On August 5 and 6, several TV channels including ATN News, Asian TV and Bijoy TV went off air as an angry mob vandalised its broadcasting centres.

And yet, the Bangladesh Satellite Company's (BSCL) Television Rating Point (TRP) system showed ATN News had 2.84 lakh viewers. Similarly, Asian TV and Bijoy TV also generated ratings.

It was this anomaly that made the TV channel owners lose their patience with the unreliable TRP system, which cost the state about Tk 5.7 crore, and call for abandoning it entirely, The Daily Star has learnt from stakeholders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The TRP system measures the viewership of different channels, enabling advertisers to allocate more ad money to support popular programmes. In other words, good quality programmes would be rewarded with more ads and vice versa.

Before the BSCL-built TRP system began commercial operation in April this year, the service was provided by one of the multinational market research firms, as is practice globally.

But on the request of Hasan Mahmud, the former information minister, BSCL took up the project to develop a homegrown TRP system, with some of the purchases for the project made on 'personal connection'.

The episode is yet another instance of how the previous Awami League regime misused public funds at will, disregarding business case for a project.

During the project, BSCL said it will generate revenues of Tk 50 lakh to Tk 70 lakh per month.

However, it is now earning only about Tk 45.1 lakh per month from 32 TV channels and two advertising agencies, while incurring expenses of approximately Tk 28 lakh per month.

In addition, BSCL has only been able to collect half of its expected revenue, pushing it further into operational losses.

The immediate past chairman of BSCL, Shahjahan Mahmood, had assured the board of directors that revenue equivalent to the investment would be generated within a year.

However, with the devices used in the system having a lifespan of less than three years, the project is set to result in a significant loss of public money.

Then on September 9, the Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) issued a formal letter to Nahid Islam, the adviser to the information and broadcasting ministry, criticising the TRP system for generating "unacceptable" ratings and calling for scrapping it as it was damaging for the industry.

In March 2022, BSCL issued a work order to a private university to procure 10 audience measurement devices as prototypes, along with post-processing software development and other relevant equipment, for approximately Tk 16 lakh. This was done without any competitive tender.

Later, BSCL issued another work order in April of that year to the university for the procurement of 200 audience measurement devices for Tk 75 lakh, again without an open tender.

At the 47th meeting of BSCL's board of directors, Mahbub-ul-Alam, a board member, questioned the selection of the university as the supplier for the devices.

Mahmood admitted that the university was chosen based on "personal connections", according to the meeting minutes.

When asked if PPR guidelines were followed, Mahmood said that compliance would be ensured the next time.

Alam, currently the director general at BIAM Foundation, told The Daily Star that dissenting notes were filed because the procurement did not follow PPR rules.

Another board member, Fahmida Khanom, an additional secretary at the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, asked why the private university was selected over other reputed ones like BUET or North South University.

"They submitted no relevant documents during the board meetings," Khanom told The Daily Star.

Mahmood told The Daily Star that the TRP project was initiated by the BSCCL at the request of the former information minister Hasan Mahmud after concerns were raised about the TRP service provided by a foreign company.

He said the first two purchases -- Tk 15 lakh and Tk 75 lakh -- were spent in the experimental phase and the subsequent procurements were made following the approved procurement method.

Mahmood said he did not reference any personal connections during the meeting but instead mentioned communication with the private university.

He asserted that the statement was framed in a way that could put him in trouble.

The development expenditure was minimal, but it allowed for the creation of a product, he said, adding that as per the powers vested in him, he has the authority to spend up to Tk 5 crore.

"I am not a procurement expert. I don't believe any rules were violated at the development stage, as the product had not yet reached the procurement level," Mahmood added.

Meanwhile, the ATCO letter, signed by its president Anjan Chowdhury, said the ratings were generated by a low number of devices and hence the accuracy of the data is highly questionable.

Despite earlier promises of installing 1,500 to 2,000 set-top boxes, BSCL is reportedly using only 200 to 300.

Additionally, ATCO mentioned the lack of skilled manpower to manage the service effectively.

One particularly contentious issue raised was the release of TRP reports during the temporary suspension of certain television channels amid recent political movements, which the organisation deemed unjustified.

ATCO urged the government to consider introducing established international firms like Kantar or AC Nielsen for a more credible TRP rating system.

This would ensure transparency and accuracy, directly impacting the financial operations of the country's television channels, it said.

Mahmud could not be reached for comment.

The TRP project will turn profitable within two years, said Shah Ahmedul Kabir, general manager (sales and marketing) at BSCL.