06/09/2019
The HC also asked the mobile operators to
strictly follow the directions of the Bangladesh
Telecommunication and Regulatory
Commission (BTRC) in the SIM registration
process, said additional attorney general
Murad Reza.
Besides, the HC ordered the use of strong
passwords for the safe preservation of
fingerprints taken in this purpose, he said.
With the High Court order, there is no legal
bar to the continuation of the SIM/RUIM
registration through the biometric process,
Reza added.
Earlier, the HC fixed April 12 for delivering its
verdict on a writ petition filed challenging the
legality of the SIM/RUIM registration through
the biometric process.
On March 14, the High Court issued a rule
upon the authorities concerned to explain why
the biometric registration of subscriber
identity modules (SIMs) and Removable User
Identity Modules (RUIMs) should not be
declared illegal.
The Home, Law and Telecommunications
secretaries, chairman of the Bangladesh
Telecommunication Regulatory Commission
(BRTC) and mobile phone operators—
Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink, Airtel,
Citycell and Teletalk— were asked to come up
with their explanations within two weeks.
On March 9, lawyer SM Enamul Haque filed
the writ petition with the High Court
challenging the legality of the SIM/RUIM
registration through the biometric process.
The writ petition was filed on apprehension
that one’s privacy and neutrality will be
violated in the biometric system.
In the petition, he said subscribers need to
give their fingerprints for registration,
activation and verification of SIMs and RUIMs
as per a BRTC instruction.
The SIM/RUIM registration through the
biometric system formally began on December
16 last which is supposed to end within