Dhaka: The Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers Association (BMPCA) on Sunday expressed deep concern over the detection of thousands of SIMs used in illegal VoIP activities, which led the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to impose around Tk 8.68 crore in administrative fines on four mobile operators.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the association revealed that 8,682 SIMs were found to have been used for illegal international call termination, citing reports published in various media outlets. Association president Mohiuddin Ahmed emphasized that the extensive use of SIMs for illegal VoIP activities is not merely a violation of license conditions but poses a serious threat to state revenue, national security, and governance within the telecom sector. He asserted that administrative fines alone are insufficient to address the accountability for such large-scale irregularities.
Ahmed highlighted that the recovery of thousands of SIMs in a joint operation indicates that the incident was not isolated. He stressed the importance of addressing who orchestrated the illegal operations, who benefited financially, and where regulatory oversight failed.
The statement from the BMPCA pointed to allegations of significant revenue losses and potential money laundering associated with illegal VoIP activities. It underscored the pressing need for an independent, impartial, and high-level investigation to address these issues.
The association called for criminal action against anyone involved in the racket, whether individuals, institutions, or vested interest groups. They urged the government to identify and bring to justice the entities involved in illegal VoIP operations and to assess the actual extent of state revenue losses to recover the funds.
Furthermore, the BMPCA advocated for an independent investigation coordinated among the BTRC, the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), law enforcement agencies, and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). They also called for stronger operator accountability, technical surveillance, and regulatory oversight to prevent future occurrences of such crimes.
Ahmed concluded that establishing the rule of law in the telecom sector requires not only fines but also bringing those behind the crime to justice. Without these measures, the same offences will likely recur, resulting in continued revenue losses for the state and adverse impacts on ordinary customers.
Mobile VoIP refers to internet-based calling through an app on smartphones, commonly known as a Mobile Dialer App, enabling low-cost international calls. The BTRC recently detected illegal SIMs and imposed fines after discovering several telecom companies involved in illegal VoIP operations.