Joyeeta Sen Rimpee

The Telegraph branch under the Posts and Telegraph Department was created in 1853 in the then British India and was regulated afterwards under the Telegraph Act-1885. The Telegraph branch was reconstructed in 1962 in the then East Pakistan as Pakistan Telegraph and Telephone Department. In 1971, after the independence of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Department was set up under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. This was converted into a corporate body named 'Telegraph and Telephone Board' by promulgation of Telegraph and Telephone Board Ordinance, 1975. In pursuance of an ordinance of 1979, Telegraph and Telephone Board was converted into Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB), as a Government Board. From 1st July, 2008, as per the Telecommunication policy, 1998, BTTB was converted into a public limited company - Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited through another ordinance. BTCL has a mandate to provide basic telecommunication services throughout the country. At present, BTCL is providing telephone service to about 1 million telephone subscribers down to upzilla (thana) and growth centre level. Most of them can also use dial-up internet service. BTCL has the largest telecom infrastructure comprising of copper cabling, microwave links, satellite links, optical fibre networks etc. The call rates and internet rates are cheaper than those of other operators. ADSL Broadband internet service is available now with present capacity of 33 thousand. BTCL earned 15653 million taka revenue in 2007-08 and 20813 million taka revenue in 2008-09 year. Number of Sanctioned posts is 19066. Working manpower on 30th June 2009 was 10325 (regular). In addition to this, about 5000 employees have been working as work-charged and casual. The organogram of the company is approved along with 8703 posts in 28th Board of Directors’ meeting held on 27thDecember 2009