Citycell – once a mobile company operator that was offering 25 paise per minute, free talk-time, etc. – had placed in the hearts and minds of the customers. However, in 2016, the license of Citycell was scrapped under the auspices of the then-Awami government.

Citycell recently appealed to BTRC to return spectrum and its license.

At the time of the closure of Citycell, a notification of BTRC showed that Citycell’s due to the government was Tk 477 crores. Citycell later paid Tk 244 crore. As per that Citycell’s arrears were Tk 233 crores.

However, the report of the investigation committee formed by the court shows that although Citycell was scheduled to be allotted 10 MHz, it was given 8.82 MHz. As per that Citycell’s due to the government was Tk 128 crore. There were also objections from CityCell authorities.

Citycell says that the company has faced a “loss of around Tk 2,000 crore” due to this unreasonable decision of the then government.

Besides tarnishing the reputation of the brand, 500,000 Citycell customers suffered losses. Due to the closure of operations for 8 years, a revenue income of about Tk 2,000 crore was not possible. In this, the government has lost about Tk 430 crore in taxes and fees.

Meanwhile, an official of BTRC said that the application of Citycell will be reviewed and action will be taken as per law. Citycell is determined to come back with cutting-edge technology to give voice opportunities at an affordable price after overcoming the ups and downs.