Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will hold a public hearing on merger issue of Robi Axiata and Airtel Bangladesh Limited on February 17.
The regulatory body yesterday formally announced the public hearing date and invited the people from different strata interested to participate during the hearing.
Interested persons are requested to fill-up a prescribed form through online to participate the hearing by February 8, according to a BTRC circular issued yesterday.
BTRC is going to arrange the public hearing on merger issue as per Bangladesh Telecommunication law 2001.
On January 29, Robi and Airtel signed a merger agreement to venturing into a joint business operation in Bangladesh. The joint venture will be recognised as Robi. The Malaysia-based Axiata Group Berhad and India-based Bharti Airtel Limited inked the deal at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Advisor Sajeeb Wajed Joy directed the BTRC to take public opinion before finalising its Robi and Airtel merger in December last year while he sat with the high ups of the telecommunications division at secretariat.
Joy also directed to form a committee to analyse the market at the same meeting. The commission already formed a two-member committee comprising two teachers.
The regulatory body also sought opinion from others mobile operator in Bangladesh who submitted its opinion.
After their last September agreed merger talks, the two cell phone companies submitted their joint application to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission that is now carrying out the review of the merger’s impact on the existing telecom market.
Rob and Airtel expect that they would get their required approval within the first half of 2016 to set foot in the market jointly.