The telecom regulator filed an appeal against a High Court order delivered on August 24 which barred it from shutting down Citycell’s operation.
If the High Court grants regulator’s appeal, the commission could then take further steps to shut down the operation of Citycell. According Telecommunication Division decision, Citycell’s time to switch over subscriber’s RIM was supposed to come to an end on 23 August.
Just before executing BTRC’s decision, Moribund mobile operator Citycell got some breathing space after a High Court bench on August 22 asked the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission not to shut down its operations until September 16.
A High Court bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed made the order following regulator’s show cause notice that was served on August 17.
According to the notice, the regulator asked Citycell to provide a reply within September 16, 2016 why the BTRC will not shut down its operation.
On August 21, the lawyer for Citycell filed an application for injunction under Section 248 of the Companies Act 1994, to restrain Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) from taking steps to cancel its license.
The High Court dealt with the application on August 22. Upon hearing on the lawyers for China Development Bank, Citycell and BTRC, the HC gave the order in this connection.
On July 31, BTRC asked Citycell to pay its all dues, including regulatory fee and fine worth Tk477 crore by August 16. The telecom regulator also ordered the company to create an alternative arrangement for providing the service to its subscribers even after shutdown.
Citycell parent company Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited got licence for telecom services in 1989.
It is the only CDMA network operator in the country. It is currently owned by Singtel with 45% stake and the remaining 55% is owned by the Pacific Group and Far East Telecom.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
