Grameenphone asked to pay BTRC Tk 10b within 24 Feb

The Appellate Division on Thursday ordered private mobile operator Grameenphone to pay Tk 10 billion to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) within 24 February, reports UNB.

Seven-member Appellate bench led by chief justice Syed Mahmud Hossain issued the order.

Lawyer AM Amin Uddin and lawyer Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury stood for Grameenphone while attorney general Mahbubey Alam and Barrister Khandaker Reza-e-Raquib represented the state.

On 24 November, the Appellate Division asked GP to pay Tk 20 billion of the Tk 125.79 billion dues claimed by BTRC within three months.

The deadline will expire on 23 February.

BTRC claimed the dues in 27 sectors from the mobile operator but failed to recover the money. Later, BTRC sent a notice to GP threatening to revoke its licence on April 2 last year.

But GP moved the court seeking a temporary injunction on the notice which was turned down on August 28 that year. The mobile operator later filed an appeal with the High Court.

On 17 October, the High Court imposed a two-month injunction on realisation of dues from GP. BTRC later moved the Appellate Division against the order.