Cell phone BTS tower emits harmful radiation: Govt experts

A base transceiver station (BTS) tower of a cell phone operator has been found emitting excessive radiation, posing a threat to public health, according to a government report.

The report prepared by an expert committee of the health ministry examining radiation from some mobile towers in Dhaka city also said the rate of radiation is harmful to the public health and the environment as per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Following a writ petition in 2012, the High Court ordered the government to examine the radiation of rays from mobile-phone towers and their impacts on health and environment and to submit two separate reports to it.

Deputy attorney general Kazi Jinat Haque placed the report before the High Court bench of justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and justice Md Salim on Wednesday.

The report further suggested that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) should examine the rate of radiation emission from the BTS towers of the country’s all six cell phone operators and should take necessary measures to reduce the radiation below the WHO's permissible level.

The health ministry report also said the BTRC can be asked to regularly monitor the radiation from the BTS of all operators.

The expert committee said the posts and telecommunication ministry and the BTRC should be asked to formulate a guideline on setting up of BTS tower and the radiation.

The writ was filed by lawyer Monjil Morshed.