The government ordered all the mobile phone operators to take immediate measures so that no Rohingya people sheltered in different refugee camps could use any SIM of any Bangladeshi mobile operator. Considering state security as well as the law and order situation, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in a common letter to all the mobile phone operators directed them not to offer any mobile phone services to Rohingya refugees and also stop their services around the Rohingya camps.
Selling of any unregistered SIM to anybody is totally prohibited and illegal. Accordingly, to purchase any SIM, it requires National Identity Card. On the other hand, although, none of the Rohingya people is supposed to get any phone or SIM of any Bangladeshi mobile operator, but it is widely known that thousands of Rohingya people are using Bangladeshi SIMs and maintaining communications with one another.
According to sources, a section of dishonest people in Teknaf and Ukhiya upazilas in Cox’s Bazar district as well as different other places in the country were selling SIM cards to Rohingyas at a cost of Tk 500 to 1,000. According to sources, the directive was issued as per the instruction from Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar.
The letter containing the directives reads, “You were instructed to ensure that the Rohingya people do not get access to the mobiles for the sake of state security and importance, law and order and public safety." “But the commission has received information through the Rohingya camp visiting committees and various newspapers, media outlets, law enforcement and intelligence agencies that Rohingya community is using SIMs/RIMs on a large scale," the BTRC letter said.
“Under this circumstance, you are requested not to sale any SIM, to stop use of SIM by the Rohingya community, and ensure that the Rohingya community is not provided with mobile facilities, and inform the BTRC within the next seven working days about the measures," the BTRC letter added.
At the same time, the telecom regulator also asked the mobile operators to inform it about the development within the next seven days. Besides, the BTRC has reiterated the same directive they issued in October last year asking all mobile operators to restrict their networks in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border areas as well as block networks in and around Rohingya camps.
The Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumer Association (BMPCA) earlier on August 31 in a press release alleged that the Rohingya people, sheltered at different camps in Cox’s Bazar, are organizing themselves using telecommunication network illegally. The BMPCA earlier had staged human chain protesting the incident and urged the government to take quick steps in stopping such illegal sale of SIM cards to Rohingyas.
Earlier on October 9 last year the BTRC had directed all mobile operators to restrict their networks in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border areas as well as block networks in and around Rohingya camps. The directive came in a letter issued by the telecom regulator after an order from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to this effect.
Following the directive, mobile operators have weakened their networks in the border areas along with Myanmar that include Cox's Bazar and Bandarban. Soon afterwards, complaints from subscribers in the areas started to pour in about the poor network quality, said a senior telecom executive, seeking anonymity.
Around 120 base stations in the border areas have been restricted under the directive, causing network disruption in Cox's Bazar, the executive said.
