Govt nods Tk95cr for NTMC content blocking expansion amid ongoing legal transition
The technological expansion arrives amid national controversies and rapid legislative transformations surrounding the operational mandate of the monitoring body, originally established under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Control Act, 2001
The government has approved a procurement proposal worth Tk94.95 crore to expand the content blocking and filtering infrastructure of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), currently operating on an extension.
The procurement package, titled "Expansion of Content Blocking & Filtering System (Phase-1)", was placed by the Ministry of Home Affairs and approved during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement held at the Secretariat recently.
The high-level session was chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, and the subsequent details were disclosed through an official notice issued by the Ministry of Finance.
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Under the approved expansion package, the government will purchase advanced technical equipment designed to enhance the state monitoring agency's ability to intercept, filter, and block online content while managing large-scale network traffic across six partially connected data centres.
The acquisition includes three high-capacity next-generation firewalls, allowing the surveillance agency to follow specific content of internet traffic.
The package also comprises two multi-functional hybrid packet brokers, alongside three switch management cards tasked with coordinating internet traffic between the various network components and deep packet inspection tools.
Citing the highly sensitive and confidential nature of the state monitoring agency, the home ministry initially invited commercial bids from nine selected firms under a restricted, limited tendering method process.
Out of these, three enterprises submitted their technical and financial proposals, with two ultimately deemed "responsive" by the government.
Global Brand PLC – The lowest bidder
On the final recommendations of the Tender Evaluation Committee, the contract was awarded to Dhanmondi-based IT products distributor Global Brand PLC as the lowest bidder, with the approved financial value sitting 2.39% higher than the official estimate.
The technological expansion arrives amid persistent national controversies and rapid legislative transformations surrounding the operational mandate of the monitoring body, which was originally established under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Control Act, 2001.
NTMC has historically faced severe public scrutiny and allegations regarding mass citizen surveillance, unauthorised telecommunications interception, and phone wiretapping during the tenure of the deposed Awami League administration, though the agency has never formally issued a detailed response to these specific charges.
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The public backlash had previously culminated on 21 December last year, when a group of 94 prominent citizens issued a joint statement demanding the immediate dissolution of the NTMC following widespread reports after the July Uprising on how the surveillance agency was used to monitor civic activity.
Although the legal structure of the agency has reportedly undergone multiple changes over the recent months.
NTMC was previously abolished under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Control (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, promulgated toward the twilight of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
That ordinance had replaced the agency with a restructured body named the Centre for Information Support, which was legally designed to operate under much tighter judicial and statutory oversight while mandating adherence to international standards for telecommunications interception.
Following the February elections, the elected BNP government enacted the finalised amended law in April.
