GP maintains it did nothing wrong
Grameenphone maintains it has followed the prescribed process to release equipment from customs and did not violate any regulations in its official response yesterday to the show cause notice slapped by the telecom watchdog.
The notice was issued on January 1 after the country’s leading mobile operator took delivery of five lots of equipment without obtaining the approval of the regulator.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) gave Grameenphone seven days to reply to the show cause notice. Yesterday was the last day for replying.
The tussle began on July 22 last year, when the BTRC decided not to give any kind of approval to Grameenphone and Robi related to roll out of new package or service or import of network equipment as it looked to pile on pressure on the operators to clear their dues. The telecom watchdog maintains it is owed Tk 12,579.95 crore by Grameenphone and Tk 867.24 crore by Robi. The BTRC also sent a copy to the Bangladesh Customs under the National Board of Revenue and requested them not to release any equipment of the two operators.
But on October 17 a High Court bench issued a two-month injunction on the BTRC’s move to realise money it says Grameenphone owes the government and the letter the telecom watchdog had issued on July 22.
In its letter yesterday, Grameenphone said it had approached customs based on this HC order and the equipment were released based on previously issued approval by the BTRC.
Despite the stay order by the HC, the BTRC has not issued any approval to date and all applications from Grameenphone are pending since May 27 last year, said the letter from the operator, which was signed by its Chief Corporate Affair Officer Ole Bjørn Sjulstad.
Then on November 24 last year the Supreme Court restrained the BTRC from taking any action on Grameenphone based on the disputed audit demand, the letter also said.
Subsequently, the operator asked the BTRC to withdraw the show cause notice as it disregards orders provided by the highest court of the country.
A top official of the BTRC’s spectrum management division said they will look into the response and will act according to the rules of procedure.
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