Bangladesh Mobile Phone Users Association today urged the government to allocate free spectrum to the mobile operators for the time being so that they can offer free internet services to the customers.

In a statement, the association placed their demand and said other countries have ensured free telecommunication services to the citizens amidst the coronavirus crisis.

"Our government can take the initiative and allocate free spectrum to the carriers and enabling them to serve customers for free so that they can stay at home," said Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Mobile Phone Users Association.

Since the mass shutdown from March 25, people are staying at home and doing their office work while also using the internet for entertainment when they are not working, the association said.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, voice calls have declined 20 percent while internet use has increased by 25 percent. This causes operators to incur huge revenue losses, he said.

"So to ensure that people stay at home, the government can consider free spectrum allocation," Ahmed added.