Bangladesh Regulator Imposes Fines on Mobile Operators for Illegal VoIP SIM Use
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has fined four mobile operators a total of BDT86.8 million (approximately US$710,000) for the illegal use of SIM cards in international call termination via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The operators, including Robi Axiata, Banglalink, Teletalk, and Grameenphone, were penalized after 8,682 SIM cards were identified in illegal activities. The fines were determined at BDT10,000 per SIM card. The enforcement operations were conducted jointly by the BTRC and the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre in Cumilla and Chattogram. The operators have been instructed to pay the fines within 10 days, with further legal action threatened for non-compliance. The companies have disputed the fines, claiming proactive measures were already in place to prevent such misuse. 
