�Mobile team� to ensure smooth biometric SIM registration: Tarana
STAFF REPORTER
State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Division Tarana Halim yesterday said they would deploy mobile teams to stop the harassment during the ongoing SIM re-registration process using biometric system.
The mobile teams of ministry and telecom regulator would oversee whether the customers are facing any harassment during the registration. If any complaint detected, the cellular phone operators have to pay for it, the minister told newsmen in the capitals Mirpur after witnessing SIM registration process in different areas.
Replying to a query about the number of teams deployment for the job, she said, There are some teams working on different issues such as checking illegal handsets and they will do it.
The mobile teams would start work from today and collect complaints from everyone. If require, chief executive officers (CEOs) of the operators would be called today or tomorrow, added the state minister. Subscribers now have to provide fingerprints for buying SIM cards while owners of previously issued SIMs will have to register in the new process by April.
Referring to complaint against a customer care centre of Grameenphone in citys Nabisco intersection, Tarana Halim said: I received complaints that they (customer care centre officials) were mistreating the people during the re-registration and not working sincerely. But, today they are working well that means they have information about my visit.
Posts and Telecommunications Division Secretary Faizur Rahman Chowdhury, BTRC chairman Shahjahan Mahmood and officials concerned accompanied the minister during the visit.
Recently, Salim Solaiman from Kustia wrote on his Facebook comment box that he went to the Grameenphone customer care and SIM retailer for registering his SIM through biometric process but none of them paid heed to that. According to them SIM registration is along process and they are not willing to spend that much time for that. The SIM retailers would only register the SIMs if they are paid Tk 20 to Tk 40 for each SIM. He furthermore said that if this thing continues then people will lose the urge to re register their SIMs. He urged the state minister for posts and telecommunications division to look in to this matter.
Razib Kumar Sarker a retailer has complained that Grameenphone has given them registration form for the biometric SIM registration but for filling in and registering the retailers would only get Tk 2 which is a really meager amount. He hopes that state minister for posts and telecommunications division will come with a solution for this.
