The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

Approximately eleven thousand subscribers of Bangladesh telephone and Telegraph Board (BTTB) here in the port city will get caller identification (CI) facilities soon without charges, according BTTB officials.

Subscribers of BTTB land-phones under Agrabad and Nandankanon exchange have been brought under the conversion program. Apart of getting caller identification facility, the existing numbers will also be changed at the same time.

Though majority of the subscribers welcomed the decision for availing caller identification facilities without any cost, some of the subscribers expressed their dissatisfaction over the decision of changing existing telephone numbers.

Rashedul hasan Tushar, a subscriber of the BTTB said that it would bring extra burden on them because his number has already been distributed to all. "If the number has ultimately been changed I'll have to inform it to all again," he said adding that who will address the costs of informing people about new numbers?

The BTTB officials however, said that the program would not create any complexity. "The existing telephone numbers will be changed in such a way so that anybody can feel free to memorize it comparing previous one," they added.

Telephone numbers from 840000 to 843999 under Nandankanon Exchange and 810000 to 816999 under Agrabad exchange will be changed under the program.

Sources said that only first two digits of the existing numbers will be changed. As for example, the existing number 840000 will be changed into 2860000 while 810000 will be changed into 2520000. That means last four digits of the existing number will remain unchanged.

Subscribers have been asked to communicate with Nandankanon and Agrabad exchanges for any further information about the proposed program. Subscribers will be able to communicate over phone by these number 711100 (Agrabad) and 623366