DHAKA, Jan 23, 2022 (BSS) - The High Court (HC) today directed the 
country's mobile telecom operators to ensure crystal clear voice call 
quality, fast internet service and stable network. 

   The High Court bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker 
Diliruzzaman passed the order with a rule after hearing a writ petition filed 
in this regard.

   The court simultaneously constituted a five-member monitoring committee to 
oversee the activities of the complaint cell of the Bangladesh 
Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for speedy solution of mobile 
network and mobile internet related issues, and customer complaints.

   The committee members included secretaries to the ICT Division and Posts 
and Telecommunications Division of the Posts, Telecommunications and 
Information Technology Ministry, BTRC Chairman, one teacher from Bangladesh 
University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and one representative from 
the Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (MTOB), an organisation of the 
mobile phone operators. 

   The committee has been asked to submit a report to the court within 30 
days from the date of receiving the court order.

   In the rule the High Court asked the respondents to explain in four weeks 
as to why their inaction in ensuring crystal clear voice, fast internet 
service and stable network should not be declared illegal and as to why the 
respondents should not be directed to withdraw the time-frame for data pack 
service allowing the subscribers to use the purchased data until full 
consumption.

   A total of seven people -- including Posts and Telecommunications 
Secretary, BTRC Chairman, Grameenphone's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Yasir 
Azman, Robi's CEO Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Banglalink's Chief Executive Officer 
Erik Aas and Teletalk's CEO Md Shahab Uddin --have been made respondents. 

   Supreme Court lawyer Saifur Rahman Rahi, who is the customer of all the 
four mobile phone operators, filed the petition as a public interest 
litigation.

   He earlier filed complaints to the BTRC on January 5 this year against 
call drop, weak network and limitation of the time-frame in using data packs.  
Since, Saifur didn't get any solution from the BTRC's complaint cell, he sent 
legal notice to the respondents on January 10. 

   He later filed a writ petition with the High Court last week seeking rules 
and directions as he didn't get any response from the respondents. 

   The primary hearing of the petition was held today where lawyer M A Masum 
appeared in the hearing on behalf of the petitioner and deputy attorney 
general Bepul Bagmar represented the state in the hearing.