Data packages for 1 and 3 days duration is back

After nine months, data packages for one day and three days have been launched again for mobile phone customers. According to the instructions given by the Minister of State for Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Banglalink has offered prepaid and postpaid data packages for one day and three days from Sunday midnight. Customers can buy these two packages between 31 to 54 taka.

However, it is said that none of the operators have received any instructions from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC). After a meeting with the state minister on Sunday, Robi launched one-day and three-day data packages on Monday. However, Grameenphone, the top mobile operator is on the go-slow policy.

Banglalink launched the service as per the instructions of the state minister, said Taimur Rahman, the operator's chief corporate affairs officer. The mass communication branch of Robi has confirmed the launch of the package today. It has been reported that new packages have been added to the My Robi app.

But Grameenphone has not received BTRC's instructions and said, "Grameenphone's mobile internet service has been activated. 5 GB free internet for 72 hours is being given to all customers whose internet pack has expired.”

However, on Monday morning, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) engineer Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed told the media that data packages have been ordered for one day and three days for mobile phone customers.

From October 15 last year, BTRC stopped the three-day and 15-day data packages for mobile customers. In the new rules, data offers are given for three periods of 7days, 30 days and unlimited. Although at that time BTRC's survey revealed that about 70 percent i.e., 70 million customers preferred the three-day package. In Sunday's meeting, the state minister said that 5GB data will be returned to the customer for three days due to disconnection. He said that this decision was made because there was no data package below 7 days.

A lot of complaints were raised in the BTRC public hearing on the matter. Mobile phone consumer association was active at various times. Last Sunday night, the organization rejected the decision given by the BTRC and the state minister regarding the return of unused internet data to the customers along with the operators. In a statement sent to the media, the president of the organization, Mohiuddin Ahmed, said that before taking such a decision, it was necessary to talk to the commission with the customers to protect the interests of 13 crore mobile internet users in the larger interest of the nation. But they did not do that and instead of providing 5 GB internet data for three days, it is like giving alms. Those who use 10 and 20 GB internet data have been cheated by this decision.

According to BTRC data, the number of mobile SIM subscribers in the country reached 193.6 million in November 2023. At present four mobile companies are operating in Bangladesh. Among them, number of Grameenphone customers are 821 lakh 40 thousand, Robi has 5 crore 83 lakh 80 thousand customers, Banglalink has 4 crore 33 lakh 80 thousand and Teletalk has 64 lakh 60 thousand customers.