Over 66,000 complaints filed against mobile operators since 2021: BTRC

Onfographics: TBS

A total of 66,705 customer complaints flooded the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission against the country's four mobile operators between 2021 and mid-2026, driven by persistent network glitches, sluggish internet, dropped calls, and unauthorised deductions for value-added services (VAS), according to the regulator's data.

Beyond core connectivity issues, customer dissatisfaction spanned nearly every aspect of mobile services as well.

Subscribers filing complaints also cited grievances over mobile number portability (MNP), recharge and billing errors, SIM registration and ownership disputes, tariffs and call rates, mobile financial services, fraudulent activities, and deceptive promotional quiz and prize schemes.

Robi topped the list with 24,874 complaints, followed by Grameenphone with 21,526, state-run Teletalk with 11,594, and Banglalink with 8,711, according to BTRC data.

The figures were disclosed today (19 August) at the regulator's seventh public hearing, where frustrated customers voiced concerns over spotty network coverage, frequent call drops, rising voice and data tariffs, data validity, carry-forward facilities, the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR), and overall quality of service.

VAS deductions among key complaints

At the hearing, a significant share of complaints were about poor service quality, slow internet speeds and the unauthorised activation of VAS, which often results in deductions from customers' mobile balances without their knowledge.

Regarding concerns over variations in data packages, BTRC said operators have been instructed to clearly disclose the terms, conditions and benefits of each package to customers.

Customers also raised concerns about network disruptions during power outages and their impact on call quality. The commission said it has introduced a "capacity platform" to strengthen monitoring and track the status of mobile towers across the country in real time.

Fuad Hasan Khan from Rangpur raised questions about data carry-forward facilities and the speed of 5G services. 

In response, BTRC said a recent drive test found that no operator's service quality had fallen below the prescribed threshold. The regulator will begin publishing official monthly quality-of-service reports from next month.

Anwar Sadat from Rajshahi also asked whether power outages contribute to increased call drops and raised concerns about confusion among customers over data packages. BTRC reiterated that operators are required to clearly communicate the benefits and terms of each package.

Meanwhile, responding to ISP operator Salahuddin's concerns about weaknesses in connectivity management and the proposed national fibre grid, BTRC said it had been working for the past three to four months to develop a stronger national backbone.

Once the new National Broadband Network Guidelines, which are awaiting government approval, come into effect, multiple services will be able to operate over the same fibre cable, the regulator said.

Customers also raised concerns about receiving unmasked SMS messages, which make it difficult to identify spam, as well as delays in receiving international one-time passwords (OTPs).

Responding to a customer from Gazipur, Towhid Hasan, BTRC said different types of messages were gradually being brought under masking. International OTP delays, however, may sometimes occur because of technical complications, it said.

BTRC officials also said the commission was working to reduce the minimum voice-call tariff, or floor price, in the interest of subscribers. At present, the minimum voice-call tariff is 45 paisa per minute, while the maximum is Tk2, according to the regulator.

A customer from Jamalpur, Rakib Raihan, called for lower call rates and expansion of Teletalk's network in rural areas.

Brig Gen Shafisul Alam Parvez, director general of BTRC's Engineering and Operations Division, said Teletalk was implementing several projects to strengthen network coverage in remote and hard-to-reach areas, including haor regions, alongside meeting its rollout obligations.

86.7% of complaints resolved

BTRC said it received 13,009 complaints between July 2025 and June 2026, of which 11,279, or 86.70%, had been resolved.

The regulator, however, said it was not fully satisfied with the current resolution rate and aimed to resolve all complaints as quickly as possible.

BTRC officials also said monthly quality-of-service information would soon be published on the commission's website to give consumers a clearer picture of operators' service performance.

Customers can lodge complaints through the BTRC call centre at 100, its website and the Grievance Redress System (GRS), officials said.

According to officials, the 86.70% resolution rate reflects complaints that could be resolved immediately. Complaints requiring further investigation or more time for resolution, regardless of whether they were eventually resolved, were not included in the figure.

Spam SMS, OTP delays

Customers also raised concerns about receiving unmasked SMS messages, which make it difficult to identify spam, as well as delays in receiving international one-time passwords (OTPs).

Responding to a customer from Gazipur, Towhid Hasan, BTRC said different types of messages were gradually being brought under masking. International OTP delays, however, may sometimes occur because of technical complications, it said.

The commission also addressed concerns over electromagnetic radiation from mobile towers.

In response to a query from Fuad Hasan Khan, BTRC said radiation levels from mobile towers were regularly measured at different locations. According to the regulator, measurements showed that radiation levels were well below national and international safety standards and remained within levels considered safe for human health and the environment.

Public hearings to be held every month

BTRC Spectrum Division Commissioner Mahmud Hossain said the commission would now hold a public hearing at least once every month in accordance with Section 87 of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act, 2001, as amended in 2026.

He said the hearings would provide consumers with a direct platform to raise questions, opinions, suggestions and concerns. Constructive proposals received through the hearings would also be included in an action-monitoring list, with their implementation and progress reviewed regularly.

For Wednesday's hearing, 2,990 customers registered online between 17 and 27 July. Of them, 1,047 were professionals, 638 students and 172 women.

The largest number of questions submitted by registered participants concerned tariffs, data validity, data carry-forward, network coverage, SIM registration, NEIR and quality of service.

At the hearing, BTRC officials also said 1,756 complaints and questions had been submitted during the 2025 public hearing. Of these, 221 issues fell under the commission's jurisdiction and were sent to four relevant departments for resolution and documentation.

The hearing was chaired by Mahmud Hossain and moderated by Brig Gen Shahzad Parvez Mahyuddin, director general of BTRC's Systems and Services Division. Customers, mobile operators, stakeholders and journalists participated in the online hearing.