HC to hear writ on phone tapping after 2-week

A hearing on a writ petition seeking directions to investigate the incidents of phone tapping will be held after two weeks.

The virtual High Court division bench comprising Justice M. Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order on Monday.

The writ petition was filed on August 10 by 10 lawyers of the Supreme Court.

The 10 lawyers who filed the writ petition are Mustafizur Rahman, Rezowana Ferdose, Uttam Kumar Banik, Shah Navila Kashphi, Farhad Ahmed Siddiky, Mohammed Ibrahim Khalil, Muzahidur Rahman, Imurl Kayes, Eakramul Kabir and Mohammad Noab Ali.

The Secretary of the Department of Posts and Telecommunications, the Secretary of the Department of Information and Communication Technology, the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission have been made respondents.

The petition mentioned 20 incidents of phone tapping from 2013 to 2021 as well as four specific legal arguments in favour of the writ petition.
On June 22, the lawyers of the Supreme Court sent a legal notice to the concerned people asking them to take steps within 7 days to stop eavesdropping.

However, a writ petition has been filed in the High Court as no action has been taken in this regard even after receiving the notice.

The writ petition has named the Secretary of the Department of Posts and Telecommunications, the Secretary of the Department of Information and Communication Technology and the Chairman of the BTRC.