‘3 mobile phone operators must have to pay Tk 2,500cr’

Three mobile phone operators of the country — Grameenphone, Banglalink and Robi– must have to pay Tk 2,500 crore as part of their debts, said the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Three operators will have to pay the amount to the government, National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

A five-member Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, passed the order on Tuesday following a petition submitted against the High Court order.

In its order, the Appellate Division  asked Grameenphone to pay Tk 1,400 crore, Robi Tk 500 crore and Banglalink Tk 650 crore.

In 2012, three foreign mobile operators submitted a writ to the High Court stating that the government was taking excessive taxes and VATs from them. However, the companies subsequently lose their writ.

About the deadline of the payment, BTRC’s lawyer Barrister Reza-e Rakib said, “Until we receive a copy of the order, we can’t tell how much time we have. However, for now, it can be said that the money has to be paid soon.”