License denial angers many

City Desk :

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, the Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, sparked widespread discussion with a fiery Facebook post on Sunday amid rumors of his departure from Bangladesh.

In it, he defended his refusal to grant new telecom licenses, calling it a bulwark against the sector’s chief corruption source, and warned that full disclosure would embarrass powerful figures.

Taiyeb, Bangladesh’s first acting minister or deputy in this role, issued no licenses during his 11-month tenure, leaving no room for graft.

This move irked many from various parties, he wrote, adding that if pressed, revelations could strip away not just their dignity but deeper secrets. “Come at me prepared if you want a fight,” he challenged, urging focus on his work instead.

ICT Reforms Highlighted
He listed major achievements to showcase his team’s international-standard contributions, inviting supporters and critics alike to review them for fair judgment.

Key ICT Ordinances and Policies (all gazetted unless noted) are Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, Personal Data Protection Ordinance 2025 and 2026 amendment, National Content Management Ordinance 2025, National Source Code Policy 2026 (inter-ministerial approval), Draft National AI Policy 2026, Draft National Cloud Policy 2026.

These form Bangladesh’s data governance framework, spanning surveillance to postal laws-about 200 pages worth, he noted, offering paid lectures post-tenure. Taiyeb overhauled Awami League-era telecom rules, introducing performance benchmarks after consulting CEOs and CTOs.

Telecom Highlights (gazetted or approved) are Bangladesh Telecommunication License and Networking Policy 2025, Telecom (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, National Surveillance Process Proposal 2026, New network license guidelines 2026 and Rollout obligations and KPI benchmarking 2025.

Fayez Ahmad Taiyeb released two strategy books-National Digital Transformation 2025-2030 and Posts and Telecommunications Transformation 2025-2030-plus a historic “Note to Successor.”

Taiyeb contributed to digital projects across ministries like Planning Commission and Bangladesh Bank, crafting plans for data interoperability, One ID management, and World Bank-backed National Responsible Data Exchange (NRDeX). Judge by deeds, he implored, or risk turning Bangladesh into a talent-repelling “garbage dump.” No country matched this foundational work in five years, he challenged, as his team stands ready for technical queries.