Notice to BTRC to prevent eavesdropping on phone conversations
A legal notice was sent on Tuesday asking the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to take steps to prevent eavesdropping on phone conversations.
Lawyer Shishir Monir sent the notice on behalf of 10 Supreme Court lawyers seeking information on the matter within seven days.
The registrar has been sent to the offices of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, the Secretary of the Department of Posts and Telecommunications, the Secretary of the Department of Information and Communication Technology and the Chairman of the BTRC.
If the reply is not received within the stipulated time or if the reply is not acceptable, a writ petition will be filed in the High Court challenging the inaction of the concerned, said the lawyer giving the notice.
The notice mentions 16 eavesdropping incidents since 2013. The notice includes phone conversations between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and then Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, late BNP leader Moudud Ahmed and Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Assistant. It has also been said that the phone conversation of Commissioner Nazmul Hasan was leaked.
The notice, issued by a three-member bench of the High Court on August 28, 2019, also monitors personal privacy.
