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down heavily on telecom operators, including the Indian Sate-owned BSNL, who are violating the conditions for
obtaining a license.
In this context, IMHA has identified 103-numbers of Base Terminal Station (BTS)s across Indian States,
Punjab, West Bengal, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Nagaland, where
the aforesaid Government and Non Government Companies have been installed their cell sites uncomfortably
close to the international boundary with Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively.
Because, Indian militants, international terrorists, groups anti-national forces, religious fundamental
groups and unscrupulous elements-cum-anti-social activists are misusing the Indian signals, networks and
frequencies along the said porous international borders vehemently.
Indo-Bangla international boundary village areas are always famous for a den of anti-Indian activities like
illegal smuggling, infiltration and religious-fundamental activities, including militancy and terrorism, which is
nothing new. But, recently the aforesaid international border areas are also become heaven of illegal trade, when a
group of smugglers, who conduct and control this kind of clandestine trade by cell-phone (that is, MP). It is by
means of this chief source of communicating passage – MP, the illegal traders operate and regulate this unofficial
business in between India-Bangladesh and India-China in eastern Indian region.
At the beginning, when MP was not in vogue, the said smugglers use ‘Walkie-Talkie’ (WT). But, both fear
and frenzy began to increase, when Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and IBSF have extended their patrolling duty. These
smugglers are so alert and shy that they receive prior information through MPs.
“In Bangladesh, presently, the use of MP has been increasing as days pass by and there are more than 15
lakhs to 17 lakhs MPs are in motion and of them more than 10 lakhs to 12 lakhs ‘Village-Telephone’ (VT). Not only
that even, every year approximately 04 lakhs to 05 lakhs are connected by MPs and in this connection,
Government of Bangladesh earns near about 250 crore to 300 crore rupees from various non-governmental
organizations”, stated BDR officials.
But, most interesting fact is that the inhabitants of Borsora, Kulang, Nonghyllam, Rajaju of West Khashi
Hills District (which are famous for the ‘coal export corridor’) and Nongjri of East Khashi Hills District of the
eastern Indian state, Meghalaya have to cross daily the international border between India and Bangladesh and
keep their foot to the soil of Bangladesh to make a simple phone call to any part of the country (read India), which
is no matter for them. Though, the aforesaid villagers buy their essential commodities from the nearest Indian
towns, semi-towns but, unfortunately, to ‘contact’ to their relatives and others (even, to call Indian Police
personnel), they are compelled to cross over Bangladesh for dial up the phone from the Bangladeshi Public Call
Office (PCO)s.
“In Bangladesh (a foreign country), it may be all calls (general or local call or Standard Trunk Dialing-
STD) to in any place of India are rated on the ISD scale, but we are helpless. It is a common practice here to keep
maintains ‘relation’ with our relatives and others, including making a phone-call to any nearest Police Station, we
have no others alternative way instead of to cross over to the Bangladesh. Sometimes, we are not only face the
wrath of the personnel of the Indian frontier guard, BSFI in this matter but also for a simple phone-call, we pay
the ISD charge, which is Rs. 25 to Rs. 30 per minute (in Bangladesh)”, revealed a local villager, J. C. Diengan.
But, in response to this, the local Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the Indian Meghalaya State
Assembly, Martin Danngo replied, “The Indian Meghalaya State Government has taken the matter seriously and
in this context, the above Government has already provided a section of village peoples (specially, elders) of
Wireless in Local Loop (WILL) phone connections”.
(Author is former BBC, The Statesman, The Times of India & Hindustan Times & The Telegraph, AP, AFP &
PTI Contributor-cum-Photographer of Northeast India/The writer specialises in Northeast Affairs)
References :
1. Bangladeshi Phones for Indian Peoples – by Shib Shankar Chatterjee, News Blaze, (Newswire
Organisation of United States of America [USA]), Dated 05th October, 2009.