The High Court Sunday fixed April 12 for delivering its order on a writ petition filed challenging the legality of biometric registration for purchase of mobile operators’ Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.
After concluding final hearing on a rule issued by it over the matter, the HC bench comprising Justice Syed Mohammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AKM Shahidul Huq fixed the date for delivering its judgement on the petition.During the hearing, Advocate Anik R Haque, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that collecting such private info of citizens by the mobile companies is not safe for the people.
He also said that as per the provision of the country’s law the government could not enforce anyone by giving specific timeframe to registrar their SIM before the fully completion of the National Registration of the citizen. But, the BTRC issued a circular asking the people to registrar their SIM within April 30. Otherwise, it would cut the line of the SIM, which is illegal in the eye of law, he added.
Haque also said that the owners of five mobile operators excluding Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd are foreigners, so the information may be leaked out from them which can cause damage to the people and the country. Collecting such information through biometric SIM registration should be scrapped, he added.
Opposing his submission, Additional Attorney General Murad Reza told the court that the petition is not maintainable before the court at this stage as the petition was not filed properly.
Later, the court fixed the date for delivering its order over the matter.
In response to a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer SM Enamul Huq, the HC bench on March 14 issued the rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in a week as to why collecting the information of citizens through biometric registration of mobile phone SIM should not be declared unlawful.
Advocate Muktadir Rahman assisted Advocate Anik R Haque during the hearing.
A Supreme Court lawyer SM Enamul Huq on March 9 filed the petition challenging the legality of biometric SIM registration as collecting such private info of citizens by the mobile companies is not safe for the people.
Thirteen persons including, secretaries to the home and law ministries, chairman of the telecoms regulatory body, Chief Election Commissioner, NID registration wing’s chief and the mobile phone operators have been respondents to the rule.
A SIM card is now not being sold without the buyer’s fingerprints, while the work to re-register SIM card owners by taking their fingerprints is set to continue until April. – Staff Reporter
