BTRC to open lines of 0.5m phone users, cut off in illegal VoIP drive

The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has decided to restore lines of about half a million subscribers of four private PSTN operators whose operations were shut down for alleged links to VoIP trade.
The telecom regulator formed a committee, headed by its commissioner, Aliwardy Khandakar, to devise ways for restoration of subscribers’ lines.
Meanwhile, a division bench of the High Court Monday granted anticipatory bail for three months to RanksTel managing director Abdur Rauf Chowdhury and eight others in connection with a case relating to illegal VoIP trade.
Another division bench of the High Court on the same day dismissed Dhaka Phone’s plea to cancel BTRC’s decision to shut down its operations.
bdnews24.com adds: “We expect that the process of switching on their call facilities will start from tomorrow [Tuesday],” BTRC chairman Zia Ahmed told the media.
Between March 14 to 21, the BTRC shut down four private PSTN, or land phone, operators-Dhaka Phone, WorldTel, RanksTel and PeoplesTel-on charges of providing illegal VoIP services.
The four companies account for almost half of Bangladesh’s 1.2 million land phone subscribers.
RanksTel has an estimated 280,000, PeoplesTel around 140,000, Dhaka Phone about 75,000 and WorldTel some 14,000.
Zia Ahmed said that the operators would have to meet certain conditions, such as submitting a “certified subscribers list”, before BTRC could agree to open up the switches for their legal subscribers.
Replying to a query, the BTRC chief said that the regulator has vowed to take stern actions against all entities, including mobile phone operators, to curb illegal VoIP activity.
However, he said, such activity is “very low among the mobile phone companies”.
While dismissing the Dhaka Phone’s petition, Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Md Delwar Hossain ruled that Dhaka Phone should first respond to a ‘show-cause’ notice sent by telecom regulator BTRC, and only after the deadline has expired, apply to the court for cancellation.
The regulator has recently shut down the operation of four telecom companies for allegedly running VoIP operations. Dhaka Phone’s operations were shut down on March 15.
BTRC has also detained five officials of the private land phone operator Dhaka Phone, including its chairman and general manager, on charges of providing illegal VoIP services.
Dhaka Phone’s lawyer Barrister Rokonuddin Mahmud had told the court that, “No VoIP equipment was recovered from Dhaka Phone. But the operation was illegally shut down.”
“Legally, a fine of Tk. 1 lakh can be imposed for breaking the licence agreement but operation of the company can not be shut down in this manner,” he added.
Additional attorney general Murad Reza, arguing for the government, said, “There is legal provision for shutting down operations in a case where grave illegal activities have taken place.”
UNB adds: Meanwhile, the High Court (HC) Monday granted anticipatory bail for three months to RanksTel managing director Abdur Rouf Chowdhury and eight others who surrendered to the court in connection with a case relating to illegal international call termination through VoIP technology.
The eight others have been named as RanksTel directors Amanullah Chowdhury, Anwar Hosain, Ashraf Uddin, Fazle Salim, Zakia Rouf Chowdhury, Romo Rouf Chowdhury and Sohana Rouf Chowdhury, and chief operation officer AKM Shamsuddin.
A division bench, comprising Justice Afzal Hossain Ahmed and Justice MA Hye, passed the interim order, as the petitioners surrendered to the court and sought bail apprehending their arrest in connection with illegal VoIP business.

Courtesy of The Financial Express