Regulator’s Staff Stranded as Protest Blocks BTRC Headquarters

More than 200 officials and employees of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) were unable to leave the office even after working hours ended at 5 pm, as the road in front of the BTRC building remained blocked. On Sunday, 7 December, members of the Mobile Business Community Bangladesh (MBCB)—a group of ‘illegal’ mobile importers—along with hundreds of participants, blocked the road adjacent to the BTRC headquarters in the Agargaon administrative area, protesting the planned launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) scheduled for 16 December.

As evening fell, the protesters switched on neon lights and began chanting slogans of “fake, fake.” Traffic from the Agargaon intersection to Shishu Mela came to a halt, causing severe inconvenience for office-goers returning home.

To ensure the security of the building, members of the Bangladesh Army have taken strategic positions around the BTRC premises. According to sources, authorities managed to send a portion of female employees home before the office closure, using a controlled and cautious approach.

Earlier in the morning, BTRC Chairman Emdadul Ul Bari held a meeting with the MBCB delegation. He assured them that their demands would be conveyed to the appropriate levels of the government.

Meanwhile, it has been learned that at 6 pm, the BTRC chairman, currently confined inside the building along with officials, is set to attend a previously scheduled virtual meeting with the chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR). The meeting is also expected to include the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant and the Secretary of the relevant ministry.

DBTech/MM/IK/OR