Mobile operator Banglalink's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Johan Buse has said they would work to expand the scope of digital services to build a sustainable digital society.
"But the business environment here is very challenging. Still, we want to build a sustainable ecosystem of digital services here, hoping for better days."
He said Banglalink has expanded its network very rapidly in the last three years. They are focusing on ensuring that no one is left behind. But due to the environment, they are often unable to fully satisfy consumers. Therefore, they expect operators to be in a favourable position at regulatory and investment points in the coming days.
Banglalink's new CEO made these comments on Monday night in response to questions from journalists at the first Meet the Press with journalists working in the telecommunications and technology sectors.
At the beginning of opening remarks Johan Buse highlighted his long career before speaking on the challenges and expectations of his journey.
Referring to the status of Bangladesh's telecom sector and the risks of new investments due to high tax burden and wave pricing, he said, "Out of Tk 100, Tk 54 alone goes to tax. It is very difficult to run the entire business with the remaining Tk 45.
According to ChatGPT, Bangladesh's RQ2 GDP growth is only 0.69 per cent behind India's 1 percent and Pakistan's 9 per cent, he said.
This official further said mobile phones -- which are currently used for education, entertainment, work, and everything else -- are now considered a tool for social and economic prosperity rather than for talking. Therefore, Banglalink will now focus more on data rather than voice.
Johan Buse said we have a strong focus on business expansion. Among these, their priority is giving away a mobile financial wallet. This is the main mandate of the Deputy CEO. We will work on the inclusive development of this sector by further enhancing our capabilities.
We believe there are better opportunities ahead for Banglalink. We will move forward quickly with network expansion and new digital services, he added. In response to another question, the new Banglabank's CEO said they will focus more on the quality of services rather than reducing the price of services right now.
He said we provide services at lower prices than other countries in the world. Business costs are high here. Inflation is 9 per cent. The value of the taka is gradually decreasing. So we need to focus more on quality than price now.
