BTCL counts Tk 30cr loss every month

Blame goes to repeated cable cutting

Bangladesh Telecommuni-cations Company Limited (BTCL) is incurring a loss of around Tk 30 crore every month although the government has injected enough money into the state-owned organisation to turn it into a profit-making one, reports UNB. However, its top official blamed the losses on the repeated severing of its copper and optical fibre cables during development works on roads and drainages by different agencies.
Talking to UNB, BTCL Managing Director Engineer Mahfuz Uddin Ahmad said they earn around Tk 40 crore each month.
But they have to spend around Tk 70 crore mainly for repairing the cables which get cut off during various development works.
“Even, a cable gets severed 5-7 times. We have to spend huge money on repairing those, raising expenditure by 15-20 times,” he said.
The BTCL MD also said the speed and signaling capacity of the cables decease due to the repeated damages. “This leads to the interruption of the internet connection, and voice and data transfer.”
He said telephone boxes are also being damaged in various places for digging roads and drainages in an unplanned way.
Mahfuz said Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Roads and Highways Division, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Wasa, Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco) and municipalities in other parts of the country are mainly responsible for damaging the cables as they carry out the development works.
However, they do not provide any compensation to the BTCL as per the law, he said. “We’re incurring around Tk 30 crore loss every month as we don’t receive any compensation despite sending letters to the agencies concerned.”
The BTCL managing director said the loss will go up if these organisations continue to cut off their cables during their ‘unplanned’ works.
Responding to a query whether it is possible to resolve the problem sitting in inter-ministerial meetings, he said, “We don’t receive any response despite repeated requests. They don’t pay any heed to our calls.”
UNB obtained a letter written to the HRD chief engineer by the BTCL managing director.
It was mentioned in the letter that the BTCL has been providing broadband internet services to various government and no-government organisations, and Union Information and Service Centres (UISCs in some 473 upazilas and 1,200 unions) across the country through optical fibre cables.
It is also providing telephone
and ADSL services to many growth centres in all the districts, including Dhaka city.
The letter said the HRD or its contractors are damaging copper and optical fibre cables in many areas during road construction or any other development work defying the requests of the BTCL officials and thus the cables go beyond repair. “As a result, the communication services are seriously being hampered while the BTCL is facing losses.”
As per the existing law, affected people or organisations will get compensation for the digging work of any road, Mahfuz said, adding that the BTCL does not receive any compensation from any agency.
He said there is a provision of both jail term and fine in the Telegraph Act 1985 for damaging the BTCL cables. “However, this law isn’t enforced.”
He also underscored the need for fully implementing the provision and enacting a harsher law to save the BTCL from the staggering losses.
According to the BTCL, it has some 6.70 lakh active telephone lines providing internet and voice services.
Contacted, RHD Additional Chief Engineer Mahboob Ul Alam told UNB that the HRD allows the BTCL to set up their optical fibre cables beneath the roads on the conditions that the BTCL will bear the cost if its lines get cut off or damaged accidentally for the road construction.
Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Engineer Taqsem A Khan said, “If Wasa cuts off or damages any cable unintentionally, we first inform the BTCL authorities of it and later we pay compensation as per their claim.”
He, however, said the BTCL repairs the damaged lines at its own initiatives. “It’s not true we don’t provide compensation if the BTCL claims.”

BTCL counts Tk 30cr loss every month

Blame goes to repeated cable cutting

Bangladesh Telecommuni-cations Company Limited (BTCL) is incurring a loss of around Tk 30 crore every month although the government has injected enough money into the state-owned organisation to turn it into a profit-making one, reports UNB. However, its top official blamed the losses on the repeated severing of its copper and optical fibre cables during development works on roads and drainages by different agencies. Talking to UNB, BTCL Managing Director Engineer Mahfuz Uddin Ahmad said they earn around Tk 40 crore each month. But they have to spend around Tk 70 crore mainly for repairing the cables which get cut off during various development works. Even, a cable gets severed 5-7 times. We have to spend huge money on repairing those, raising expenditure by 15-20 times, he said. The BTCL MD also said the speed and signaling capacity of the cables decease due to the repeated damages. This leads to the interruption of the internet connection, and voice and data transfer. He said telephone boxes are also being damaged in various places for digging roads and drainages in an unplanned way. Mahfuz said Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Roads and Highways Division, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Wasa, Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco) and municipalities in other parts of the country are mainly responsible for damaging the cables as they carry out the development works. However, they do not provide any compensation to the BTCL as per the law, he said. Were incurring around Tk 30 crore loss every month as we dont receive any compensation despite sending letters to the agencies concerned. The BTCL managing director said the loss will go up if these organisations continue to cut off their cables during their unplanned works. Responding to a query whether it is possible to resolve the problem sitting in inter-ministerial meetings, he said, We dont receive any response despite repeated requests. They dont pay any heed to our calls. UNB obtained a letter written to the HRD chief engineer by the BTCL managing director. It was mentioned in the letter that the BTCL has been providing broadband internet services to various government and no-government organisations, and Union Information and Service Centres (UISCs in some 473 upazilas and 1,200 unions) across the country through optical fibre cables. It is also providing telephone and ADSL services to many growth centres in all the districts, including Dhaka city. The letter said the HRD or its contractors are damaging copper and optical fibre cables in many areas during road construction or any other development work defying the requests of the BTCL officials and thus the cables go beyond repair. As a result, the communication services are seriously being hampered while the BTCL is facing losses. As per the existing law, affected people or organisations will get compensation for the digging work of any road, Mahfuz said, adding that the BTCL does not receive any compensation from any agency. He said there is a provision of both jail term and fine in the Telegraph Act 1985 for damaging the BTCL cables. However, this law isnt enforced. He also underscored the need for fully implementing the provision and enacting a harsher law to save the BTCL from the staggering losses. According to the BTCL, it has some 6.70 lakh active telephone lines providing internet and voice services. Contacted, RHD Additional Chief Engineer Mahboob Ul Alam told UNB that the HRD allows the BTCL to set up their optical fibre cables beneath the roads on the conditions that the BTCL will bear the cost if its lines get cut off or damaged accidentally for the road construction. Dhaka Wasa Managing Director Engineer Taqsem A Khan said, If Wasa cuts off or damages any cable unintentionally, we first inform the BTCL authorities of it and later we pay compensation as per their claim. He, however, said the BTCL repairs the damaged lines at its own initiatives. Its not true we dont provide compensation if the BTCL claims.