Mobile handset traders have urged the government to defer the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) enforcement by one year, warning that the 16 December rollout could destabilise the Tk12,000 crore handset market and put nearly two million livelihoods at risk.
They said the nationwide trader network will not be able to clear existing stocks within the short deadline.
The traders, under the Mobile Business Community Bangladesh (MBCB), put forward several demands to restore stability; at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporter’s Unity in the capital yesterday.
Their proposals include removing the mandatory manufacturer–retailer agreement, allowing importers to register devices based solely on bills of entry and reducing the current 57% duty and tax on imported handsets.
They also called for preventing local manufacturers from entering retail trade, establishing multi-ministry oversight of NEIR and ensuring future telecom regulations are grounded in research and proper stakeholder consultation.
Explaining the rationale behind the demands, MBCB President Md Aslam said the new compliance requirements risk handing over the country’s handset retail business to a handful of powerful players.
He said small traders have built a skilled workforce of more than one million people over the past 25 years and played a major role in expanding digital access.
He said legally sourced devices brought by returning migrants generate around Tk1,000 crore a year and help keep handset prices reasonable for consumers.
He complained that large manufacturers have received nearly Tk88,000 crore in tax benefits between 2017 and 2025 but still sell smartphones at prices 20–30% higher than neighbouring countries.
Smaller imports, traders argued, help maintain fair prices for consumers.
Speakers warned that NEIR could expand state control over smartphone usage, raising concerns about privacy and citizens’ rights.
They said the proposed registration steps may cause major inconvenience for general users, especially in rural areas and for expatriates.
Under the new rules, passengers bringing more than two phones from abroad will have to undergo lengthy verification, registration and deregistration procedures.
Traders said this will reduce competition, increase prices and ultimately slow digital progress.
MBCB said thousands of small and medium traders may be left with unsold inventory before 16 December, exposing them to severe financial losses.
Bangladesh had earlier backtracked from enforcing NEIR several times, a delay traders say expanded the grey-market economy and encouraged widespread informal imports.
They said the sudden decision to enforce NEIR now, without consultation, has again created instability across the mobile market.
NEIR, introduced by the telecom regulator to block unauthorised and unregistered devices, aims to curb illegal imports, reduce theft and protect the domestic handset manufacturing industry. After repeated delays, the system is scheduled to go live on 16 December.
MBCB asked the regulator to review their proposals within three working days.
They said timely policy adjustments would allow NEIR to be implemented in a way that protects consumers, supports entrepreneurship and strengthens the broader technology ecosystem instead of concentrating market power in the hands of a few.
Earlier the day, MBCB announced that all mobile phone shops across the country will remain closed until their secretary Abu Sayeed Pias was released.
Leaders of the organisation said the shutdown was called in protest against the detention. They warned that if Pias is not released by the end of the day, they will launch a tougher nationwide movement and threatened to “bring the country to a standstill.”
They argued that both the detention of Pias and the NEIR move represent attempts to “cripple” the mobile-phone business, prompting their decision to shut down all shops nationwide.
Pias, the chief executive officer of Sumash Tech and a well-known smartphone and gadget trader, was allegedly picked up by members of the Detective Branch of police. His wife, Sumaiya Chowdhury, claimed that DB personnel took him from their Mirpur-1 residence around 3am on Wednesday and confiscated his mobile phone during the operation. He was released the same day.
