A Supreme Court lawyer yesterday served a legal notice seeking a stop to the collection of biometric data and fingerprints for registering for Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards of mobile operators, claiming the registration system violates privacy and has a malign intention.

Lawyer Humayan Kabir Pallab served the notice on behalf of Khairul Hasan Sarker, a resident of Segunbagicha area in the capital.

The lawyer worried that the biometric data supplied to some private companies might be used for criminal activities.

"The collection of biometric data is absolutely illegal, arbitrary, mala fide and insubstantial to the state security," he said in the notice.

Post and telecommunications secretary, law secretary, inspector general of police, Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner, Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Grameenphone, Robi Axiata Ltd, Airtel Bangladesh Ltd, Banglalink Ltd, Teletalk Bangladesh Ltd, and Pacific Bangladesh Ltd (Citycell) have been made respondents to the notice.

The notice also said that the collection of such information would be seriously prejudicial to the safety and security of his client and the entire society, adding that the data would easily be accessible by international criminal organisations, posing a risk to the country's citizens.

The lawyer urged the respondents to stop collection of biometric data and fingerprints within two days, saying he would file a writ petition seeking necessary order from the High Court if the collection of such information was not stopped.