Protest rally held demanding withdrawal of short term internet package
Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association held a customer rally and subsequent protest against the decision to cancel short-term and low-cost internet packages used by low-income and marginal customers. The organization also wants to give a memorandum to the Prime Minister on the matter soon.
Speakers at the rally in front of the National Press Club on Wednesday said that, if the short-term package is given away in the name of reducing the number of packages, it will undermine the freedom of the customer to choose the package, increase the cost of using the internet for the customer, and on the other hand, it will increase the business of certain mobile operators and destroy the balance of market competition.
President of the organization Mohiuddin Ahmed presided over the event.
Rajekuzzaman Ratan, Secretary of the Central Committee of Buses, said in his speech, if the people go to the market and see that there is no measuring weight under one kg, then how will the general public buy its products. In the same way, depriving common people of internet service by canceling the 3-day period package is against public interest.
Jatiya Tarun Sangha Chairman Fazlul Haque, Mass Solidarity Movement editorial board member Bachchu Bhuiyan, National Freedom Party Chairman Mizanur Rahman Mintu, Green People's Party Chairman Raju Ahmed Khan, NDM Organizing Secretary Lion Nuruzzaman Hira, organization central member Shajahan Khan, Dr. Aminul Islam, publicity editor Sheikh Farid and others were present at the rally.
Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of the Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association, said that the government, telecommunication regulatory bodies and operator organizations are working together to implement the nefarious objective of increasing the business of mobile operators. In today's reality, mobile internet is no longer a luxury product-service, rather it has become a basic service like food-clothes-shelter. However, the government or the service provider mobile operator companies have increased the price of mobile internet using different pretexts. Where the regulatory body BTRC is supposed to come forward to stop the operators from doing this evil activity, on the contrary, they have taken on the role of the operator's helper to increase the price of mobile internet.
Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association feels that while the government is going full speed ahead with the goal of implementing 'Smart Bangladesh', the Telecom Regulatory Authority has taken the initiative to indirectly increase the price of internet by excluding short term internet packages like 1, 2 or 3 days duration, which is in line with this plan. In a directive issued on September 3, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has directed mobile operators to stop internet data packages of 3 and 15 days from October 15. On behalf of the organization, this decision has been called as self-contradictory and anti-people.
The organization says that BTRC's own survey has revealed that people want freedom to choose packages. Where 60 to 70 percent of customers depending on the operator currently use internet packages of 3 days or less, the organization has claimed that this decision is anti-people. Experts in the telecommunication sector and mobile phone consumers' association feel that, on the one hand, this initiative will limit the freedom of consumers’ choice, and on the other hand, this initiative will increase the cost of internet use on the grassroots, low-income and young people.
