Tk 555cr dues from Banglalink remain unresolved

The government is seeking to recover Tk 555 crore in outstanding dues from Banglalink Digital Communications, while a separate Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) case over an alleged interest waiver has brought the telecom operator's tax liabilities and the protection of public revenue under 
scrutiny.

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam told Parliament on June 24 that Banglalink owed Tk 430 crore against earlier audit claims and another Tk 125 crore in unpaid VAT linked to revenue-sharing payments.

According to the minister, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) initially demanded Tk 811 crore following objections raised in an information systems audit. Banglalink subsequently paid Tk 166 crore and another Tk 215 crore following a VAT-related verdict, leaving Tk 430 crore in outstanding audit-related claims. Legal proceedings had delayed recovery, he said.

A separate BTRC audit covering Banglalink's operations from November 1996 to December 2019 reportedly identified claims of about Tk 823 crore. The regulator appointed Masih Muhith Haque & Co and ANB Solution Pvt Ltd to conduct the audit in 2021, and the report was finalised in April 2023.

In July 2023, BTRC instructed the operator to pay the amount, according to sources. The claim comprised approximately Tk 393 crore in VAT, taxes and other regulatory payments, including revenue-sharing obligations, handset royalties, frequency-related charges and licence fees. The remaining Tk 430 crore was claimed as late fees.

The Tk 811 crore figure cited by the minister differs from the reported audit demand of Tk 823 crore. The figures require reconciliation against the audit report, payment records, adjustments and court decisions before the outstanding liability can be established conclusively.

The Tk 125 crore VAT claim linked to revenue-sharing payments is a separate component of the government's outstanding demand. According to the minister, BTRC was taking steps to initiate legal proceedings to recover the amount.

Meanwhile, an ACC case filed in June 2024 has raised separate questions about the alleged waiver of interest payable by four mobile operators.

The ACC filed the case against Waheeda Rahman Chowdhury, a former commissioner of the National Board of Revenue's Large Taxpayers Unit responsible for VAT, over the alleged improper waiver of approximately Tk 152 crore in interest owed by Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel.

The amount attributed to Banglalink was approximately Tk 57.88 crore, according to case-related figures cited by BTRC sources. The ACC alleged that the former commissioner improperly exercised her authority to waive the interest, causing financial losses to the government.

Banglalink also faced a separate regulatory penalty over SIM cards allegedly linked to illegal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) operations.

In July 2026, BTRC fined four mobile operators over SIM cards allegedly used in illegal international call termination. Banglalink was fined Tk 1.86 crore after 1,859 SIM cards were identified in connection with the activities, according to sources.

The penalties followed enforcement operations by BTRC and the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre in Chattogram and Cumilla in April 2026.

Repeated attempts by this correspondent to contact Taimur Rahman, Banglalink’s chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer, by phone for comment were unsuccessful.