Bangladesh TowerCo Association (BTA) has warned of significant telecom disruption unless the sector is brought under priority energy allocation amid the ongoing fuel crisis.
The association urged immediate government intervention, including dedicated fuel supply and structured energy rationing for telecom infrastructure, saying volatility in global energy supply is affecting Bangladesh’s network backbone.
More than 45,000 telecom towers depend on grid electricity backed by fuel-powered systems, BTA said, warning that prolonged fuel shortages could turn local outages into widespread service failures.
Sunil Issac Interim President Bangladesh TowerCo Association and Country Managing Director EDOTCO Bangladesh said telecommunications should be treated as critical national infrastructure.
“Bangladesh’s connectivity ecosystem is facing a real and immediate threat. If the telecom sector is not prioritised within national energy allocation and fuel access frameworks, we risk a cascading failure that will impact businesses, essential services and everyday life,” he said.
BTA said it has engaged with Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, seeking coordinated action.
The association proposed priority fuel allocation and policy support to maintain uninterrupted operations.
It warned that major network disruptions would affect banking, financial services, ready-made garment exports, e-commerce, ICT services and small and medium enterprises.
A prolonged outage could disrupt business continuity, cause financial losses and weaken confidence in Bangladesh’s digital infrastructure.
Issac described telecommunications as “the first domino in the digital economy,” saying disruptions could affect financial transactions, export coordination, emergency communication and public services.
BTA urged the government to formally recognise telecommunications as a priority sector within national energy distribution frameworks and take targeted measures to protect network continuity.
