Four Telecom Operators Owe Government Over 13,000 Crore Taka

Four major mobile phone operators in Bangladesh owe the national exchequer a staggering 13,144 crore Taka in outstanding revenue. The debtors include the country’s leading private telecom giants alongside the state-owned operator, Teletalk, which accounts for a substantial share of the default.

The financial data was disclosed in the National Parliament on Wednesday during a designated question-and-answer session. Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Fakir Mahboob Anam, tabled the statistics in response to a written query from Lutfur Rahman, the Member of Parliament representing the Cox’s Bazar-3 constituency. The parliamentary session was presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

According to the official ministerial response, Grameenphone holds the largest outstanding debt, with dues amounting to 6,101.82 crore Taka. This massive liability stems from an Information System audit objection raised by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), which originally claimed a total of 8,494.01 crore Taka from the market leader. Following a subsequent court directive, Grameenphone cleared 2,392.19 crore Taka in two separate instalments. The remaining multi-billion Taka balance is currently locked in litigation before the Higher Court.

Teletalk, the state-run operator, places a close second with an outstanding debt of 5,954 crore Taka. Minister Anam explained that Teletalk’s unpaid dues encompass various regulatory liabilities, including licence fees, revenue-sharing arrears, spectrum fees, administrative fines, and mandatory contributions to the Social Obligation Fund. In an attempt to settle its balance sheet, Teletalk has submitted a formal proposal to convert 5,554 crore Taka of this debt into government equity. This application is currently under evaluation by the Ministry of Finance.

Meanwhile, Robi Axiata owes the government 615 crore Taka. The BTRC’s initial claim against the operator stood at 678 crore Taka, arising from audit objections and unpaid Value Added Tax (VAT) on shared revenue. Robi has since paid 188 crore Taka in five instalments following judicial orders, while legal proceedings continue over the residual amount.

Banglalink Digital Communications faces a similar regulatory hurdle, with the BTRC claiming 473 crore Taka under identical audit and VAT categories. Banglalink has already settled the vast majority of its obligation by paying 381 crore Taka, leaving a relatively small balance that remains subject to an ongoing court case. The government, through the BTRC, maintains that it is actively pursuing all legal avenues to recover these vital public funds from the operators.