Mobile top-up vendors go on strike from tomorrow

Mobile phone top-up vendors has called a countrywide four-day strike from October 18 to press home their 11-point demand.
Aminul Islam, president of Bangladesh Mobile Phone Baboshaye Association, a platform of the vendors, announced the strike at a press briefing at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.
Their prime demand is a raise in commission from Tk 27 to Tk 100 for every Tk 1,000 recharged.
The other demands include distribution of recharge SIM only through the association; charging 25 paisa per minute round-the-clock for calls made from public-call-office SIMs; and no unregistered business would get permission to recharge.
They also asked for remuneration of their due amount from the three fixed phone operators who have folded up their operations.
The operators' officials said they were discussing the matter jointly as it is an industry issue, and would give a joint statement upon coming to a decision.
“We are observing the matter,” said ATM Monirul Alam, the commissioner of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
The vendors went on a strike on the issue earlier on September 20, as well.