Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday called upon Malaysian telecom conglomerate Axiata to accelerate 5G rollout in Bangladesh and invest in local data centre projects as part of efforts to boost the country’s digital infrastructure.
At a meeting with Axiata’s leadership, Yunus said high-speed internet is vital for Bangladesh’s fast-growing economy and for attracting international investors to its digital market, according to a press statement.
He said the interim government is reforming licensing rules to make the telecom sector more business-friendly.
Vivek Sood, Group CEO of Axiata Berhad—the parent company of Robi—said the operator had conducted a 5G trial in Bangladesh but stressed that nationwide rollout depends on significant expansion of the fibre optic network.
Sood said Robi has invested around $200 million annually in Bangladesh in recent years and is open to 5G deployment. However, he cited costly spectrum fees and a fragmented licensing regime as key challenges for foreign investors.
He added that Axiata is also exploring joint venture opportunities for data centre development to serve Bangladesh’s expanding digital economy.
Yunus called for stronger cooperation between regulators and the private sector, saying, “The most important thing is to come closer and understand each other.”
The Axiata delegation was led by Chairman Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, joined by Group Chief Regulatory and Government Affairs Officer Foong Chee Keong and Group Chief Business and Technology Officer Thomas Hundt.
From Bangladesh, attendees included Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud bin Harun and Senior Secretary for SDG Affairs Lamiya Morshed.
Earlier in the day, Yunus addressed a business forum on trade and investment between Bangladesh and Malaysia, urging Malaysian companies to seize opportunities created by recent reforms.
He said the interim government has moved to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers, unlock investment potential and leverage the country’s youthful, creative workforce, including the large Bangladeshi diaspora abroad.
Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud bin Harun opened the session with a presentation on Bangladesh’s competitive advantages, while Sood gave an overview of Axiata’s 28 years of growth in the country.
The event was attended by Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President and Group CEO of Petronas; Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir, Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional; and senior executives from Sime Darby Plantations, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad, IOI Corporation, Felda Global Ventures, Proton Holdings Berhad and Top Glove Corporation.
The forum followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Putrajaya.