The High Court yesterday fixed tomorrow for delivering its order on a writ petition filed challenging the legality of biometric registration for purchase of mobile phone Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

After concluding the final hearing on a rule issued by it over the matter, the HC bench comprising Justice Syed Mohammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AKM Shahidul Huq fixed the date for delivering its judgement on the petition.
During the hearing, Advocate Anik R Haque, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that collecting such private information of citizens by the mobile companies is not safe for the people. 

He also said that as per the provision of the country’s law, the government could not force anyone by setting a specific timeframe to register their SIM before the completion of the National Registration of citizen. But the BTRC has issued a circular asking the people to register their SIM within April 30. Otherwise, it said it would deactivate the SIM, which is illegal in the eye of law, the lawyer added.
Haque also said that the owners of five mobile operators excluding Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd are foreigners, so the information may be leaked out from them which can cause damage to the people and the country. Collecting such information through biometric SIM registration should be scrapped, he added.
Opposing his submission, Additional Attorney General Murad Reza told the court that the petition is not maintainable before the court at this stage as the petition was not filed properly.
Later, the court fixed the date for delivering its order over the matter.
In response to a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer SM Enamul Huq, the HC bench on March 14 issued the rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in a week as to why collecting information of citizens through biometric registration of mobile phone SIM should not be declared unlawful. 
Advocate Muktadir Rahman assisted Advocate Anik R Haque during the hearing.
A Supreme Court lawyer SM Enamul Huq on March 9 filed the petition challenging the legality of biometric SIM registration as collecting such private info of citizens by the mobile companies is not safe for the people.
Thirteen persons including secretaries to the home and law ministries, chairman of the telecoms regulatory body, chief election commissioner, NID registration wing’s chief and the mobile phone operators have been respondents to the rule. At present, a mobile phone SIM card cannot be sold without the buyer’s fingerprints, while the work to re-register SIM card owners by taking their fingerprints is continuing, set to end by April 30.