BTCL call charge to the UK unduly high
Saturday, 4 December 2010
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Ltd, BTCL has raised its overseas call charges, at least in case of the UK for sure, by as much as three and a half times the previous rate. Since mid-August, 2010, they are charging at the rate of Tk 24.0 per minute for a call to the UK (land phone to land phone) irrespective of whether it is dialled through 012 or 00. The charge was (for dialling through 012) Tk 7.50 per minute before. According to BTCL, its overseas call rates have been changed since mid-August, 2010 as per instruction of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, BTRC. The company has now done away with the economy ISD rate and made it the same for both 00 and 012 dialling. Regrettably, the commission has done this without prior notification.
Interestingly, the new rate for USA, Canada and Japan is Tk 6.0 per minute now, but for the UK it is Tk 24.0 per minute. When the BTCL Trunk call division was asked why was the rate so different and abnormal for the UK compared to the other countries, they could not give a satisfactory answer except saying that they were following the instructions of the BTRC. According to BTRC website however, it is the same, that is Tk 6.0 per minute for PSTN call charges to the UK. It is hard to believe that the telephone charges of BTCL for a country like the UK where hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis live can be so different and abnormal.
May I, through this column, draw attention of the authorities of the telephone department and request for a thorough investigation into the matter so that the telephone subscribers wishing to talk to their dear and near ones in the UK do not have to pay unduly higher call charges.
Hussain Imam
1/B Paribag, Dhaka-1000, E-mail: himam55@yahoo.co.uk
Interestingly, the new rate for USA, Canada and Japan is Tk 6.0 per minute now, but for the UK it is Tk 24.0 per minute. When the BTCL Trunk call division was asked why was the rate so different and abnormal for the UK compared to the other countries, they could not give a satisfactory answer except saying that they were following the instructions of the BTRC. According to BTRC website however, it is the same, that is Tk 6.0 per minute for PSTN call charges to the UK. It is hard to believe that the telephone charges of BTCL for a country like the UK where hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis live can be so different and abnormal.
May I, through this column, draw attention of the authorities of the telephone department and request for a thorough investigation into the matter so that the telephone subscribers wishing to talk to their dear and near ones in the UK do not have to pay unduly higher call charges.
Hussain Imam
1/B Paribag, Dhaka-1000, E-mail: himam55@yahoo.co.uk