6 foreign cos agree to bring low-price mobile set, laptop

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=161385

6 foreign cos agree to bring low-price mobile set, laptop
BSS, DHAKA

Six foreign companies have expressed their interests in manufacturing mobile set and laptop with the joint venture of state owned Bangladesh Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (Teshish).

Managing director of Teshish Ismail Hossain told the news agency that the letters of their expression of interest were sent to head of the Electric and Electronic Department of BUET for scrutiny.

The government floated international tender in December 2009 inviting the entrepreneurs as the Ministry of Post of Telecommunications has taken initiative to make the Teshish full operative after long time.

For the first time the government has undertaken the initiative for a joint venture of the state owned Teshish with foreign company to produce mobile set and laptop.

The MD did not disclose name of any foreign bidder saying it may create confusion before completion of the scrutiny. However, he firmly hoped that mobile set and laptop will come to market by April next.

Secretary of Teshish Osman Gani said the mobile will be produced with local technology and every set of mobile will be Taka 2,000 and will have every latest facilities including double SIM system.

Referring to the experts’ opinion, he said country’s total mobile phone users will be over eight crore by next two years. Teshish will produce four lakh sets a year preliminarily.

He said Teshish was completely inoperative for the last 12 years and 525 officials and employees were given salaries without any work. The manpower of the company was reduced to 260 in July 2007.