Robi pays first instalment of BTRC's audit claim

Country's mobile network operator Robi has paid the first instalment of the Tk 1.38 billion fixed by the High Court as settlement for the disputed audit demand by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

The telecom regulator received Tk 276 million under the first of five instalments from the country's second largest operator on Tuesday, said the BTRC's Assistant Director Md Zakir Hossain Khan.

But Robi did not immediately issue a statement on the matter, reports bdnews24.com.

The High Court on January 5 ordered Robi to pay Tk 1.38 billion to the BTRC in instalments in five months.

The top court had previously ordered Grameenphone to pay Tk 20 billion out of Tk 125.8 billion to BTRC.

Grameenphone faces a contested audit demand for about Tk 125.8 billion while Robi, the second largest operator, also has over Tk 8.67 billion in disputed dues.

In a reprisal for the failure of the operators to pay up the “dues” despite reminders, regulators ordered the international internet gateway or IIG operators to limit Grameenphone’s bandwidth capacity by 30 percent and Robi’s 15 per cent on Jul 4.

It was followed by the decision to stop issuance of NOCs and other approvals before notices were served on Grameenphone and Robi on Sep 5. The notices asked them to explain why their licences to offer 2G and 3G services will not be revoked over the failure to pay up.