If the balance or internet data on a mobile phone runs out, emergency balance can be taken.
All four mobile operators in the country provide this facility, with a maximum limit of Tk 200. Recently, operators have proposed increasing this limit Tk to 500.
The issue was discussed in the latest commission meeting of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
According to the proposal given by the operators, a Tk 10 service fee, along with taxes, would be added to the Tk 500 limit for emergency balance.
One argument operators provide in favour of increasing the emergency balance limit is that customers would be able to purchase higher-priced packages.
According to BTRC documents, currently, a service fee of Tk 2 is charged if an emergency balance of up to Tk 200 is taken. With tax, this amounts to Tk 2 and 78 paisa.
When asked, Robi's Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer, Shahed Alam, told Prothom Alo that often it is not possible to buy the necessary package with the emergency balance at hand. For example, if a package costs Tk 310, a customer would not be able to purchase it with a maximum emergency balance of Tk 200. If the balance limit is Tk 500, customers could buy higher-priced packages as needed.
Start of the service
There are four companies providing mobile operator services in the country: Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink, and the state-owned operator Teletalk. According to BTRC, these four operators have more than 190 million customers.
The initial purpose of emergency balance was to provide customers with a small amount for urgent needs. On 5 February 2019, BTRC directed that customers must be given at least Tk 10 of emergency balance and that no charge would be taken for it. On 2 July of that year, a decision was made with the operators that the balance up to Tk 10 would remain charge-free. Beyond that amount, a charge could be taken.
Currently, Grameenphone, Robi, and Banglalink can provide a maximum emergency loan of up to Tk 200. Including tax, the total fee is Tk 2 and 78 paisa. Teletalk can provide up to Tk 50, with a service fee of Tk 6 and 95 paisa including tax. Operators say that emergency balance is no longer limited to just lending money; it also includes services like minute loans, data loans, 'buy now, pay later', and package purchases.
With these services, customers use the service first and then pay later. Outstanding amounts and applicable fees are deducted from subsequent recharges. So, it now provides the benefit of small-scale loans alongside emergency balance.
According to mobile operator sources, on average, 3. 5 million customers take emergency balance daily across the four operators. However, the operators do not actually provide this loan; it is given by authorised financial institutions in partnership with them. So, there are questions about whether increasing the emergency balance limit would benefit customers or pertain more to the loan aspect.
Grameenphone wanted Tk 2,000
Grameenphone initially proposed increasing the emergency balance limit by writing to BTRC on 3 March 2026, asking for permission to provide a balance of up to Tk 2,000. They also proposed a maximum fee of Tk 20 for this. Grameenphone's argument was that more balance is needed for buying expensive packages and maintaining service during emergencies.
Grameenphone's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Tanvir Mohammad, told Prothom Alo that currently, data usage and demand for digital services have increased significantly. For smartphone users and those with comparatively higher usage, the existing emergency balance limit is often not sufficient. A higher limit would better align with their current usage patterns and communication needs.
However, other operators objected to this proposal. In a meeting with BTRC on 21 June, they said it could create imbalanced competition and increase the amount of unpaid debt. Later, BTRC tasked the mobile operators' organisation AMTOB with providing a unified proposal for all operators.
Agreement on Tk 500 limit, disagreement on fee
On 23 July of this year, AMTOB proposed to BTRC to provide emergency balances of up to Tk 500. The proposal mentioned a fee-free limit up to Tk 10, a Tk 2 fee from Tk 10 to Tk 200, and a maximum Tk 15 fee from Tk 200 to Tk 500. In a meeting on 20 August, BTRC and AMTOB decided on a maximum fee of Tk 10 for the Tk 200 to Tk 500 range.
According to AMTOB sources, Grameenphone, Robi, and Teletalk agreed to this. However, Banglalink proposed determining fees in stages based on the balance amount. Banglalink's proposal included a Tk 2 fee for a balance of Tk 11 to Tk 20, a Tk 3 fee for Tk 21 to Tk 50, and a Tk 6 fee for Tk 151 to Tk 200. For a balance of Tk 401 to Tk 500, the fee would be Tk 10.
If Banglalink's proposal is implemented, customers may have to pay a higher fee for an emergency balance of less than Tk 200 compared to the current rate, as the current fee for up to Tk 200 of emergency balance is Tk 2.
For Tk 500, how much is the fee?
Currently, taking an emergency balance of up to Tk 200 requires a fee of Tk 2 and 78 paisa, including tax. If the current tax rate is applied, the fee for Tk 200 to Tk 500 could be Tk 13 and 90 paisa, including tax.
BM Mainul Hossain, a professor at the Institute of Information Technology at Dhaka University, told Prothom Alo, "If things continue like this, the meaning of the word 'emergency' will change. Instead of focusing on investment, mobile operators should pay attention to improving quality, technological development, and resolving customer complaints. Instead of providing this amount of emergency balance, operators could urgently consider measures to reduce call rates."