BTRC is forcing GP into paying unlawful claim, says CEO Foley

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission or BTRC is unlawfully forcing Grameenphone or GP into paying about Tk 125.8 billion in ‘dues found in audit’, the top mobile telecom operator has alleged.

“The BTRC is wrongfully trying to force us to pay the amount by falsely claiming it as ‘public money’,” its Chief Executive Officer Michael Foley told reporters in Dhaka on Monday.

He described how the BTRC’s action is leading to investment losses, delaying future capacity-building and tarnishing Bangladesh’s image as a lucrative investment destination.

“The principal claim is Tk 23 billion, which is not correct,” said Foley. “The BTRC, by intimidating us with unwarranted measures, is trying to collect money that does not belong to them.”

Speaking to reporters, Chief Marketing Officer Yasir Azman said Grameenphone is still prepared to settle the dispute with the regulator outside court in a transparent manner.

“Over the last 22 years, we’ve contributed Tk 731 billion to the national exchequer. The amount made up 54 percent of our total earnings during the time.”

Referring to the initiative taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy to end the dispute, he said, “We fully support the process and the key principles discussed in the meeting on October 21.”

The principles laid out in the proposed MoU are that BTRC removes operational restrictions, the operators deposit an adjustable amount and take steps to remove legal cases, Yasir said.

 “But the BTRC has chosen to disregard the directions set out by the ICT advisor, and is currently more interested in their court proceedings,” the CFO lamented.