The Supreme Court yesterday stayed for six weeks a High Court verdict that declared illegal the appointment of firms by the telecom regulator for two mobile phone operators -- Grameenphone and Banglalink.
The apex court also directed Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to file a regular leave-to-appeal petition with the court against the HC verdict in six weeks.
The full bench of Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain passed the order following a petition filed by the BTRC seeking stay on the HC verdict.
In March, the telecom regulator (BTRC) appointed two chartered accountant (CA) firms to audit the two mobile operators after short-listing six audit firms.
Later, KM Alam and Co, one of the short-listed firms that did not get the job, challenged the bidding process, saying there was anomaly.
Following a writ petition filed by KM Alam and Co, the HC on August 18 declared the appointment of the audit firms illegal.
Barrister Khandaker Reza-E-Raquib, a lawyer for the BTRC, told The Daily Star that there was no bar for the audit firms to continue its audit functions for Grameenphone and Banglalink following the SC order.
Source : The Daily Star
