Staff Reporter :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday granted two weeks time to Grameenphone to inform the court that how much money it could pay now to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) out of its Tk 125.79 billion dues.
A six-member Bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order upon a time prayer filed by Grameenphone’s lawyers.
The apex court asked the lawyers of the Grameenphone to inform it by November 14. At the same time the court adjourned the hearing on the BTRC petition till that date. Earlier on October 24, the court asked the Grameenphone to inform by October 31.
Advocate AM Aminuddin, Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and Barrister Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury took part in the hearing on behalf of the Grameenphone while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Barrister Khandaker Reza-E-Raquib appeared for the BTRC.
During the hearing, GP’s lawyer AM Aminuddin said, “A meeting was held with the Finance Minister where a proposal was raised to pay Tk one billion.”
Then the court said, “But the amount is Tk 125.79 billion. How is it that you will run business and will not pay your dues to the government?” Some people feel that they will be spared if they can file a petition with the court for an order in their favour, said the court.
GP’s lawyers Advocate AM Aminuddin and Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh told the court that Grameenphone has already given more than Tk 20 billion to the government. The Grameenphone did not say that it will not give the money, they said.
Then Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh sought time from the court. On October 17, the High Court issued an ad-interim injunction for two months against the realisation of Tk 125.79 billion from Grameenphone by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
The High Court Bench of Justice A K M Abdul Hakim and Justice Fatema Najib passéd the order after admitting an appeal filed by GP challenging a lower court order that rejected its application seeking a directive on the BTRC asking not to realise the demand and not to harass the GP.
The court also fixed November 5 for hearing the appeal filed by GP.
Barrister Tanim Hussain Shaon who appeared in the High Court for GP said that the court also issued a rule upon the respondents to explain as to why they should not be restrained to realise the demanded money from GP till disposal of the civil suit in the trial court.
BTRC and NBR have to comply with the rule within two weeks.
Barrister Tanim Hussain said that BTRC on April 2 this year demanded Tk 125.79 billion from GP in 27 items illogically.
Then GP filed an application with a Dhaka court seeking directive so that BTRC refrained from realising the money from it and did not harass the mobile operator until the case was disposed of.
He said BTRC’s demand was illogical as several cases were pending with different courts including the High Court over the demand.
Barrister Tanim Hussain also said a Dhaka court on August 28 rejected the GP application following which GP filed an appeal with the HC challenging the Dhaka court’s rejection order. After admitting the appeal, the HC on Thursday issued the injunction order.
