HC stays transfer orders of two BTRC officials

The High Court has stayed the transfer orders of two officials of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) who filed a writ petition challenging alleged irregularities in recruitment and promotions within the telecom regulator.

A High Court bench comprising Justice Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice A.F.M. Saiful Karim issued the order on Wednesday. The court also issued a rule asking why the transfer orders should not be declared unlawful.

The two petitioners -- deputy directors Sanjib Kumar Singha and SM Afzal Reza -- were among six BTRC officials who had earlier moved the court over the alleged illegal appointment of 29 junior consultants and their subsequent promotions.

According to the petition, the two officials were transferred outside Dhaka shortly after filing the writ, in what was widely criticised as a punitive move.

They were posted to monitoring stations in Sylhet and Rangpur -- positions the petitioners claim are not part of the commission's approved organogram and are lower than their current rank.

The court stayed the effectiveness of the transfer orders for two months and directed the authorities concerned, including the Posts and Telecommunications Division and BTRC officials, to explain their actions.

The broader dispute centres on the recruitment of 29 junior consultants during the previous government's tenure, who were later absorbed into revenue-funded posts without following due process, including competitive examinations, according to audit findings and court submissions.

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