Bangladesh is amending its telecoms law that scraps the operators’ right to appeal. The regulator or the police can register a case, even on suspicion, and arrest any official of any telecom operator without a warrant. The regulator will be the investigator and can decide on any form of punishment. And the operators will not be allowed to have a say if the regulator changes or even scraps the licenses. The proposed amendment is likely to get parliamentary approval next month. Grameenphone’s CEO calls it unconstitutional and conflicting with the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). “I believe mobile penetration in Bangladesh will double in the next three to five years. But if you don’t have the right legislation, development will be delayed,” he told the Daily Star.
Workshop: Digital Tools for Strengthening Public Discourse
Today, LIRNEasia hosted a workshop to launch digital tools created by Watchdog Sri Lanka, funded by GIZ’s Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) programme. Researchers, practitioners, activists and journalists attended to learn about these tools, and how they can potentially help them in their own lines of work.
1 Comment
Aslam
A minor correction, under the existing telecom there is no right of appeal and operators are proposing that an appeal should be allowed against all decisions of the regulator.