Removing the Interconnection Exchange (ICX) system from Bangladesh’s telecom infrastructure could badly impact government revenues, employment and national security, warned experts and industry stakeholders.
The government may lose around Tk 284 crore in revenue annually, with 700 engineers becoming unemployed, if the ICX is scrapped, they warned.
The data were put forward at a workshop titled ‘Draft Telecom Reform Policy 2025: Relevance of ICX’, organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB).
The event, moderated by TRNB President Samir Kumar Dey and inaugurated by General Secretary Masuduzzaman Robin, served as a platform for open dialogue between telecom policy stakeholders and reporters.
Discussants shared their insights, saying that the ICX system plays a critical role in revenue assurance, fraud prevention and digital surveillance.
Calling the ICX a ‘third eye’, Brig Gen (retd) Mostafizur Rahman, president of the Telecommunication Infrastructure Operators of Bangladesh (TIOB), warned that dismantling the locally developed framework in favour of foreign-controlled systems could jeopardize both economic and national interests.
Brig Gen (retd) Khurshid Alam, treasurer of TIOB, emphasised that the existing telecom structure had been developed to support local businesses, combat money laundering and uphold national interests.
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He said four months ago the industry had invested Tk 130 crore in transitioning from TDM to IP technology as per government directives.
The sudden shift to a new network topology now threatens to render that investment futile.
He argued that the proposed policy change, currently under consideration by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), would allow mobile operators to bypass ICX and operate directly at the gateway level without separate licensing.
This move could increase illegal VoIP operations and reduce transparency in telecom revenue.
Ahmedur Rahman Rumel, Head of Operations at Agni Systems, mentioned that over Tk 1.15 crore in daily SMS traffic is currently unaccounted for due to bypassing ICX systems.
The government could earn an additional Tk 74 crore annually if routed properly through ICX.
More than 50 voice service providers, including mobile, PSPAN, and IPTSP operators, currently rely on ICX for efficient bilateral connectivity.
Eliminating this centralised system would increase operational costs and technical complexity for each provider, stakeholders warned, said the speakers.
The workshop also highlighted the role of ICX in international call routing and it contributes to digital surveillance, essential for maintaining national sovereignty and security.
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The draft amendment to the Telecommunications Act, proposed by BTRC under the interim government, however suggests removing ICX from the telecom licensing structure, a move that experts say could compromise Bangladesh’s digital and national security.
VoiceTel Chief Executive Officer Mustafa Mahmud Hossain, Bangla ICX Director Hasibur Rahman, Banglatelecom CEO Brig Gen (retd) Md Abdul Hanna, Imam Network Limited CEO M Nurul Alam were, among others, present at the event.