HC verdict on biometric SIM registration tomorrow

The High Court bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AKM Shahidul Huq yesterday fixed tomorrow for delivering the verdict on a writ petition that challenged the legality of biometric data collection and fingerprints of people for registering mobile phone's Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

SM Anamul Haque, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the petition on March 9 alleging collecting such private information is unsafe for people.

The HC on March 14 issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain as to why collecting such information should not be declared illegal.

BTRC replied to the rule, saying that the writ petition is not acceptable, as it does not serve public interest, Aneek R Haque, a lawyer for the petitioner, told The Daily Star. 

Biometric re-registration started from December 16 last year.

Petitioner's lawyer Mucktadir Rahman told this correspondent that there is no specific law for protecting private information. The mobile companies should be restrained until a security system is introduced. 

Thirteen officials including law secretaries, home and post and telecommunication ministries, chief election commissioner, BTRC chairman and chief executive officers of six mobile companies have been made respondents to the rule.