HC ban on mobile call rate hike, call drop charge

Staff Correspondent: The High Court (HC) on Thursday issued a ban on increasing the mobile call rate and charge for call drop from subscribers.

At the same time, the court issued a rule asking the government and the mobile phone operators to explain in four weeks why increasing mobile charge without soliciting opinions from the subscribers should not be declared illegal.

It also directed the government to form a committee to determine the call rate.

The HC bench of Justice Tariqul Hakim and Justice Md Suhrawardy came up with the order and rule following a writ petition.

Advocate Ishrat Hasan moved for the writ petition while Deputy Attorney General Amatul Karim Sawpna represented the state at the courtroom.

The writ petition was filed for public interest on Wednesday (December 12).

Law Reporters Forum Members M Badiuzzaman and Mahidi Hasan Dalim, Mobile Phone Subscribers Association President Mohiduddin Ahmed and Supreme Court lawyer Rashedul Hasan filed the writ petition.

On behalf of the petitioners, Ishrat Hasan told the court that the mobile phone operators -- Grameenphone, Robi, Airtel, Banglalink and Teletalk -- increased the mobile call rate without taking subscribers’ opinion which is illegal and contrary to their rights.

According to a report of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the mobile operators have dropped mobile calls for a total 222 crore times in last 13 months, she added.


risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 13, 2018/Mahidi/AI