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The High Court on Sunday formed a five-member committee to observe the activities of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s (BTRC) complaint cell in solving mobile network, internet related issues and customer complaints.
The court directed the committee to submit a report within 30 days of receiving the order.
A bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the order issuing a rule during a hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
The court asked to form the committee comprising secretaries of Posts and Telecommunications Division, and Information and Communication Technology Division, BTRC chairman, a teacher from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and a representative from Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB).
The court directed the country’s mobile operators to ensure clear voice call, high speed internet and stable mobile network to reduce the sufferings like call drops and disconnection of calls due to weak network.
In the rule, the court questioned why the respondents’ inactivity in providing clear sound, strong network and stable internet service as promised in advertisements shown in electronic media, national dailies and broadcast media will not be announced illegal.
The court also asked to ensure complete use of mobile data packs purchased by a customer, why direction will not be given to cancel the expiry date provided by the mobile operators and to allow the customers to use the data entirely, reports UNB.
Secretary of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, BTRC, BTRC Chairman, Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman, Banglalink CEO Erik Aas, Robi CEO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, and Teletalk CEO Md. Shahab Uddin was made respondents to the rule.
The seven respondents were asked to reply to the rule within four weeks.
Saifur Rahman Rahi, a Supreme Court lawyer and customer of the four mobile operators filed the writ petition seeking rule and direction of the High Court.
On January 5, the petitioner submitted a complaint at BTRC regarding sufferings due to call drop, weak network and internet data expiry date.
On January 10, he sent a legal notice after his problems were not redressed by the BTRC complaint cell.
Getting no reply from the respondents Rahi later filed the writ petition, said M A Masum , the lawyer who presented petitioner’s side
“There is doubt about the BTRC complaint cell’s proper functioning as the mobile operator customer’s sufferings are not being solved even after complaint. So a committee to supervise its activity was sought in the petition,” the lawyer told journalists.
