BTRC-imposed restrictions on Grameenphone to remain in force

The High Court on Monday removed Grameenphone's writ petition from its cause list. This means that the restrictions imposed by the telecom regulator on the mobile phone service provider will remain in force.

The virtual bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed the order on Monday.

Grameenphone lawyer Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) lawyer Barrister Khandaker Reza-E-Raquib represented the respective sides during the hearing.

Earlier, the regulator sent a letter to Grameenphone on June 21, issuing two new restrictions on the company.

On June 29, Grameenphone filed a writ petition and had made concerned officials, including the BTRC Chairman Md Jahurul Haque, respondents in the writ.

Grameenphone had filed the petition challenging the restrictions imposed by the regulator.

The BTRC had directed the telecom operator that the mobile number portability (MNP) lock-in period for a Grameenphone number will be 60 days instead of 90 days. 

This means mobile phone users will be able to leave Grameenphone easily without changing their numbers.

Another restriction was that Grameenphone must take the regulator's permission before introducing any new service, package or offer from July 1.

The BTRC can put a significant market power (SMP) label and subsequent restrictions on a network service provider if it controls more than 40 percent market share in terms of subscriber number, revenue, and spectrum or any of these categories, according to SMP guidelines. 

The BTRC initiated the regulations in 2011 and finalised it in November 2018.

The regulator declared Grameenphone an SMP in February 2019 and slapped some restrictions on it.

The BTRC identified Grameenphone as an SMP in two categories: subscriber and revenue.