HC questions BTRC's directive to create separate database of people's personal info

The High Court today questioned the legality of BTRC's directive on mobile companies to create a separate database with information contained in subscribers' National Identity (NID) cards.

The court issued a rule asking respondents to explain why the action of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission's action should not be scrapped.

In the rule, it also asked them to show cause why they should not be ordered to protect citizens' personal information stored by the Election Commission and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Secretary at the cabinet ministry; principal secretary at the prime minister's office; secretaries at the ministries of home affairs, and information, and the posts and telecommunications division; chief election commissioner; director general of national identity cards; chairman of BTRC; and president of Bangladesh Mobile Operators Association have been made respondents to the rule which is returnable in four weeks.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah issued the rule following a writ petition filed by rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, challenging the BTRC's action.

According to the petition, the BTRC in February reportedly ordered the mobile companies to collect and store information including names and addresses of their customers.

Earlier, mobile companies used to collect their customers' information from the EC's national identity card database, the petitioner said in the petition.

During hearing on the petition, HRPB's lawyer Manzill Murshid told the HC that if the mobile companies start following the BTRC's directive, the personal information of common people will go to private organisations and that will be a national security threat.

Besides, people will suffer financially which is against the constitution and law, he argued, adding that if the personal information of citizens go under the control of private companies, the fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution will be violated.

Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state during the hearing.