I wonder if you or your readers have noticed over the past several days that the BTTB has unilaterally and without notice switched to using VOIP to provide international calls. In short, if you try to make an ISD call from Bangladesh today, one in a dozen attempts may get through. The correspondent at the other end will see a local or domestic cell-phone number of their own country. You will also have to suffer a dismally poor connection. Which you might under certain circumstances be prepared to tolerate if the call charges were cheaper. But we are being charged standard ISD rates. This is pure banditry! As Bangladeshi businesses struggle uphill to be world class and world competitive, putting such hindrances as making it even more difficult than necessary to talk to our customers or suppliers is like this nation shooting itself in the foot. Offer cheaper alternatives by all means but give us the choice to pay and use a standard or superior service when we need to.

I realise ending this letter with an appeal to the "relevant authorities" will be futile. Instead, may I request you to kindly investigate and report on the matter? There are many, many avenues open to you: why are we being charged normal rates for a substandard service? Who authorised such a decision? Who indeed is providing the call termination and making the money?