GP will pay Tk1000 crore to BTRC on Sunday

Grameenphone has decided to deposit Tk1,000 crore on Sunday to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), following the order of the Appellate Division on the company's review petition.

A statement issued on Friday, signed by Grameenphone's Head of External Communications Md Hasan, said that the company respects the legal system of Bangladesh, the Supreme Court's direction, and looks forward to getting court protection from the pressure the BTRC has applied to the company and its management.

The statement further said, "The BTRC has applied several actions to restrict Grameenphone's operations, including declining no objection certificates, issuing show cause notice for license cancellation, denying recycling of number series and threatening the company with the appointment of an administrator.

"These actions have had negative impact on customer experience and business partners, reduced confidence in the business environment and dented interest from investors."

Grameenphone reiterated that the company disputes the validity of the BTRC audit claim and looks forward to having its position heard before the courts.

"Grameenphone continues its dialogue with the authorities of Bangladesh to find an amicable and transparent solution to the dispute and protect the value to customers, partners and shareholders," the statement read.

Grameenphone expects that business operations will run without further obstacles and allow them to best serve their customers after complying with the Supreme Court's direction, said the statement.

Speaking to The Business Standard, BTRC Senior Assistant Director Zakir Hossain Khan said that the regulatory commission will take all necessary actions to lift the embargo related to the audit claim, if the operator deposits the amount.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected outright a Grameenphone plea that had sought six months to pay Tk575 crore out of Tk2,000 crore to the BTRC in instalments. On November 24 last year, the apex court ordered Grameenphone to pay that amount by the next three months.