The High Court yesterday directed the state-owned telecom company to allow an Istanbul-based firm to participate in bidding for the construction of an optical fibre transmission network as per a purchase review panel's decision.

The court delivered the verdict after endorsing a writ petition filed by Nortel Networks Netas Telekomunikasyon, the Turkish firm.

Netas had challenged the legality of moving another writ petition by acting managing director of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL) against the purchase review panel's decision.

The HC bench of justice Naima Haider and justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar also rejected the writ petition filed by the acting managing director of BTCL, Azizul Islam, as he filed the petition without an approval from the BTCL's board of directors.

Abdul Matin Khasru, counsel for Netas, said the BTCL has to allow his client to participate in bidding following the HC verdict.

Netas took part in a pre-qualification bidding, but the BTCL had disqualified the firm and moved on with two other bidders, ignoring the decision by the review panel.

The quasi-judiciary panel, which reviews all public purchases on the basis of any complaint, asked the state-run telecom company to allow Netas to take part in the bidding on March 18 this year.

Netas had lodged a complaint to the review panel against the BTCL's decision after it was removed from a pre-qualification evaluation.

The panel, after a hearing, said the removal of Netas from the pre-qualification bidding was illogical and unilateral. It further alleged that the BTCL has done improper activities during the evaluation.

After more than 40 days of the review panel's verdict, the BTCL opened the financial offers on May 3.

The BTCL even disobeyed the telecom ministry and its board order as well.

The ministry asked the BTCL to follow the review panel's decision on March 18, while the BTCL board directed the same on March 21.

Ignoring their orders, Azizul Islam in May this year filed a writ petition with the HC challenging the review panel’s decision.

Barrister Fida M Kamal appeared for Islam.