Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association-BMPCA formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club on Saturday (May 20) morning to demanding the illegal extortionists be brought under the law.
Under the leadership of the President of BMPAC Mohiuddin Ahmed, members of the editorial board of the Mass Solidarity Movement, Bachchu Bhuiyan; Chairman of the National Liberation Party, Mizanur Rahman Mizu; President of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Recharge Traders Association, Aminul Islam Bulu; Secretary General of the Labor Party, Abdullah Mamun; Member of the CAB, Salim, and the central leader of the organization, Sheikh Farid, Dr. Aminul Islam and others participated in the human chain.
The human chain urged the ISPs to withdraw the decision stopping the internet service in the Bashundhara Residential Area from tomorrow. Besides, the participants of the human chain demanded that extortionists and people providing illegal internet services be brought under the law quickly.
Participating in the human chain, the president of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association said, “We have noticed that a group of illegal extortionist syndicate has been created in the name of illegal internet service providers in various residential areas of the capital. Those who basically collect huge fees from legitimate ISP operators and threaten them if they don’t pay. Because of all these illegal extortionists, the people are not getting the benefit of ‘One Country, one rate’ offered by the government. This syndicate is formed behind the dish business, they demanded millions of taka in the name of POP service.
He also said that recently Bashundhara has sent a letter to ISPAB demanding Tk. 500,000 for residential connection and Tk. 150,000 for commercial connection. We have come to know the truth of this through the press release sent by ISPAB to the media. It is feared that the legitimate operators of ISPAB may stop providing services to Bashundhara in the future and we have learned that they will stop internet connection in Bashundhara residential areas on Sunday.
Mohiuddin Ahmed commented that the customers of the residential areas will not only be deprived of the benefits provided by the government but also be deprived of using the internet.
He said that due to all these illegal extortionists, the government is being deprived of a huge amount of revenue as well as the customers are being deprived of quality services as well as benefits of one country, one rate. We humbly request BTRC and law enforcement agencies to take effective measures so that customers can get quality and government directed services in future. Also, I am calling for the extortion syndicate to be brought under the law quickly. Even though there is no rule to carry the Dish line and internet service on the same fiber, these illegal dominating gangs are constantly extorting money, the same situation in other residential areas of the capital. Our demand is to free the customer from the situation of internet crisis and bring the extortion circle under the law by giving the opportunity to legitimate businessmen.
