The HC has set September 29 to pass its order on a writ petition seeking its directives on investigating phone tapping and prevention of leaked phone conversations. The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md. Mostafizur Rahman fixed new date for giving its decision. It was earlier scheduled for Sunday. Lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir argued in favor of the writ petitioners. The state's deputy attorney general questioned the admissibility of the writ petition.   On August 10, a writ petition was filed before the HC seeking directions to stop phone tapping. In the writ petition, instructions have been sought to investigate 20 incidents of leaked phone conversations. Read: HC turns down writ challenging tree felling at Suhrawardy Udyan Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir filed the writ petition on behalf of 10 lawyers of the Supreme Court. In the writ petition, the secretary, department of posts and telecommunications, secretary, department of information and communication technology, ministry of telecommunications and information technology and the Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BRTC) were made defendants. Seeking directions for investigation the writ petition mentioned 20 incidents of phone tapping from 2013 to 2021 including that of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda Zia, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Barrister Moudud Ahmed. The leaked conversations have been widely used by different TV channels and some of those went viral on social media too. Earlier, the petitioners had sent a legal notice to the BRTC demanding an end to phone tapping. But they did not get any reply and hence filed the writ.

As many as 10 Supreme Court lawyers on Tuesday filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking an immediate probe into leaked telephonic conversations. A writ petition can be filled directly in a higher court in case of violation of fundamental rights enshrined under the Constitution. Read: HC to rule on write over Viqarunnisa principal Tuesday Posts and Telecommunications department Secretary, Information and Communications department Secretary, Telecommunications and Information Technology Secretary, and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission chairman have been made respondents to the petition. Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir submitted the petition in the High Court on behalf of the 10 apex court lawyers this morning. A division bench of Justices M Enayetur Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman will hear the petition as per the court's schedule. UNB has learnt that the petitioners have cited 20 high-profile instances of leaked telephonic conversations between 2013 and 2021 in their petition. Read: Writ petition filed against tree cutting at Suhrawardy Udyan Conversations between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and then Opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia, between General Secretary of Awami League Obaidul Quader and BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, between late senior lawyer Barrister Moudud Ahmed and Assistant Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Nazmul Hasan were some of the notable instances cited by the petitioners. Privacy of personal communications has been guaranteed under Article 43 of the Bangladeshi Constitution and it is a fundamental right of the citizens, according to the Supreme Court lawyers. Besides, Section 30 (f) of the Telecommunications Regulation Act, 2001, ensures privacy of phone conversations, they have pointed out. And according to Section 71 of the same act, "phone tapping is a punishable offence". A person convicted of this crime can be sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail or fined Tk 5 crore. The lawyers said it’s baffling how not a single case has been filed by the victims or the telecom regulators in this regard to date.