No ACC probe halted thru DO letter: Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant on Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb has denied allegations that he attempted to interfere in an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation.

Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital today (7 July), he responded to a recent newspaper report that claimed a DO (Demi-Official) letter was issued in an attempt to stop an ACC probe.

Regarding recent controversies around a Tk2.9 billion letter of credit (LC) opened to enhance BTCL's capacity, Faiz alleged that certain powerful companies are trying to eliminate BTCL from the market. 

"I only wrote a letter to the ACC requesting attention to this matter. Unfortunately, this was deliberately misrepresented by a reporter," he added. 

"The report is entirely false," he said, adding, "The DO letter merely requested sincere cooperation from the ACC. It was not an effort to halt any investigation." 

Contacted, ACC Deputy Director Akhtarul Islam told reporters that the letter from Faiz will not hinder the activities of the commission.

Faiz also accused a local media syndicate, allegedly composed of figures tied to the former authoritarian government, of orchestrating attacks against him.

Criticising the previous Awami League-led government, Faiz alleged that a cartel was formed in 2013 under the leadership of Salman F Rahman, then adviser to the prime minister, consisting of seven IGW (international gateway) operators under the name "IGW Operators Forum" (IOF).

Faiz further claimed that the reforms currently being implemented are hurting those who benefited from longstanding irregularities and corruption.

"We are introducing changes that disrupt the interests of those who have thrived on malpractice for years," he said.

Faiz further alleged that vested interest groups are targeting him for pushing much-needed reforms in telecom licensing.

"We are currently working on a next-generation telecom licensing policy aligned with global standards set by ITU and GSMA. Our aim is to eliminate outdated licenses and modernize the structure," he said.

He criticised legacy licenses such as ICX (Interconnection Exchange) and NIX (National Internet Exchange), calling them globally obsolete and ineffective.

"These licenses were created during 2007-2008 when BTRC lacked proper monitoring capacity, allowing companies to engage in theft and fraud. These entities added no real value, yet profited enormously," Faiz added.

During the press briefing, Faiz also said that pressure from international organisations like the ITU and GSMA for simplified licensing has existed since 2015, but the previous government failed to act.

"We're now giving importance to those recommendations because we believe in reform. The aim of the past regime was to turn telecom regulation into a revenue-generating machine for their political associates," he said.

"There is no telecom licensing policy like ours anywhere else in the world. We are now trying to align it with global best practices and remove corruption-friendly structures."