State Minister for Posts, Telecom and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak directed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to recover dues amounting to Tk 5,300 crore from Teletalk Bangladesh Limited.

The state minister gave the directive when the BTRC presented the arrears owed by Teletalk for spectrum allocation at a review meeting, titled "BTRC's Preparation to Implement Smart Bangladesh", held at the BTRC office in Dhaka yesterday.

In the meeting, Palak asked for initiating active network sharing with private telecom operators Banglalink and Robi for the expansion of Teletalk's network, a move designed to make the state-owned operator capable of meeting the demands of subscribers.

With the support, Teletalk subscribers will be able to avail the network coverage of Robi and Banglalink without investing in base transceiver stations.

BTRC Chairman Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, alongside the regulatory body's commissioners and director general, were also present as various activities of the BTRC were presented at the event.

In the last financial year ending on June 30, Teletalk's total losses amounted to Tk 1,337 crore, reflecting a persistent trend of net losses since its establishment. It only made a profit in 2010-11 and 2012-13, according to the financial reports.

The company's condition, marked by a significant decline in subscriber numbers, revenue, and service quality, worsened to such an extent that the auditor cast doubt on Teletalk's ability to continue operations.

According to audited financial reports, the state-run operator suffered a loss of Tk 196.97 crore in FY23, down 19 percent from the previous year and up 12 percent from 2020-21.

Losses over the past five years amounted to Tk 967.5 crore.

In contrast, Grameenphone reported a net profit of Tk 3,010 crore in 2022 and Robi's profit stood at Tk 183 crore.