SC stays HC order that halted BTRC circular over 4G

Staff Correspondent: The Supreme Court (SC) has stayed a High Court order that halted a circular issued by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) over 4G licensing guidelines and spectrum auction.

Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC, passed the order on Thursday afternoon.

The court also sent the case to the full bench of the Appellate Division for hearing that will be held on Sunday.

Earlier, an HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed on Thursday stayed the notice of Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulation Commission (BTRC) seeking 4G licensing guideline and invitation of application for auction of 4G spectrum.

The court also issued a rule seeking explanation as to why the notice and the 2008 policy would not be declared illegal as private company Banglalion Communication Limited filed a write in this regard.

The lawyer Ramzan Ali Shikdar, who moved the writ said the secretary of Posts and Telecommunications and BTRC chairman were asked to respond the rule as the notice contradict the Broadband Guideline of 2008.

Last year on December 4, a special commission of BTRC decided to publish two guidelines and invite for application of 4G licence.

The tender inviting offers for the licence for the 4G mobile network was published at the BTRC’s official website on the same day.

 

risingbd/Dhaka/January 11, 2018/Mehade/A K Azad