Dhaka, July 13 -- The government's upcoming telecom licensing policy will not force mobile network operators to offload 15 percent of their ownership to local partners, clarified Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser overseeing Posts, Telecommunications and ICT.

Speaking at a roundtable titled "Telecom Network and Licensing Policy Reform", hosted by the Telecom and Technology Reporters' Network Bangladesh (TRNB) in Dhaka on Saturday, Taiyeb stated: "It's not a statutory requirement. We are not compelling anyone to divest their ownership."

His comments follow rising concerns among foreign investors over a clause in the draft Telecommunications Network and Licensing Reform Policy 2025, which mentions an 85 percent cap ...