Grameenphone (GP) has agreed to pay Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Tk 2.0 billion in two installments from its claim for Tk 125.79 billion in dues.
The leading local telecoms operator said this to the appellate division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday.
Its payment offer came following a charter of proposals accepted on October 03 in an out-of-court settlement.
Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, who appeared in the court for GP, said five proposals were made at a meeting between the GP, the finance minister and the telecommunications minister.
As proposed, GP will pay Tk 2.0 billion to BTRC in two installments on condition that BTRC will remove restrictions imposed on the operator, he added.
Opposing Mr Taposh, attorney general Mahbubey Alam, who stood for BTRC, proposed that GP should deposit at least 50 per cent of the claimed money.
Only then a discussion could take place for the payment of the remaining money, he argued.
Mr Alam also prayed to the SC to stay the High Court (HC) order that granted an injunction on BTRC's claim.
After hearing the parties, a six-member bench of the appellate division headed by chief justice Syed Mahmud Hossain fixed November 18 for an order on the matter.
The lawyers concerned said the SC order could determine how much money GP would pay to BTRC from its dues.
The same division on October 31 wanted to know from GP that how much money it could pay now to BTRC from its dues and granted two weeks' time to comply.
Subsequently, the case came into the apex court's cause-list on Thursday.
Advocate AM Aminuddin and Barrister Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury also represented GP and Barrister Khandaker Reza-E-Raquib moved for BTRC in the court.
On October 17, the HC bench of Justice AKM Abdul Hakim and Justice Fatema Najib granted an ad-interim injunction for two months against BTRC's realisation of the arrears.
Barrister Tanim Hussain Shawon, who appeared in the HC for the mobile company, said BTRC on April 02 demanded Tk 125.79 billion from GP in 27 items illogically.
GP then filed an application to a Dhaka court seeking a directive so that BTRC does not harass the mobile operator until the case is disposed of.
The court on August 28 rejected GP's request, prompting it to file an appeal with the HC challenging the rejection order.
BTRC on October 23 filed a regular leave-to-appeal petition against the HC order of issuing an injunction restraining BTRC from realising its claim.
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