The BTTB has signed a revenue sharing contract with only state-run mobile phone operator, Teletalk, but its negotiation with other operators on revenue sharing did not succeed.

According to sources, the BTTB had earlier offered Tk0.30 per minute to the mobile operators who demanded Tk0.70. But the BTTB is going to charge Tk 1.50 per minute to make calls from land phones to the mobile phones from tomorrow without signing any agreement with the cell phone companies.

"We are going to lodge a complaint with the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission on BTTB's tariff hike without signing any contract with the mobile phone operators," said a top official of a cellphone operator, wishing not to be named.

Singing a revenue sharing contract would prompt the mobile phone companies to withdraw their incoming charges in case of receiving calls from the land phones, he said.

"In fact, all the telephone subscribers are going to face penalty due to lack of a contract between the parties," the official observed.

"Fixed phone subscribers are going to pay more for making calls to the mobile phones and cellphone subscribers are also paying for receiving incoming calls on the other hand," he said. "The sooner BTRC intervenes the better."

The BTTB now charges Tk 1.50 for five minutes on both fixed and land phone calls. However, charge for land phone-to-land phone call will remain unchanged.

The finance ministry in January approved the BTTB proposal for increasing the call charge submitted to it on December 22 last year. The BTRC recently gave its approval to the new tariff rate.