Meta is looking to expand its operations in Bangladesh and strengthen coordination with the telecom regulator as the country seeks improved digital services, stronger content monitoring and local infrastructure support.
A Meta delegation met Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Md Emdad Ul Bari at the BTRC office at Dhaka on Thursday.
Meta representatives highlighted the importance of expanding their activities in Bangladesh and maintaining regular engagement with BTRC. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in this regard.
The Meta delegation included Yuen Ting Chay, Director of Public Policy, South and Central Asia; Ruzan Sarwar, Head of Public Policy, Bangladesh and Nepal; and Matt Jansen, Lead, Edge Strategy, APAC.
BTRC said Bangladesh has a large number of internet users who rely on Meta’s platforms and urged the company to expand its business operations and establish a local office in the country.
The regulator also requested Meta to set up a local Content Delivery Network (CDN) or Edge Node to improve service quality and ensure faster, more reliable access for users in Bangladesh.
During the meeting, BTRC highlighted the need for Meta to take effective measures to quickly detect and remove harmful content from its platforms. The regulator also raised the issue of introducing local payment facilities in Bangladesh.
Meta representatives said some provisions of the previous personal data protection ordinance had created administrative and legal challenges for establishing local CDN or Edge Node infrastructure.
However, they said the newly approved Personal Data Protection Act, 2026 does not contain such barriers, allowing the company to move faster in setting up necessary infrastructure in Bangladesh.
The Meta delegation also briefed the BTRC chairman on Facebook’s operations in Bangladesh and other current issues related to the platform.
BTRC Chairman Md Emdad Ul Bari urged Meta to take stronger action to prevent criminal activities, including fraud, betting and gambling promotions, through its platforms.
He stressed the need for effective technical solutions using artificial intelligence to automatically identify and remove such content immediately after publication.
The chairman also expressed hope that Meta would continue its cooperation in preventing misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms.
Meta representatives said some activities had slowed temporarily due to global workforce restructuring and staff reductions. However, they assured that the situation would return to normal soon.
Ruzan Sarwar welcomed the BTRC chairman’s views and expressed Meta’s commitment to working more closely with the regulator. She said the company would review technical and legal aspects before taking further steps on establishing local infrastructure and an office in Bangladesh.
BTRC Vice-Chairman Md Abu Bakar Siddique, Director General of the Systems and Services Department Brigadier General Shahzad Parvez Mahbuddin, Director General of the Engineering and Operations Department Brigadier General Shafiul Azam Parvez and Deputy Director of the Systems and Services Department SM Taifur Rahman were present at the meeting.
