The use of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is yet to be legalised in the country allegedly protecting the interest of a few information technical (IT) companies though it could pave way for earning plenty of IT outsourcing work, reports BDNEWS. IT professionals and business leaders claimed this saying that through legalisation of the VoIP, the government would get revenue apart from increasing the IT enabled as well as voice services. ISPAB president Akhtaruzzaman Manju told the news agency that the system would allow the country to earn about Tk 10 billion as foreign exchange. "We are not facilitated while the VoIP is recognised across the world," he added. It would make a field for working in the call centres and within two years about 0.1 million employments would be ensured, he added. Eminent IT personnel and former BCS president Mostafa Jabbar told the news agency that BNP senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman declared for the legalisation of the VoIP at a NIIT branch launching programme in Bogra in 2001. The Prime Minister Khaleda Zia herself called for the legalisation of the VoIP at a meeting of ICT Taskforce, he said. Both of their commitments were not translated into reality, he added. Chief executive officer of SkyBd Shoeb Chowdhury said our neighbouring countries -- India and Nepal -- have been earning huge foreign currencies through the system. We would ensure government revenue by receiving outsourcing from the USA, Europe and Germany. The country experienced illegal VoIP business through many IT institutions that have 50 to 300 telephone lines and the Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board has already been informed about it, Akhtaruzzaman, ISPAB president said. Meanwhile, as about 5.5 million Bangladeshis are living in different countries of the world, the legalisation of the VoIP would allow them to make voice and data communication at a low cost ensuring huge foreign exchange through legal way.
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