There is a huge pending demand for 30,000 telephone lines only in the north zone of Dhaka, BTTB sources said, adding that they would not be able to give any connection in the next three months.

Over 4,000 demand notes have been issued for giving connections under Gulshan telephone exchange but it has no connections left for a new subscriber. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar exchange has a pending demand for 2,000 phones but it has hardy 15 connections left.

Sources said every day the BTTB authorities are receiving hundreds of applications from intending subscribers and issuing demand notes although there is an instruction for not issuing it.

Hundreds of people who received demand notes from the BTTB head office rush to the zonal offices every day but the officials cannot help them. They ask them to wait for indefinite period for getting connections.

The subscribers said they have to pay Tk 10,000 for demand notes. In addition to that, they have to pay the BTTB staff up to Tk 2,500 in bribe to receive the advice note for new connection.

The BTTB staff taking bribe assure them of giving connections soon but the subscribers have to wait for months, or even years, to get it.

A top BTTB official admitted that they are issuing demand notes despite the fact that they are unable to give connection to the applicants. He said the demand notes are issued on political pressure.

"Customers are forcing us to issue demand notes," he said adding that a demand note does not give guarantee of giving connection. A connection is given only when it is available in the local exchange.

The official said the consumers know the fact, yet they complain of delay in giving connection. "We cannot give connections to such a huge number of applicants due to lack of required infrastructure," he explained.

BTTB sources said last year they procured switches but they did not have adequate cables to give new connections.

BTTB has a plan to give 1.15 lakh new connections in the city by this year. Of them, 4,000 connections will be given to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar exchange, 2,000 to Moghbazar exchange and 7,000 to Gulshan exchange.

Asked why BTTB is not taking steps to give new connections, an official said they have expansion plans but it needs a long time to implement a plan due to bureaucratic tangles.