Govt set to introduce MNP shortly: State Minister Tarana Halim

"The (MNP) guideline is now ready . . . we are going to ask the BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission) to introduce MNP as early as possible," she said.

The state minister said the MNP guidelines were prepared earlier while her ministry by now secured clearance from the finance ministry and the Prime Minister's office.

The finance ministry clearance was required for fixing issues of tariff and revenue sharing while it fixed Taka 60 for subscribers to avail the MNP service.

She added that BTRC was now expected to float an international tender to appoint a MNP operator to provide the service.

On assuming the charge of the telecommunication sector as the junior minister earlier this year, Tarana Halim promised to introduce the MNP by March 2016 so the mobile phone users could choose networks of their choices retaining the same number.

Officials familiar with the process said the Posts and Telecommunications Division would send the MNP guidelines to the BTRC in next two or three days.

In 2013, BTRC has formulated the draft MNP guideline and submitted it to the posts and telecommunications division for approval.

Once the MNP is introduced, customers can switch to one mobile phone operator to another operator keeping their number unchanged and they can again avail the facility after 40 days.

According to the guideline, the BTRC will issue a MNP license for 15 years at BDT 20 lakh as annual license fee and the MNP operator has to share revenue with the government at 5.5 percent rate from the second year of the license.

Any Bangladeshi or expatriate Bangladeshi owned company registered in the country will be eligible to bid in the auction but foreign companies having partnership with Bangladeshi ones could also take part in the auction.

The foreign companies, however, can hold as high as 51 percent share, and the company must invest in foreign currency and they could get no chance to mobilize fund from Bangladeshi market.

The guideline said owner or director, partner, investor and shareholder of any mobile phone operator registered in Bangladesh will be ineligible to take part in the tender.

Seventy two countries including the neighboring India and Pakistan have already adopted the popular system for their customers, while Singapore is the pioneer in the field.

News: BSS