The High Court (HC) declared void on Sunday the three letters, issued by the Bangladesh Telecommuni-cation Regulatory Commis-sion (BTRC), which imposed fine to the tune of Tk 300 million on the Grameenphone (GP).
Besides, the HC asked the BTRC to issue a fresh letter to the GP, the country's leading mobile phone operator, following Section 63 and Section 65 of the BTRC rules to realise the fined money.
The BTRC was also asked to assess the loss of the state by the Auditor General office due to operating the GP's Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) internet service from 2011 to 2016.
The HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the directives through a judgement, delivered on the day, after hearing the parties concerned.
Barrister Junayed Ahmed Chowdhury appeared in the court on behalf of the GP, while Barrister Khandaker Reza-E-Raquib stood for the BTRC.
After the judgment, Barrister Reza-E-Raquib said, "The court declared illegal the GP's NTTN internet service, operated from 2011 to 2016 without the BTRC's permission."
"The GP had committed offence by providing the service within the period. The court asked the BTRC to assess the loss of the state (for operating the service) by the Auditor General's office," he added.
Barrister Junayed Chowdhury said, "The court in the latest judgement has opined that the BTRC's letters regarding imposition of fine - dated November 6, 2016, November 29, 2016, and January 1, 2017 respectively - have no sanction of law."
The lawyer also said by the three letters, the BTRC asked the GP to pay Tk 300 million to the telecom regulator as fine for violating rules. The GP filed a writ petition with the HC on February 9, 2017, challenging legality of the BTRC's letters.
After hearing the petition, the HC on the same day issued a rule upon two respondents, including the BTRC, to explain as to why the regulator's letters should not be declared without lawful authority.
At the same time, the court also stayed the operation of the BTRC's letters.
After hearing on the rule, the HC gave the date - August 25, 2019 - to deliver the judgement.
Sources said the BTRC fined the country's largest mobile phone operator Tk 300 million for providing 'Go Broadband' internet services. The regulator claimed that operating the service was a violation of rules.
On July 13, 2016, the BTRC issued a show-cause notice to the GP, asking the operator to explain the matter.
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