Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL)on Sunday launched prepaid services for its customers to ensure high speed internet and telephone services.  Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar inaugurated the services at BTCL’s Easkaton office. Managing director of BTCL Rafiqul Matin, said the prepaid package include telephone and internet bundle packages and customers can get telephone package after recharging Tk 150 for 30 days. For internet package, the BTCL has introduced 11 packages from 5mbps to 100mbps ranging from Tk 500 to 4200. If any customer wants to purchase the package with telephone facilities, then s/he will have to provide additional Tk 100 for each package and the tenure of the package will remain for 30 days, said Rafiqul. READ: No more line rent for BTCL connections The BTCL launched the service under its Modernization of Telecommunication Network Project. Customers of BTCL can apply for the prepaid service and choose their packages through BTCL portal http:mybtcl.btcl.gov.bd at home. Besides, customers will get unlimited talk time facility from BTCL to BTCL at Tk 100 for 30 days while for other operators the call rate will be Tk 48 paisa per minute . Customers can recharge their packages through Nagad, bKash and bank cards.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked state-owned companies like Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL) to be self-reliant so that they do not have to depend on government funds. The Prime Minister made the directive while presiding over a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the NEC Conference Room. She joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban. Planning Minister MA Mannan briefed reporters after the meeting from an online platform. “The Prime Minister instructed the state-owned companies to spend money from their own incomes. No money will be allotted from government funds in the future. They need to stand on their own feet,” said Mannan. Also read: People’s lives come first: PM Hasina He said the Prime Minister made the directive while approving a project titled ‘Installation of Telecommunication Network in Economic Zones (Phase-I)’ at the meeting. BTCL will implement a Tk 90.12-crore project by June 2023 in Srihatta economic zone in Maulvibazar, Sabrang and Naf Tourism Park at Teknaf, Sonadia Tourism Park at Maheshkhali and Jamalpur Economic Zone. The entire money will come from the state coffer.          The Prime Minister also directed the authorities concerned to quickly complete the construction works on a super specialized hospital under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, said Mannan. The directive came during the approval of the first revision of ‘Specialised Hospital Establishment under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University’ project with the deadline extension and the rise in costs. Also read: PM Hasina suggests 5 actions to deal with drug-resistant diseases Now the project deadline has been extended up to June 2022 from December 2020, while the project cost raised to Tk 1561.18 crore from the original estimated cost of Tk 1,366.34 crore.    At the Ecnec meeting, a total of 10 projects involving the estimated cost of Tk 11,901.33 crore were approved, said the Planning Minister. Of them, Tk 8,991.44 crore will be borne from government funds, while Tk 2,099.91 crore will come as loan from foreign sources and the remaining Tk 809.98 crore from the own funds of the organisations concerned, he said. Nine of the projects are new while another is a revised one. Also read: Govt’s focus on agriculture to tap its full potential: PM Hasina The projects include modernisation and capacity enhancement of electricity supply by Rural Electrification Board in Khulna Division with an estimated cost of Tk 3076.23 crore by June 2025, Development of important rural roads in Cumilla, Brahmanbaria and Chandpur districts with Tk 2,500 crore by June 2025; and Construction of Upazila-Level Sheikh Russel Mini-Stadium (Phase-II) in 186 upazilas with Tk 1649.33 crore by June 2024. The rest of the projects are Rehabilitation and Expansion of Teesta Irrigation Command Area at a cost of Tk 1452.33 crore by June 2024; Flood control, drainage and irrigation at Patia in Chattogram with Tk 1,158.36 crore by June 2024; Construction of 1.4-km Panguchi Bridge over Panguchi River at Morelganj in Bagerhat with an estimated cost of Tk 912.33 crore by June 2025; Construction of Multistoried Building for the Department of Public Libraries with Tk 524.25 crore by June 2024; and Development of Rangamat’s Kargoripara-Bilaichhari Road and construction of bridges and culverts with Tk 338.54 crore by June 2024.

Inter-bank cheque settlement and electronic fund transfer system of Bangladesh Bank resumed on Sunday (April 18, 2021) morning after five days of suspension. The system was suspended on Tuesday (April 13, 2021) last due to a technical fault in the optical fiber of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL). Also read: Inter-bank cheque settlement, electronic fund transfer suspended due to technical fault “The Inter-bank cheque settlement and electronic fund transfer system resumed operation from the morning and there is no problem in this regard as it is working in full swing”, Sirajul Islam, BB spokesperson, told UNB. According to official sources at the BB, one of the two servers, one located at the central bank and another at Bangladesh Bank Training Academy in Mirpur, became inoperative resulting in disruption in the electronic fund transfer inter-bank cheque settlement.   Read BB signs PAs with 12 banks, 2 FIs to operate Tk1,000 crore TDF Technicians of both BB and BTCL were working to resolve the problem and finally they became successful in repairing the glitch. Official sources said the glitch took place following an order from the central bank to stop operation of the system during the all-out lockdown. But after the change in the decision, when the clearing house was asked to resume the system, it started experiencing problems in the server, said a source at the BB. Also read: Banks to operate from 10am to 1 pm for general transactions ...

Inter-bank cheque settlement and electronic fund transfer system of Bangladesh Bank remained suspended  since Tuesday last due to a technical fault in the optical fiber of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL). According to official sources at the BB, one of the two servers, one located at the central bank and another at Bangladesh Bank Training Academy in Mirpur, became inoperative resulting in disruption in the electronic fund transfer inter-bank cheque settlement.    Also read:Banks to operate from 10am to 1 pm for general transactions ... Contacted Bangladesh Bank Spokesman Sirajul Islam said that the technicians of both BB and BTCL have been making their all-out efforts to resolve the problem. “But it is not possible to say when the problem will be resolved,” he said.  Official sources said the cheque clearing house at Bangladesh Bank was asked by the authorities to stop its function following the order of the government on lockdown. Also read:Lockdown: Banks to operate from 10am-12:30pm for general ... But after the change in the decision, when the clearing house was asked to resume system, it started experiencing problem in the server, said a source at the BB.

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar launched a digital study system at eight T&T schools on Wednesday.

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar on Wednesday said that digitalisation of education is necessary to turn the country’s 65 percent of youth into manpower.

The government has decided to scrap land phone connection fee of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) on the occasion of ‘Mujib Year’, the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.