Telecom regulator seeks stay on High Court injunction halting payment of Grameenphone dues

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission on Sunday filed a petition at the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the High Court order that barred the telecom regulator from collecting dues from mobile phone operator Grameenphone.

The telecom regulator's lawyer Khandaker Reza-e-Rakib said a chamber bench of the Appellate Division might hear the petition on Monday.  

On Thursday last week, the High Court imposed a two-month injunction, barring the telecom regulator from collecting Tk12,579 crore in dues from Grameenphone.

The High Court bench of justices AKM Abdul Hakim and Fatima Nazib passed the order after accepting an appeal plea filed by Grameenphone.

The telecom company filed the appeal challenging a lower court order that rejected its application seeking a directive asking the telecom regulator to refrain from collecting dues from Grameenphone and halt any harassment until the case is disposed of.

The bench also set November 5 for hearing the appeal filed by Grameenphone.

Earlier on April 2 this year, the commission demanded Tk12,579.95 crore from Grameenphone over irregularities in 27 items, prompting the telecom company to file the appeal.

Robi files appeal challenging lower court order 

Meanwhile, mobile phone operator Robi on Sunday filed an appeal with the High Court seeking a similar directive, asking the telecom regulator to refrain from collecting Tk867.23 crore in dues. 

Lawyers Prabir Niogi and Kazi Ershadul Alam appeared for Robi while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Barrister Khandaker Reza-e-Rakib represented the regulator.  

Khandaker Reza-e-Rakib said the commission issued a letter to Robi on July 31 this year and demanded Tk867.23 crore from the mobile operator over irregularities.

"Then Robi filed a case with a lower court seeking its directive on the commission, asking it to refrain from collecting dues from the mobile operator and halt any harassment until the case is disposed of," he said. 

But the lower court rejected the application, following which, Robi filed the appeal with the High Court. 

The High Court bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das accepted the appeal on Sunday and fixed Tuesday for giving further order in this regard, added Khandaker Reza-e-Rakib.