Legal notice seeks halt to biometric SIM registration

A Supreme Court lawyer today served a legal notice seeking a halt to biometric registration for subscriber identity module (SIM) cards of mobile operators claiming it violates privacy and has a potential malafide intention.
Lawyer Md Humayan Kabir Pallab also added concerns that the biometric data, supplied to some private companies, might be used for criminal activities.
The lawyer served the notice on behalf of Khairul Hasan Sarker, a citizen from Segun Bagicha in Dhaka. The collection of biometric data is absolutely illegal, arbitrary, malafide and without any substance of state security, he said in the legal notice.
Post and telecommunication secretary, law secretary, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), inspector general of police (IGP), Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner, Grameenphone, Robi Axiata Ltd, Airtel Bangladesh Ltd, Banglalink Ltd, Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd, and Pacific Bangladesh Ltd (Citycell) have been made respondents to the legal notice.
The notice also said that the collection of such information shall be seriously prejudicial to the safety and security of his client as well as the whole society and it will create potential risk in circulation of such database to national in international criminal organisations, network or syndicate.  
The lawyer requested the government and mobile phone operators to stop collection of biometric data and fingerprint within two days, saying that he will file a writ petition seeking necessary order with High Court if the collection of such information is not stopped in two days.