Govt collects 7cr mobile phone users’ data

DOT Desk
The government has collected mobile phone data of around 7 crore subscribers from four network operators, reports The New Age. The operators gave the data on demand from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, BTRC officials said.
The telecom regulator collected the data following demand from prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s power and energy adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, they said.
He handed over the data to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for conducting ‘electricity survey’, according to officials.
When contacted, Tawfiq, in response to a text message, said that he was busy with Victory Day programmes and would talk about it later on.
Acting BTRC chairman Jahurul Haque, however, told New Age that the commission gave the data to BBS without giving any reason for it.
Mentioning that the government agencies reserve the rights to get such information, BTRC chairman said that they know well how to protect customers’ privacy.
The data of mobile phone users include two types of information — area-wise subscribers’
phone number and their gender.
Personal data of all the mobile users in 184 upazilas were collected in the process.
The upazilas are from Dhaka, Khulna, Chattogram, Rangpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Mymensingh and Barishal divisions, according to the list attached with the BTRC letter.
The BTRC letter sent to the mobile phone operators on December 4 asked the operator to provide the data as early as possible. The operators furnished the data on Decem-
ber 10.
Supreme Court lawyer Aneek R Haque cited sections 30 (f) and 97 of the Telecommunication Act-2001 that barred collection of customers’ information without their consent.
Expressing concern about collection of such a huge volume of customers’ number by the government agency, Aneek said that if the agency would be able to protect the privacy of the customers remained a matter of question.
Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman, however, feels that the government had the authority to collect the data.
And at the same time, citizens also preserve the rights of privacy and government should uphold
the rights.