The inaugural TowerCo Build Forum 2025 convened key stakeholders from Bangladesh’s telecommunications infrastructure sector on Thursday in Dhaka, emphasizing the urgent need for capacity building and development of future-ready digital infrastructure.
The forum served as a new platform for industry leaders to discuss sector challenges and share insights. Major General (Retd) Md Emdad ul Bari, Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), attended as the chief guest.
Representatives from all four licensed tower companies—EDOTCO Bangladesh, Summit Towers, Frontier Towers, and ATC Tower—participated, coinciding with the official announcement of the newly formed Bangladesh TowerCo Association.
A panel discussion among the four TowerCo licensees addressed current industry challenges and future priorities.
BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd) Md Emdad ul Bari underscored the telecommunications industry as the key driver of the digital economy and stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders. He highlighted the role of the proposed National Infrastructure and Connectivity Service Provider (NICSP) policy in promoting transparency and fostering new business opportunities while prioritizing the efficiency monitoring of existing entities.
Senior telecom officials praised the new licensing initiative and NICSP framework as innovative and timely but raised concerns about transparency and policy implementation complexity.
Participants urged swift resolution of persistent challenges such as site acquisition difficulties, sustainable fuel supply, inconsistencies in Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and In-Building Solutions (IBS), insufficient indoor coverage, and battery theft.
Sunil Isaac, Country Managing Director of EDOTCO Bangladesh, emphasized investors’ demand for market assurance, predictable policies, and ecosystem consistency.
Sirajus Salehin, CEO of Frontier Towers, noted operational challenges like tower acquisition and fuel supply, expressing optimism that the TowerCo Association will effectively address these issues.
