A powerful cartel of international gateway (IGW) operators allegedly embezzled over Tk 80 billion from Bangladesh’s ICT sector over the past nine years, senior government officials claimed on Monday.

At the center of the alleged scandal is the IGW Operators Forum (IOF)—a group of seven IGW firms said to be led by former prime ministerial adviser Salman F Rahman, according to Fayez Ahmad Tayyab, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser.

Formed in 2013, the IOF monopolized international call termination under a so-called “pilot phase” that lasted over 12 years, a period that was controversially prolonged.

During this period, mobile operators were restricted from handling international calls, handing both control and profits to the Forum.

While the IOF charged up to $0.03 per minute, they declared revenue as low as $0.006 per minute. By 2024, the real market rate had dropped to $0.001, yet the cartel reported just $0.0004, according to BTRC data. “This manipulation cost the government over Tk 80 billion in lost revenue,” Tayyab told reporters.

Operators of Interconnection Exchange (ICX) and other toll-based firms also reportedly earned billions with minimal investment and limited service contribution. One mechanism, the Market Development Fee (MDF), reportedly funneled 95% of Tk 6.31 billion through Beximco Computers, raising further conflict-of-interest concerns.

Critics blame the 2010 ILDTS policy, introduced by the Awami League government, for enabling this system by issuing thousands of licenses to politically connected entities. As of 2024, BTRC had granted 3,573 such licenses.

Despite warnings from international regulators, such as the ITU and GSMA, calls for reform were ignored, officials said.