Corporate
Citycell says its licence was cancelled illegally, it wants it back
Pacific Bangladesh Telecom, the first mobile phone operator in the country, seeks to relaunch Citycell.
The company has recently applied to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to reclaim its licence and spectrum.
In 2016, the BTRC shut down Citycell’s operations on the grounds of a decline in subscribers and failure to pay outstanding dues. Later, in October 2023, the regulatory body officially cancelled Citycell’s licence and spectrum. At the time of its closure, Citycell, the country’s only CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology operator, had around 15,000 subscribers.
However, in its recent review application letter, Pacific Bangladesh Telecom stated that BTRC’s order to cancel Citycell’s licence was illegal.
Pacific Bangladesh Telecom in the application, signed by its head of regulatory and corporate affairs Nishat Ali Khan, argued that Citycell was excluded from various technological upgrades, including spectrum allocation, due to political decisions by the then government.
Despite paying all fees, new claims of outstanding dues were raised unjustifiably, it said. Ultimately, the operation was shut down citing a decrease in subscribers, even though Citycell had an annual turnover of over Tk200 crore before the closure, said the company.
Nishat told the news reporter that they plan to return to court, deeming BTRC’s cancellation of Citycell’s licence illegal while the case concerning outstanding dues is still ongoing in court.
“We have applied to the BTRC to get the licence back, and we will also appeal to the court in the future,” he said.
In the letter, Pacific Bangladesh Telecom stated that at the time of Citycell’s shutdown, the company held 8.82 GB of spectrum and had 850 towers. The closure left 1,000 employees unemployed overnight.
It also claimed to have fully paid all types of fees, including VAT and taxes. As a result of the shutdown, the company said it incurred debts amounting to Tk4,000 crore. If Citycell had remained operational, it could have generated at least Tk2,000 crore in revenue during the period until now.
The letter mentioned that BTRC’s claim of Tk218 crore in outstanding dues, which led to the cancellation of Citycell’s licence, was incorrect. The company argued that although the BTRC demanded the amount for 10 GB of spectrum, Citycell was actually allocated 8.5 GB of spectrum. Therefore, the claim lacked justification, it said, adding that the matter of outstanding dues was already being contested in court.
When asked why it did not approach the court at the time against BTRC’s decision, Nishat said, “The cancellation of Citycell’s licence was a political decision by the government. The court would not have ruled against the government’s decision. That’s why we did not file a petition in court back then.”
When asked whether it would be possible to relaunch Citycell with its significant debt if BTRC reinstated the licence, Nishat responded that despite the shutdown, the company has not defaulted on any bank loans.
Citycell eyes transition to GSM technology
He further said that if the licence is restored, the owners are prepared to transition Citycell from CDMA to GSM technology to resume operations.
Asked by the news reporter, Aminul Haque, acting chairman of the BTRC, declined to comment on the receipt of the letter or the matter of returning the licence.
On 9 September 2022, all spectrum allocated to Citycell and the Radio Communication Equipment Licence was cancelled on 7 August of the same year. Subsequently, on 15 September 2023, the BTRC cancelled Citycell’s 2G service licence.
According to officials concerned, during the tenure of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Citycell was granted a licence in 1989. The service was launched jointly by Hong Kong-based Hutchison and Bangladesh Telecom Limited. They used analogue mobile technology. The mobile service was highly expensive and not accessible to the general public.
When the BNP came to power, in 1993, the domestic industrial group Pacific Motors and Far East Telecom acquired a 55% stake in Citycell. Of the stake, Pacific Motors held 37.95% and Far East Telecom held 17.51%. The remaining 44.54% of the shares were owned by Singtel, a Singapore-based telecommunications provider. The head of Pacific Motors is former foreign minister and BNP leader M Morshed Khan.
Before Grameenphone acquired its licence in November 1996, Citycell was the sole mobile operator in the country.
Junior Chamber International (JCI) Dhaka West has officially announced the formation of its new executive committee for the upcoming year, 2025. The organization unveiled this dynamic group of leaders during a recent general assembly held on Tuesday, December 17th in Dhaka.
At the helm of this new committee is Sujaur Rahman Emon, who has been appointed as Local President, poised to lead the chapter into a promising year ahead. Assisting him in steering the organization’s goals is Executive Vice President (EVP) Subah Afrin and Md Imam Hasan, while S M Belal Uddin takes on the role of Immediate Past Local President (IPLP).
Other board members include Vice President (VP) Md Saddam Hossain, Md Tanvir Hasan, and Audrika Eshna Purbasha, Secretary General (SG) Ibrahim Khalil Foysal, Treasurer Md Sameen Rahman, General Legal Counsel (GLC) Jiban Ahmad, Training Commissioner Masud, Directors Daud Mahmud Aovin, Jeba Maliha, Arianul Islam, Shurovy Yeasmin, Ahmed Wazedul Haque Khan, and Md Sabbir Hasan, Executive Assistant to Local President Reyel Ahmed Opu, and Committee Chair Md Robiul Islam, Abdur Rahman Khan Bappy.
Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, 2024 National Director of JCI Bangladesh and 2023 Local President of JCI Dhaka West, served as the Election Commissioner. Before announcing the new Executive Committee of JCI Dhaka West, the organization’s fourth General Members’ Meeting (GMM) for 2024 was held.
“We will put our full effort into spreading positive impacts through sustainable development initiatives across the nation,” said newly elected Local President Sujaur Rahmaan Emon.
Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a vibrant organization, comprising individuals aged between 18 and 40, known for their unwavering dedication to community service and development. The global headquarters of JCI is situated in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, and its impact extends to over 35 local chapters throughout Bangladesh. JCI Dhaka West proudly stands as the largest and most prominent among these local organizations.
The National General Assembly of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Bangladesh, an international organization for young leaders, has formed its new National Executive Committee for 2025. Arefeen Raafi Ahmed has been elected as the Deputy National President of JCI Bangladesh.
The General Assembly took place on Friday, December 6, at Hotel Le Méridien in Dhaka. After the assembly, elections were held to select the president and other executive committee members. The election process was overseen by former JCI Bangladesh President Md. Ziaul Haque Bhuiyan.
Upon being elected as Deputy National President, Arefeen Raafi Ahmed said, “My focus will be on empowering our members. Everyone possesses unique skills, talents, and perspectives that can contribute to JCI’s growth. I am committed to providing opportunities for skill development, mentorship, and networking, enabling each member to reach their full potential within our organization. Together, we can create a positive impact on our community, empower our members, and build a stronger, more connected JCI Bangladesh.”
Arefeen Raafi Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s degree in ICT (Information and Communication Technology) from Western Sydney University, Australia. He is the Executive Director of Techno Drugs Limited and the Managing Director of Pulse Tech Limited, a leading healthcare technology company in Bangladesh. He also serves as the Managing Director of GreenTech Holidays Limited, a travel and tourism-based company. Previously, he served as the Local President of JCI Dhaka Entrepreneurs in 2021, Vice President of JCI Bangladesh in 2023, and Executive Vice President of JCI Bangladesh in 2024. He has also been honored as a JCI Senator.
Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a global organization for young people aged 18 to 40. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, JCI operates in more than 120 countries with over 200,000 members worldwide. In Bangladesh, JCI currently has around 40 local chapters, working to foster personal development among young individuals by enhancing their skills, knowledge, and intellect.
Ningbo Cixing Co., Ltd. (“Cixing”), a global leader in knitting machinery and technology, successfully hosted the ‘Cixing Bangladesh Night Products Promotion Meeting’ at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden on Tuesday.
The event brought together key industry stakeholders, including the owners and executives of over 300 influential sweater production companies in Bangladesh. BGMEA Fashion Technology University (BUFT), a well-known fashion school in Bangladesh, also participated in jointly exploring cooperation with high-end talent in the knitting industry.
In a significant move towards developing future talent, Cixing also signed a series of cooperation agreements with famous local companies, including BSKL and Cixing, Knit Asia and Cixing, Bettex and Cixing, NEXUS and Cixing, TWELVETEX and Cixing, and SWEATERTECH and Cixing, which marks a new chapter in the cooperative relationship.
A captivating grand fashion show to release the latest work of the Cixing sweater design team, showcasing Cixing’s products, technology, and unique industrial advantages, underlining its potential to revolutionize the local industry and establish more profound and long-term partnerships with new and old customers.
Frank Sun, Chairman of Ningbo Cixing Group, delivered a speech, saying that as the world’s leading provider of intelligent knitting equipment and digital knitting factory solutions, Cixing Group has been committed to promoting innovation and development in the knitting industry.
“We attach great importance to research and development work, with an average annual R&D investment of over 12 million US dollars in recent years to ensure the company’s sustainable development. Our technology, products, and services have spread all over the world. In 2023, nearly 30,000 units have been sold. Sales in 2024 are expected to be 40,000 units. Up to now, the global market share of Cixing products has risen to almost 30% with about 300,000 units in operation worldwide,” Sun said.
“The chairman stressed that Bangladesh, as a major manufacturing hub for the global clothing industry, has always been our focus of attention,” said Sun, adding that “We believe that through our joint efforts, we can bring revolutionary changes to Bangladesh’s textile industry, enhance industrial competitiveness, create more job opportunities, and contribute to Bangladesh’s economic development.”
Cixing’s efforts underscore a shared vision for innovation and excellence in knitwear production, marking a new chapter of cooperation and development for Bangladesh’s textile industry.
