Mobile phone traders blocked Karwan Bazar intersection in Dhaka on Thursday, demanding the cancellation of National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system and the release of arrested traders.
Before that, the protesters formed a human chain under Mobile Business Community Bangladesh (MBCB) banner, in front of Bashundhara City Shopping Complex area.
The blockade has halted traffic, causing congestion for commuters across the Tejgaon and Farmgate areas.
The demonstrators chanted slogans calling for changes to the NEIR system and sought extended scope for selling unofficial mobile phones.
According to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the NEIR system was launched under a government decision to prevent illegal handset imports and use, handset theft and crimes committed using illegal devices, while ensuring government revenue.
BTRC said following the NEIR launch, issues such as unstructured IMEIs caused by cloned or used handsets, multiple SIMs or handsets appearing under a single NID due to historical data, and delays in receiving one-time passwords have been identified and mobile operators have been instructed to address them.
