Dhaka: State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim on Tuesday said she asked the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to take effective steps so that mobile phone subscribers get compensation for dropped calls from January next. 

“I’ve asked the BTRC to monitor dropped calls and directed it to ensure compensation to the users so that all mobile phone operators of the country start paying compensation from January,” she said.

The junior minister came up with the disclosure while talking to reporters after a meeting with Malaysian High Commissioner in Dhaka Nur Ashikin Binti Mohd Taib at the Secretariat. 

She said the BTRC earlier sent a directive to all mobile operators asking them to compensate subscribers to the tune of one minute per call drop or network failure but they did not yet begin the activities.

According to the BTRC and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), three percent call drops are permissible.

The BTRC will take stern steps against the mobile operators that will not pay the compensation from January, said Tarana adding that the commission will take action against those who will send any SMS to the scribers from the evening to the early morning for different offers.