Chamber Judge’s order over 4G spectrum upheld by SC

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld a Chamber Judge order that stayed a High Court order which put a bar on the tender notice floated by Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC) seeking licensing guidelines and invitation of applications for the auction of 4G internet spectrum.

 

A five-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah, passed the order.

 

On Thursday, Chamber Judge Syed Mahmud Hossain stayed the HC order after BTRC filed the plea few hours into the HC order.

 

A HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmed halted the tender notice and issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the notice and the 2008 policy would not be declared illegal following a writ petition filed by private company Banglalion Communication Limited.

 

Posts and Telecommunications Division secretary and BTRC chairman were asked to respond to the rule as the notice contradicts the broadband Guidelines of 2008, said Lawyer Ramzan Ali Shikdar, who moved the writ.

 

December 4 of last year, a special commission of BTRC decided to publish two guidelines and invited applications for 4G internet licence.

 

The tender inviting offers for the licence for the 4G mobile network was published on the BTRC's official website on the same day.

 

UNB/LY