Tasmiah Nuhiya Ahmed, Executive Editor, Bangladesh National Section, The New York Times:

Transparent and meaningful consultation with key stakeholders is a cornerstone of informed decision-making and good governance of a country. A meaningful consultation captures the views and perceptions of people who may be affected or have an interest in a decision of the Government. Greater transparency and involvement of stakeholders enhances trust, acceptance from people in a decision of the Government, which are keys to achieve development outcomes. Moreover, the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in its preamble states that it shall be a fundamental aim of the State to realise through the democratic process a socialist society, free from exploitation a society in which the rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedom, equality and justice, political, economic and social, will be secured for all citizens.
Therefore, in order to ensure that the commitment made in the Constitution is upheld, the government must ensure due process is followed before finalizing any law, rule, directive, or policy whatever which involves the rights and lives of the citizens.
In this month, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), a government body constituted under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Act 2001; issued a directive addressing the mobile phone operators to introduce a uniform call rate after removing the different rates of on-net or off-net calls. From the early hours of August 14 of 2018, BTRC started implementing the new tariff rate, which ranges from Tk0.45 to Tk2 per minute, scrapping the previous on-net and off-net floor prices of Tk0.25 and Tk0.60 respectively. The uniform rate would be effective for making calls in any operator. Under the BTRC’s new directive, interconnecting charge for one operator to another operator would be Tk 0.14 per minute including Tk 0.04 for ICX operator and Tk 0.10 for the terminating operator. The rest amount of the call tariff, whether it’s Tk 0.45 or Tk 2, would be kept by the originating operator. In its directive, BTRC also barred mobile operators from offering separate tariffs for on-net and off-net phone calls. Under BTRC’s new directive, the interconnecting charge for one operator to another operator is Tk0.14 per minute, including Tk0.04 for the Interconnection Exchange (ICX) operator and Tk0.10 for the terminating operator. The rest of the call tariff, whether Tk0.45 or Tk2, is kept by the originating operator. Apart from mobile phone operators, the new rate is also applicable for Internet Protocol Telephony Service Provider (IPTSP), public switched telephone network (PSTN), and ICX operators.
All regular and promotional packages, offers, and bundles which would contradict the new directive, have become invalid automatically.
Mr. Md Jahurul Haque, the acting chairman of BTRC said that the government made extensive calculations before taking this decision. He also said that this step will benefit the subscribers by clearing their confusion about different call rates. He further mentioned that the uniform rate aims to establish a level-playing field for all carriers. This would protect subscribers from bill shocks after phone number portability is enabled. In his view, through the process, the real competition will begin.
He defended the decision of the Government through stating that even though the commission has not held any public consultation, it had studied the issue. He further assured that there is scope to revisit this anytime if it increases the cost of customers.
In response to this directive of BTRC, Citizens’ Rights Movement (CRM), a body upholding consumer rights, on 18 August 2018 demanded fixing mobile phone call rates at 10 paisa per minute with per second pulse. The CRM raised the demand at a press conference at the office of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) in the city. Mr. Tushar Ahmed, secretary general of CRM; alleged that the BTRC has been involved in inspiring mobile operators to get more profit, remaining oblivious to subscribers’ interest. He alleged that mobile phone companies have smuggled out foreign currency worth more than Tk 5,000 billion abroad from Bangladesh though they (mobile operators) claimed that they have already deposited several thousand crore taka to the government’s treasury as Vat or tax. He demanded for publishing white papers mentioning how much money was invested in the country by the private mobile phone operators in the last two decades as well as how much foreign currency they (Mobile companies) “smuggled out” during the period. He gave an 11-point demand that also includes: migration facility keeping same mobile number and inclusion of the number in the NID card, fixing 10 GB internet at Tk 100 to increase internet using facilities in education sector and fixing monthly line rate and call rate of BTCL Tk 20 and Tk 1 for per unit (every 10 minutes).
Mr. Abu Saeed Khan, senior policy fellow of Colombo-based ICT policy and regulation think-tank LIRNEasia, said that the reason behind this decision of the Government is unknown whereas the service quality is substandard.
Mr. Mohiuddin Ahmmed, the president of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumer Association (BMPCA), a platform of mobile phone users; told the Dhaka Tribune that the telecommunication regulator has increased call rates with only the interest of operators in mind. We believe that before the implementation of this decision, they should have taken the opinions of consumers into consideration.
He also said although the operators might initially make profits as a result of this price hike, if their clients find alternate ways to communicate, they will lose a large amount of business.
Mr. Rajekuzzaman Ratan, central leader of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD); said that this new call rate will cause consumers to cumulatively lose an additional Tk6,000 crore annually. He personally pleaded the government to reconsider this new call rate as soon as possible.
Mr. Ruhin Hossain Prince, leader of the Communist Party of Bangladesh; alleged that the government took the initiative to bear the expenses of the upcoming national elections. He hopes that the government will backtrack on this undemocratic decision.
It is evidenced that a larger portion of this society is not at all happy and even pissed of the decision of the Government regarding uniform call rates. Moreover, it contradicts with the notion of the Constitution that aims for establishing a socialist society free from exploitation. Hence, through this piecemeal as a concerned citizen of Bangladesh, I am requesting the Government to reconsider this specific decision and to reach a conclusion through proper stakeholders’ consultation.