HC slaps injunction on letter to GP
The High Court yesterday issued status quo for two months on the effectiveness of a letter the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) served asking GrameenPhone (GP) to pay Tk 3,034 crore in unpaid revenue and tax.
The court passed the order after accepting an appeal filed by mobile operator GP seeking an order of injunction on the letter.
Counsels of the telecoms regulator and GP said BTRC cannot ask for the money as revenue and tax from the mobile operator for the next two months as per the HC order.
In a letter on October 3, BTRC asked GP to pay Tk 2,146 crore in unpaid revenue and accumulated interest as of March 31, 2011 by October 23. The remaining amount for SIM tax and VAT will go to the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
On October 17, GP filed a title suit with the First Joint District Judge's Court, Dhaka seeking an injunction on the BTRC letter. But the court refused to pass any injunction on the letter the same day.
The GP authorities on October 19 filed an appeal with the HC against the lower court order and sought an injunction claiming that GP had paid all due revenue and tax to BTRC and NBR.
After hearing the appeal, the HC yesterday also issued a rule upon the BTRC to explain in four weeks why an order of injunction should not be passed on its letter to GP.
Ahsanul Karim appeared for GP while Khandaker Reza-e Raquib represented BTRC.
Meanwhile, BTRC Chairman Zia Ahmed in response to the status quo said the audit findings have not been cancelled rather withheld for two months. By this time when the court calls BTRC will appear before it.
In a statement, GP yesterday said since the deadline for payment as mentioned in the letter was going to exhaust on October 24, GP had no other options but to seek legal remedies to continue its business.
GP rejected the BTRC claim of its outstanding dues as the BTRC auditor did not follow the standard procedure and came up with unsubstantiated and wrong findings, said the statement.
It also said GP, in a meeting with the telecoms regulator on October 10, requested the telecoms regulator to put the notice on hold for a fruitful discussion to resolve the issue.
GP hopes the HC court order will encourage BTRC to revisit the wrong conclusions drawn by the auditor and pave the way for an amicable solution.
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