Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday told parliament that illegal operation of VoIP has been coming down fast due to continuous drive and fixation of the international call termination rate.
“The government has outlined measures against illegal Voice over Internet Protocol business for curbing illegal VoIP business in the country” he said while replying to a question from Jatiya Party lawmaker Kazi Firoz Rashid.“The government has been conducting drives on a regular basis against those involved in the illegal business,” Quader, also in charge of the Post and Telecommunications and ICT Ministry in Parliament, told the House while responding to an emergency notice on important issue under Rule 71.
The ministry also formed a 27-member committee in this regard, Quader said adding that 274 cases were filed against illegal VoIP traders so far, while 20 cases were settled.
Of those cases, verdicts of 18 cases came in favour of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regularity Commission.
The continuous drive of the government against illegal VoIP traders helped reduce illegal VoIP business in the sector, he said.
Taking the floor, JP lawmaker told the House that influential quarter, including politicians of ruling Awami League, has been involved with the illegal trade.
He demanded exemplary punishment to those involved with the trade.
The lawmaker said the government incurred several thousands crore of taka for the abuse of VoIP license as a section of scrupulous traders have been running the business at different locations.
“Influential people, including the ruling party men, are engaged with the illegal business,” he said, adding that some officials of the BTRC and BTCL are also engaged with the illegal business.
Asking the government to cancel the licenses, being used in illegally, the lawmaker also demanded exemplary punishment against those involved with the trade.
Meanwhile Minister for Health and Family Planning Mohammad Nasim told parliament that the government has been conducting drives against fake medicine.
“It is true that some life saving fake drug is being marketed using levels of noted companies but the government has been conducting drives to nab those involved with the illicit practice,” he told the House while responding to a question o treasury bench lawmaker Abdul Latif.
Latif asked the minister whether it was true that life saving drug is being marketed using the levels of noted companies like Square, ACI, Beximco and SKF.
The minister said in some cases drugs made with wheat and flour, is being marketed.
“Punishable measure has been taken to stop producing of fake medicine,” he said, adding that the Drug Administration has been working to stop marketing the fake medicine and bringing the people to book for their alleged involvement with producing fake medicine.
The minister said the mobile court realized some Tk 68 lakh in fine from 465 organisations for producing and marketing fake medicine and awarded imprisonment to 37 people for different terms in last 10 months.
Besides, cases have been filed against 39 companies for producing and marketing fake medicine.
Responding to another question, the minister said no Ebola virus patient was detected in Bangladesh, as the government took necessary measures to prevent such deadly virus.
Medical team to prevent Ebola virus so far screened 216 incoming international passengers, especially those landed here from the Ebola affected countries, from August 10 to November 15, 2014.
Besides, special observation of 182 passengers for 21 days has already been completed, he said.
The minister said the government has taken special measures to prevent Ebola virus attack in the country.
A national committee for Ebola monitoring headed by health and family welfare secretary, national Ebola technical committee, installation of Ebola screening machineries at international airports and land ports are screening the incoming passengers from the West African countries.
“We have opened 19 Ebola isolation wards in the city along with various international ports located in concerned districts,” Nasim said.
He said the government has constituted Rapid Response Team at national, district and upazila levels side by side with formulating guideline and prescription for identifying Ebola patients.
“We are prepared to prevent Ebola virus and its attack in the country by undertaking necessary measures in this regard,” he said.
Minister for Shipping Shajahan Khan yesterday told parliament a total of 64 accidents were taken place on river routes from 2009 to May this year that took lives of 710 people and another 129 went missing.
“Besides, 37 people were injured in these accidents,” he said while placing statistics replying to lawmakers’ queries.
Of the 710 deaths, 260 people died in 9 accidents in 2009; 118 people died in 16 accidents in 2010, 74 people in 14 accidents in 2011, 163 people in 15 accidents in 2012, 22 people in five accidents in 2013 and 73 people in five accidents in first quarter of 2014, the minister said in a scripted reply.
Replying to another query, the minister informed the House that the government has purchased a total of 11 dredgers from 2009 to June this year. – Staff Reporter
