The telecom regulator also asked the land phone operators to submit the details of their subscribers including photographs in prescribed forms by February 28 as the first step of compliance with the controversial tele-tapping ordinance.

Earlier, cell phone companies were given two months time to complete the registration process as they have a huge registration backlog of more than 10 million subscribers.

The mobile phone operators were asked to start registrations by February 27.

They were also asked to follow new guidelines for new subscribers from February 27. Existing and new subscribers will have to provide their fingerprints on prescribed forms.

The commission sat with the private operators of Public Switched Telecom Network (PSTN) at the BTRC office yesterday issuing the final reminder to start their operations and follow licensing conditions. The regulator will issue a letter to all the operators in this regard shortly.

BTRC chairman Muhammad Omar Farooq chaired the meeting.

According to sources, after issuing licenses the commission allocated frequencies to the private land phone companies.

Private PSTN operators were supposed to submit their subscribers' details in every three months. But from now on they will have to provide the details of a month by the 10th of the next month, meeting sources said.

The regulator has so far issued licenses to the private land phone operators in the north-east, south-east, north-west and south-west zones in the country excepting the Dhaka zone.

Meanwhile, the private land phone operators alleged that the frequencies allocated to them by the commission are not enough to establish their own backbone. "BTRC allocated inadequate frequency for us with which we can not start our operations according to our business plan," said a senior executive of a private land phone company.

The telecom regulator also made mandatory a 'certificate' issued by an elected public representative or a first class government officer for new subscriptions. If any subscriber provides false information in personal details, the official or the public representative attesting the form will be taken to task.

Those who have passports, driving licences or other forms of identity documents will not require the certificate. Connection of an existing subscriber will be snapped in case of failure to register with the operators within the scheduled time and will only be restored after registration.

The operators fear that mandatory certificate for fresh subscriptions will deal a severe blow to the growth of the mobile phone market in Bangladesh.

It is said that the current system does not ensure correct information about the pre-paid clients, creating opportunities for criminals to use the mobile phone network for their operations.

The government on December 11, 2005 amended the Bangladesh Telecommunications Act 2001 and promulgated an ordinance with immediate effect, allowing intelligence and law enforcement personnel to tap telephonic conversations of any individual.

The government amended it again on January 30 and added provision for punishment for mobile phone service providers who will not comply with the directives.

The bill was passed in the parliament on February 12 amid strong protests from the opposition lawmakers and despite their walkout en masse.

The opposition members said the law is unconstitutional and against the fundamental rights of citizens, as it will infringe on their right to privacy. They also apprehended abuse of the law by the officials who will tap telephone conversations.