Telecom minister urges mobile operators to fix call drops, customer complaints
“Many people say, ‘I bought a Tk500 package. I still have money, but the validity has expired, and everything is gone.’ Why does this happen?” Faqir Mahbub Anam asks, urging operators to clearly explain package terms and conditions to customers
Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam has urged the country's mobile operators to address persistent customer complaints over call drops, poor rural coverage and confusing package validity.
"Many complaints are about call drops, rural network coverage and mobile packages. Operators need to make customers more aware of how these services work," he said at a network modernisation event organised by Robi Axiata at its corporate headquarters in Dhaka today (19 August).
The minister said many customers remain unaware that they are entitled to compensation when a call drops. "If you make people more aware that there is no charge deducted from them when a call drops and that the amount is returned to them, then it would help," he said.
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He also highlighted package validity as a recurring source of customer frustration.
"Many people say, 'I bought a Tk500 package. I still have money, but the validity has expired, and everything is gone.' Why does this happen?" he asked, urging operators to clearly explain package terms and conditions to customers.
Mahbub said he had raised the issue with all four mobile operators - Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi, and state-owned Teletalk - with the aim of reducing customer complaints.
The minister also criticised the uneven distribution of mobile network coverage between urban and rural areas.
Referring to his own constituency, he said he rarely receives calls from Robi numbers despite the operator having millions of subscribers.
He urged operators not to concentrate network investment only in major cities. "Let's not leave behind those who live in villages. I would request that Robi services be made available to them properly as well," he said.
He suggested that infrastructure sharing, including tower sharing, could help operators expand services to underserved areas more efficiently.
Robi upgrades over 4,800 sites
During the event, Robi Axiata said it has upgraded more than 4,800 network sites across greater Dhaka, including Gazipur, Savar, Manikganj, and Narayanganj, with minimal disruption to customer services.
The company said the modernisation, based on next-generation "GIGA GREEN 4G/5G" ready equipment, has improved data speeds, voice quality and indoor coverage.
According to Robi, customer experience at the cluster level has improved by up to 125%, while call drops have declined by 20%.
Deep-indoor coverage and connectivity quality in greater Dhaka and Gazipur have improved threefold, while energy consumption per gigabyte has fallen by 20%.
Robi Chief Technology Officer Perihane Elhamy Ahmed Metaweh presented details of the network upgrade at the event.
Rehan Asif Asad, adviser to the prime minister on post, telecommunications, and information technology, said quality of service has become the key differentiator as the telecom industry matures.
"I am happy to see Robi strengthening its competitive muscle by revamping its Dhaka network. A win-win formula works best when customers are satisfied with service quality," he said.
Maj Gen (retd) Md Emdad Ul Bari, chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, praised Robi's technology team for upgrading the sites within a short period.
He said improving internet quality was essential to reducing the country's digital divide.
Robi Managing Director and CEO Ziad Shatara said the Dhaka modernisation had made its network the strongest in the capital and that the company would soon complete a similar upgrade in Chattogram.
However, he said some areas still require new network sites and sought government and regulatory support to facilitate their acquisition.
Since its stock market listing in 2020, Robi said it has invested more than Tk9,331 crore in network expansion. Its 4G sites have increased from 13,173 to 19,646, while its spectrum holdings have expanded 3.4 times to 124MHz.
In the second quarter of 2026 alone, Robi invested Tk721.6 crore, taking its 4G sites above 19,600 and population coverage to 98.98%.
The operator launched 4G services across all 64 districts in 2018 and began commercial 5G services in September 2025 in selected high-traffic areas of Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet.
