Banglalink fined Tk 17cr for illegal towers

Banglalink is set to be slapped with a Tk 17 crore fine for establishing 109 mobile towers in the border areas without the telecom regulator's prior consent.

The decision came in a commission meeting on Wednesday, and the fine amount was arrived at by taking into consideration the operator's earnings from the unapproved sites.

"We have converted their earnings from the sites into fines," said an official of the engineering and operation division of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

Between 2014 and 2016, the country's third largest operator established 40 base transceiver stations along the Indian border areas, said a top official of the telecom watchdog who was present in the meeting.

It has also been taking services of another 69 BTSs in 31 border adjacent districts from other operators -- also without any approval of the telecom watchdog.

"Operators should take permission before setting up sites in border areas and even for sharing any sites," the official said.

But Banglalink did not follow the rule.

"Every time they have sought permission after they have already established the sites or have started taking services from other operators' towers," he added.

Contacted, Asif Ahmed, head of corporate communications of Banglalink, said the operator has not received any notice about the fine.

"To be compliant with all regulations, Banglalink has applied to the BTRC for approval for installation of border BTS sites. We have provided all relevant information to the BTRC to get the approval and we believe we shall get it soon," he added.

The telecom regulator previously found Banglalink and Airtel, which has recently merged with Robi, at fault for the same offence in 2013. The BTRC then gave them permission retrospectively and warned of fines if found guilty of the same offence again, said officials of the telecom watchdog.

At that time Banglalink set up about 400 towers near the border areas and Airtel 191. In its report, the BTRC said the operators are earning more from the border areas than their adjacent districts.

The other top operators' earnings from the border areas are much higher than the adjacent areas' sites; these cases might be placed before the commission in the near future.