A serious allegation has been raised against Robi Axiata Limited, one of Bangladesh’s leading mobile network operators, for allegedly deducting money from a customer’s balance without consent. The customer claimed that after he protested and threatened legal action, the deducted amount was eventually refunded.
On Saturday (October 4), victim Tarek Shikder shared his experience in a Facebook post, which quickly drew public attention.
In his post, he wrote:
“Robbery by mobile company, then recovery! I never bought a SIM myself. Around 20 years ago, my family purchased a Robi (then Aktel) SIM for me, and I still use it. Recently, I noticed my mobile balance decreasing unusually fast. When I contacted Robi’s customer care, they claimed I had subscribed to certain apps — apps I’ve never even heard of! They were deducting Tk 3–5 several times a day.”
Tarek continued, “When I told them I never gave permission, they insisted I had. I asked for documentation, but they couldn’t show any. So, I told them I’d take the matter to court. They promised to resolve it, and after a week of pressure, Robi called and admitted they had charged me Tk 600 over two months. They refunded the full amount without conditions.”
He further questioned, “If one person loses Tk 600 like this, how much money are they making from millions of unsuspecting customers across the country?”
In response, Robi Axiata PLC issued a statement denying any wrongdoing.
“No Value Added Service (VAS) can be activated without prior customer consent,” Robi said. “Each VAS activation requires a double-consent process. If any customer mistakenly activates such a service, we review and resolve the issue based on their complaint. Robi strictly follows all BTRC guidelines. Customer satisfaction remains our highest priority.”
However, Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association President Mohiuddin Ahmed criticized the telecom operators and the regulator.
“Mobile operators are cheating customers whenever they want. Many don’t even realize it, while others are afraid to protest. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) must take responsibility for this failure,” he said.
He added, “In the past, even after complaints were filed against Grameenphone for unauthorized SIM sales, BTRC took no visible action. Every day, thousands of customers are losing money unknowingly. It’s time for strict regulatory monitoring to stop this kind of ‘digital theft’ in Bangladesh’s telecom sector.”
