The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in a recent order asked mobile phone companies to remove their towers from eight-kilometre areas inside Bangladesh territory to reduce smuggling and cross-border movement of criminals and militants.

Cellphone companies have snapped links and started removing their towers.

Lack of cellphone network has created a stalemate in export-import business with India, traders and C&F agents said. They protested the decision and threatened of greater movement.

Sources in C&F Agents Association told The Daily Star that government earns around Tk 1200 crore revenue from Benapole land port every year. Bangladeshi importers send TT (message) to different nationalised and private banks at Benapole to pay the revenue. Bank branches in Benapole depend on mobile phone to send and receive messages.

They said networks of most of the Bangladeshi mobile phone companies operating in Benapole are limited to the border areas only while those of Indian companies cover up to about 10 kilometres inside Bangladesh territory.

Many Bangladeshis in border areas now use Indian mobile phone facilities at cheaper rates. Cell phone networks of at least four India companies including Airtel and Hush are available in border area inside Bangladesh.

As smuggled Indian SIMs are available, importers, exporters and C&F agents now use those to maintain link with clients at cheaper rates, which is between Tk 1.50 to Tk 1.75 per minute, the sources said.

They said smuggling and cross-border movement of criminals and militants can be stopped by intensifying patrol by law enforcers.

Sources in GrameenPhone said, they have started removing their towers following the BTRC order.