Bangladesh to tap phones to fight crime

Bangladesh, which is facing a spurt in crime, has issued an ordinance allowing security personnel to tap telephones to check unlawful activities, officials in Dhaka said on Monday.

President Iajuddin Ahmed on Sunday night promulgated the ordinance, which will allow intelligence and law enforcing officials to tap the telephonic conversions of any individual.

It is currently an offence under the Bangladesh Telecommunications Act, 2001.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia approved the bill earlier in December seeking amendment to the Act.

The Posts and Telecommunications Ministry placed the amendment proposal as it feels criminals are using the wide availability of mobile phones to facilitate criminal activities, thus posing a threat to national security and the law and order situation of the country.

The tapping can only take place after taking the permission of the chief executive of the home ministry.

Officials said the ordinance allowing phone tapping by intelligence and law enforcing officials will enable the government to produce evidence in the court to punish arrested criminals, which is not presently possible.

The proposed amendment also includes a new section in the Act, which says telecom service providers must cooperate with the officials who are assigned to tap or record the telephonic conversation for the interest of national security.

The proposed amendment also says that service providers will allow the concerned officials to use their infrastructure free of cost for doing the job.

The amendment said if the President declares an emergency or if the government feels the state's security and law and order situation are in danger, it can suspend or amend any license or certificate or permit issued under this Act, or suspend any particular activity of, or a particular service provided by, an operator, and it will not have to pay any compensation for doing so.

The telecom ministry proposed the amendment as it was not clear in the act whether the government could stop the operation of mobile phone service if there is no declaration of emergency.

The ordinance comes in the face of rise in militant activities.