Dhaka, Mar 19 (bdnews24.com) — The telecoms regulator shut down private land phone operator RanksTel on Friday for allegedly running unlicensed VoIP operations.
It is the third telephone company in under a week to be caught in BTRC's drive against the unlicensed Voice over Internet Protocol trade.
Three RanksTel officials were detained following an overnight raid of the company's main office, which reportedly uncovered evidence of illegal operations.
Elite force Rapid Action Battalion assisted Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission officials during the drive.
RAB intelligence division chief Lt Col Ziaul Ahsan said VoIP appliances were seized from the RanksTel's office at Novo Tower in the capital's Tejgaon industrial area.
He told bdnews24.com that RanksTel general manager (engineering) Sheikh Kamruzzaman, deputy general manager (engineering) Mominur Rahman Chowdhury and deputy general manager (sales) Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan Noman were detained for questioning.
RanksTel chief operating officer Abul Kalam Shamsuddin told bdnews24.com that BTRC shut down all operations of their main switching room at Novo tower and sealed the offices at around 9am.
He, however, denied that his company was involved in any illegal VoIP operations.
"BTRC's raid lasted over 12 hours, but they didn't find anything illegal. We have not been involved in any illegal operations," he claimed.
"They took away three of our officials. We don't know where they are," he added.
The telecoms regulator in two recent raids said it found evidence of illegal call operations against telephone companies Dhaka Phone and WorldTel on Mar 14 and Mar 16.
Five top executives of Dhaka Phone officials were sent to jail after being arrested on charges of running unlicensed VoIP operations.
bdnews24.com/lh/adk/rah/1413h.
