Page 26 of 82 (a) to regulate the establishment, operation and maintenance of telecommunication services in Bangladesh; (b) to protect the interests of the local consumers in respect of the charges imposed on them, and their access to telecommunication services, and the quality and variety of such services; (c) to encourage research and development activities in telecommunication, and innovative activities and investment in providing telecommunication services; (d) to protect the social and economic interests of the consumers, to respond to their needs, and to control and abolish the existing and probable oppressive or discriminatory conduct or activities of the telecommunication service providers; (e) to maintain and promote competition among the service providers in order to ensure high-quality telecommunication services; (f) to ensure protection of the privacy of telecommunication; (g) to collect, from within and outside Bangladesh, information on telecommunication and internet and to analyse and assess their impact on Bangladesh and to take necessary action or, as the case may be, to make necessary recommendations to the Government; (h) to frame a national scheme of numbering plan to be followed in telecommunication and to modify it whenever necessary. (2) The generality of the functions and duties under sub-section (1) includes the following specific functions and duties :(a) to frame a code of practice to be followed by the local operators and another code of practice to be followed by them in their relationship with foreign operators; (b) to inform the Minister of the licences, permits and technical acceptance certificates issued under this Act ; (c) to adopt policies with regard to subsidy given by the same operator from the earning of one service to another service provided by him, and to take legal actions ; BTRC-TelecomLaw2001.doc 26 - 26 -