Grameenphone fined Tk18.4 lakh over illegal SIM use

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has imposed an administrative fine of Tk18.4 lakh on Grameenphone over SIM connections found to have been used for illegal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) activities.
According to the telecom regulator, a joint operation conducted by BTRC and law enforcement agencies on 21 April and 19 May uncovered 184 Grameenphone SIM connections being used for illegal international call termination through VoIP technology.
Under the relevant regulations, BTRC imposed an administrative fine of Tk10,000 for each seized SIM and issued a notice to the operator.
The commission directed Grameenphone to pay the fine within 10 days and submit proof of payment. It warned that failure to comply would result in further legal action under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, 2001, and the relevant rules.
Grameenphone had previously been penalised on several occasions over illegal VoIP activities. In a drive conducted in 2023, authorities recovered 1,640 of the operator’s SIMs allegedly used for illegal VoIP. 
In 2022, the operator was fined over Tk9.99 lakh, although the amount was later reduced to Tk5 lakh.