After taking charge of the posts, telecommunications, information technology and science and technology sectors in the current government, what condition did you find these sectors in? What are the five most important areas that you think need to be changed?
Rehan Asif Asad: Let me start with a small example. As soon as I took charge, I heard that the ICT Division had developed more than 400 games. After speaking to the people concerned, I learned that the actual number was 100. Even those were of no use. That is the situation.
As for priorities, the first would be reforms in laws and policies; second, improving connectivity infrastructure; third, developing digital public infrastructure; fourth, promoting artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, skilled human resources and startups; and finally, increasing the country's capacity to manufacture consumer electronics, semiconductors and digital devices.
You mentioned laws. Amendments to the Cyber Security Act have raised fresh concerns among ordinary citizens and the media. How will these concerns be addressed?
Rehan Asif Asad: We are aware of the discussions and criticism in various quarters regarding the Cyber Security Act. From the beginning, we have been trying to formulate the law by taking everyone's opinions into consideration. We want to follow the same process this time as well. The government has no different intention regarding the law. The Prime Minister has clearly said that the issues must be resolved through discussions with all concerned, and only then should the law be brought before the Cabinet. Therefore, we are taking everyone's concerns and opinions seriously. We are reviewing the suggestions you all are making and trying to incorporate them into the draft.
During the Awami League government's tenure, there was talk of building a Digital Bangladesh. But what eventually emerged was a semi-digital system. Even after applying for services online, people still have to visit government offices. They face harassment and have to pay bribes. Will there be any change in this situation?
Rehan Asif Asad: In digital transformation classes, we were taught that its main objective is to bring changes to people's lives. Digital transformation does not simply mean bringing a service online; rather, it means making the process of receiving that service easier. We are now working on 'One Citizen, One ID'. It will contain 12 basic pieces of information, including a citizen's name, parents' names, date of birth, place of birth, address and a unique ID. If this information is available through an integrated system, government offices providing services will be able to easily verify the necessary information. This will make it possible to significantly reduce the time required to deliver services. Simplifying access to public services is our top digital transformation priority.
How will that be implemented?
Rehan Asif Asad: One major weakness of digital transformation is that the information held by the government is not being used properly. If the necessary information can be properly preserved and integrated, decision-making will become much easier. That is why we are working on e-governance and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
We are trying to coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and the Ministry of Finance to develop a dashboard using geographical codes, where the progress of government projects can be monitored from beginning to end. It will contain information on how much money has been allocated to each project, how much has been spent, how far the work has progressed and which areas are benefiting from development. Through this, the government will be able to plan how to ensure that the benefits of development reach people equally.
Digital transformation does not simply mean creating a system for submitting applications online. Citizens should not have to provide the same information repeatedly, visit one government office to verify information held by another office, or spend unnecessary time and money to receive government services. We want to bring about that change.
A huge amount of citizens' data is being collected by public and private institutions, but data leaks are occurring repeatedly. Recently, Prothom Alo revealed through an investigation that even a government minister had fallen victim to such an incident. What is your view on this?
Rehan Asif Asad: Personal sensitive information is extremely important for a country and its citizens. As we move towards an increasingly connected and AI-driven world in the future, data protection will become even more important. In this regard, cybersecurity and data protection must be implemented at the highest level. Some security loopholes have been identified and addressed. However, stricter measures need to be taken everywhere.
I have three observations regarding cybersecurity. Every citizen has a personal responsibility to protect their data according to their knowledge and capabilities. As for institutions, the banking and telecommunications sectors are somewhat more secure than other sectors. We need to make significant improvements in e-commerce and private-sector databases.
The government's role is the most important in this regard. The National Cyber Security Act was passed last April, and the Cyber Security Agency has started working. Work is underway on cybersecurity infrastructure, tools and foundational mechanisms.
Bangladesh is a densely populated country. The telecommunications business is relatively easy to operate. However, customers are not satisfied with the quality of services. Taxes in the telecommunications sector are also very high. Even when taxes are reduced, customers do not benefit from the reduction. How will you strike a balance between the two?
Rehan Asif Asad: Our GDP-to-tax ratio is among the lowest in the world, at 6.5 per cent. This is a major concern. A country's GDP-to-tax ratio should be at least 12 per cent. We are trying to reduce taxes in such a way that revenue increases in the long run.
For example, the duty on mobile phone manufacturing was previously 26–28 per cent. We have reduced it to a maximum of 2.5 per cent. Although revenue declined initially, production by companies such as Samsung, Symphony, Vivo, Oppo, Tecno and Walton has increased over the past three months.
Apart from iPhones, nearly 90 per cent of the country's demand for mobile phones is now being met by domestically manufactured handsets. This is saving foreign currency. We are also working towards starting exports within the next six months.
In response to the demands of mobile operators, SIM tax has also been reduced. Teletalk and Banglalink have lowered SIM prices in their new packages. We have also discussed the matter with other operators. The government has kept its promise; now we need to ensure how much benefit the operators are passing on to customers.
The ministry cannot directly determine service prices; that falls under the jurisdiction of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). We have spoken with the BTRC chairman and the operators. We will monitor whether customers are receiving the actual benefits of the tax reduction.
But phone prices are not reducing. The BTRC has planned to discontinue 2G services by 2029. What will happen to the 60 million people who use feature phones?
Rehan Asif Asad: It is a difficult task, no doubt. However, this has been one of my priorities from the very beginning and will remain so. Several companies in the country are manufacturing 4G phones for Tk 5,500 to Tk 6,000.
Now, prices of memory chips, CPUs and GPUs are rising worldwide, and there are also supply shortages. Chips that were previously available within three months now take six to 12 months to arrive. The gap between demand and supply is unlikely to disappear overnight.
However, if we can design and manufacture PCBs (printed circuit boards) domestically, it will be possible to control the remaining 70 per cent of the cost, excluding the chips.
It is not possible to deliver the benefits of digital technology through 2G phones. To ensure digital inclusion, 4G connectivity must also reach farmers and working-class people. Otherwise, they will not be able to benefit from AI, cloud and software-based services. Although the task is challenging, it must be done in the national interest.
Questions remain about the quality of Teletalk's network, customer service and its ability to compete in the market as the state-owned mobile operator. Why has Teletalk failed to turn things around even after all these years?
Rehan Asif Asad: Teletalk's monthly revenue is increasing. However, its main problems concern network coverage and quality. Private mobile operators in the country have 18,000–20,000 cell towers. Teletalk, on the other hand, has around 6,000. With this gap, it is difficult for Teletalk to compete with private operators.
Work is underway to install 2,000 new cell towers for Teletalk, which is expected to be completed by next June. To narrow the gap, we are examining the possibility of expanding coverage through network sharing. We have plans to improve service quality through the construction of new towers in some areas, network sharing in others and the use of spectrum in certain locations. We have set a target of improving Teletalk's network coverage and service quality within the next year.
You have been talking about sovereign AI. What does that mean?
Rehan Asif Asad: The core idea of sovereign AI is to establish our own control over citizens' information, data and public services. We must ensure that the benefits of AI technology are not limited to certain section of society but reach everyone, from ordinary farmers to the children of rickshaw pullers.
For this, building local AI infrastructures in the country is necessary. Although some technologies, such as processing chips, will have to be imported from abroad, the necessary computing infrastructure, including servers and racks, will be set up locally. To this end, 10,000 square feet of space has been allocated at the National Data Centre in Kaliakoir Hi-Tech Park. In addition, there are plans to establish eight nodes and 16 CRSs across the country.
At the same time, we need to enhance AI capabilities in the Bangla language. To this end, alongside developing a Bangla Large Language Model (LLM), we are creating an effective research and development environment by involving the country's universities. International technological cooperation will also be sought to strengthen our capabilities. The AI policy will also be finalised soon.
At the end of this government's five-year term, where would you like to see Bangladesh's digital services, telecommunications, information technology and science and technology sectors?
Rehan Asif Asad: Our priority is to establish a foundation for the telecommunications and information technology sectors. Governments will change, and political parties will come and go. But if we can build the necessary structures and foundations now, they will remain useful at all times.
I believe that device, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing has enormous potential for our economy. Even 10 years ago, Vietnam's electronics exports stood at $1 billion. Last year, they increased to $217 billion. If Vietnam can do it, why can't Bangladesh realise that potential?