Reinstate Citycell's spectrum allocation by 24 hours: SC orders BTRC

The Supreme Court has given the telecoms regulator 24 hours to reinstate the spectrum allocation for mobile phone operator Citycell.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 July 2017, 08:34 AM
Updated : 25 July 2017, 10:02 AM

It has also ordered BTRC to reinstate the licence for Bangladesh's first mobile phone service provider.

The chief justice-led Appellate Division gave the order on Tuesday after hearing a plea by the struggling telco.

The apex court's order comes a day after the regulator said that it has decided to revoke Citycell's licence.

Citycell, the country’s lone CDMA operator, owes the government Tk 4.77 billion, according to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission or BTRC.

Last year, BTRC officials, accompanied by law enforcers, raided Citycell’s Mohakhali offices to close down its spectrum.  

The mobile operator then took the case to the Supreme Court seeking an order to stay the decision.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha ordered BTRC to reinstate the necessary spectrum allocation for Citycell.

BTRC followed the order but again cancelled Citycell’s licence on Jun 11.

Citycell then moved the top court accusing BTRC of contempt of court.

The court has fixed Aug 6 to hear the allegation brought against the telecom regulator.

Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud and Ahsanul Karim argued for Citycell while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, Kamrul Hoque Siddiqui and Barrister Reza-e-Rakib represented the BTRC.