HC scraps BTRC order fining GP, asks for fresh assessment
The order came following a writ petition filed by GP on February 7, 2017, that challenges the validity of the three BTRC letters.
The High Court on Sunday ordered Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to issue a fresh letter to Grameenphone scrapping the fine of Tk30 crore it had imposed for providing “Go” broadband internet services illegally.
The HC bench of Justice Syed Rifat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir ordered the BTRC to issue the letter to the telecommunication giant within four months.
The court instructed the telecom regulator to determine the amount of loss incurred by the state due to the continuation of the internet services through an auditor general.
The order came following a writ petition filed by GP on February 7, 2017, that challenges the validity of the three BTRC letters fining the mobile operator on November 6 and 29 of 2016, respectively, and January 1, 2017.
Barrister Khandaker Reza-e-Rakib, the lawyer for BTRC, told reporters that the HC has declared illegal Grameenphone’s continuation of providing the internet services till 2016 without permission from the regulator.
At the end of March 2016, the BTRC asked GP to explain the illegal service. However, GP failed to provide satisfactory answers and the regulator decided to fine the telecom giant.
On February 28, 2019, the Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh filed a written complaint with the BTRC, stating that GP was offering optical fiber connection to the state-owned Sonali Bank that violated the national Wi-Max policy guidelines of the regulatory body.
