Citycell can’t be shut till Sep 16: HC

The High Court yesterday halted till September 16 the government order to shutdown the country’s oldest mobile-phone operator Citycell or cancel its licences for not paying dues to the government. In an order, the government had said it would shutdown Citycell’s operation at the zero hour of August 24. The HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Citycell authorities against the government decision to shutdown the mobile operator.
The HC also asked the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) authorities not to take any action against Citycell in the meantime. Earlier on August 17, BTRC sent a notice asking the Citycell to explain within 30 days why it would not be shutdown for failing to pay around Tk 4.78 billion in dues to the government despite repeated notices. As BTRC gave Citycell 30 days time to explain their point, the HC also said that within this time the operation of the telecom operator cannot be interrupted.
Earlier in a notice, the BTRC said the switchover period for Citycell subscribers to other operators has been extended until August 23, after an initial deadline ended on August 16. Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud represented Citycell while Barrister Reza-e-Rakib represented the BTRC during the hearing. Rakib later told media that Citycell moved to the High Court seeking a stay order on several matters, including the process to cancel the operator’s spectrum and licence, BTRC’s notice and a case initiated to collect the dues. “The court heard the matters and then ordered to keep their plea in record. Also, it ordered that they be given the chance to carry on the activities until the deadline given to respond to the BTRC notice.”
After the biometric re-registration of SIM/RUIM cards, the operator now has less than 200,000 subscribers. Citycell, the country’s lone CDMA operator, has seen a massive exodus of its subscribers and currently owes the government over Tk 4.775 billion in dues. According to the BTRC, the operator had about 700,000 subscribers in June, which is less than 1 per cent of total mobile-phone users.

 

Citycell cant be shut till Sep 16: HC

The High Court yesterday halted till September 16 the government order to shutdown the countrys oldest mobile-phone operator Citycell or cancel its licences for not paying dues to the government. In an order, the government had said it would shutdown Citycells operation at the zero hour of August 24. The HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Citycell authorities against the government decision to shutdown the mobile operator. The HC also asked the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) authorities not to take any action against Citycell in the meantime. Earlier on August 17, BTRC sent a notice asking the Citycell to explain within 30 days why it would not be shutdown for failing to pay around Tk 4.78 billion in dues to the government despite repeated notices. As BTRC gave Citycell 30 days time to explain their point, the HC also said that within this time the operation of the telecom operator cannot be interrupted. Earlier in a notice, the BTRC said the switchover period for Citycell subscribers to other operators has been extended until August 23, after an initial deadline ended on August 16. Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud represented Citycell while Barrister Reza-e-Rakib represented the BTRC during the hearing. Rakib later told media that Citycell moved to the High Court seeking a stay order on several matters, including the process to cancel the operators spectrum and licence, BTRCs notice and a case initiated to collect the dues. The court heard the matters and then ordered to keep their plea in record. Also, it ordered that they be given the chance to carry on the activities until the deadline given to respond to the BTRC notice. After the biometric re-registration of SIM/RUIM cards, the operator now has less than 200,000 subscribers. Citycell, the countrys lone CDMA operator, has seen a massive exodus of its subscribers and currently owes the government over Tk 4.775 billion in dues. According to the BTRC, the operator had about 700,000 subscribers in June, which is less than 1 per cent of total mobile-phone users.