The service of another operator or MNP is going to be officially launched next Sunday (October 21), keeping the mobile number unchanged. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said in the invitation letter that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the MNP service at Ganabhaban that morning.
Meanwhile, Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar said that the cost of MNP service is going to decrease in view of the demands of operators and customers.
To avail MNP service, a customer has to pay 157 rupees plus 50 paise for new SIM and MNP charges of the desired operator. Among them, MNP charge is 50 taka and VAT is 7 taka 50 paisa. And the customer has to pay 100 rupees for the SIM purchase.
The customer has to go to the service center of the desired operator and pay the specified fee and get a new SIM by changing the old SIM. If the service is launched within 72 hours of applying for MNP service, he cannot change the operator for the next 90 days.
Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar said on Thursday (October 18) that a proposal has been sent to the Ministry of Finance for waiving the Tk 100 to be paid for SIM replacement. An official announcement is yet to be made in this regard.
State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak will be the special guest in the function presided over by the Minister of Telecommunication in the inauguration ceremony of MNP service.
Chairman of BTRC Zahurul Haque and Secretary of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Department Shyam Sundar Sikder will deliver the welcome speech.
The government launched the MNP service on October 1. On that day, the organization announced the launch of MNP in a press conference at BTRC building. MNP service provider Infozillion Teletech Bd is providing this service. With MNP service a subscriber can avail voice and data services.
On November 30 last year, a joint consortium of Bangladesh and Slovenia, Infozillion BD Teletech, was granted a license to provide MNP services in the country through mobile operators.
At least 1 percent of the country's mobile subscribers within 6 months of operation, 5 percent within one year and 10 percent within five years should be brought under the service.
As per the terms of the MNP policy, an annual license fee of Tk 25 lakh, revenue sharing (from the second year) at the rate of 15 per cent and 1 per cent of the annual audited income from the second year to the social responsibility fund is to be paid to BTRC.
According to BTRC data, MNP services are currently available in 72 countries around the world. MNP services were launched in neighboring India in 2011 and in Pakistan in 2007. BTRC said that with the launch of MNP service, the operators will increase the quality of service.
