyond this, the issue of providing honorariums to the committee members involved in developing the roadmap for policy implementation is under examination by the BTRC. The committee includes 28 BTRC officers.
This new policy was approved by the previous interim government on September 18 last year, while the International Long-Distance Telecommunication Services (ILDTS) policy was repealed. The ILDTS policy was formulated via a committee formed by the ministry and included BTRC officials and independent experts.
When an attempt was made to learn about the amount of honorarium given at that time, a senior official of the then BTRC stated that the roadmap preparation work was done as part of regular tasks and no additional money was given to officials as honorariums.
In response to why the matter of honorariums has arisen concerning policy formulation now, BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd.) Emdad Ul Bari told Prothom Alo, "This is not a routine work of the commission. It is a strategic task. "
Emdad Ul Bari further stated, "This work was carried out not just by limiting it to BTRC officials but by involving industry, academia, and other stakeholders through research. The honorarium has been provided following the government's regulations. "
What the concerned individuals say
Prothom Alo reached out to two of the thirteen independent experts involved in the policy formulation process. One was unwilling to comment. The other, on the condition of anonymity, mentioned to Prothom Alo, "I don't know if this can be called research. BTRC presented some pre-decided issues in the meeting. "
The expert further added, "Experts criticized and provided suggestions. However, there is no similarity between the committee's recommendations and today's policy. "
"Unethical and abuse of power"
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told Prothom Alo, "Taking allowances for meetings based on sessions—this practice doesn’t exist in any civilized country. "
Iftekharuzzaman also commented, "A government official suddenly becoming a researcher, taking allowances as a researcher, and then taking additional money for meetings for said research—these are entirely illogical, unethical, and an abuse of power. In reality, such practices facilitate the embezzlement of public funds. "
Iftekharuzzaman stated that the government should formulate policies to permanently close the opportunities for embezzling state funds unjustifiably in the name of meetings and seminars.