Leaders of BNP have vowed to reassess the controversial National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) policy if the party assumes power, aligning with growing criticism from traders and industry groups.
BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that any major policy, including NEIR, must be formulated through comprehensive stakeholder consultation.
He also questioned the high cost of mobile phones despite substantial government investment in digital infrastructure and cast doubt on the value addition by local assemblers benefiting from significant policy support.
“If a policy favours one syndicate, it cannot sustain. Giving monopoly power to one group will hurt the whole sector,” Chowdhury said at a roundtable organised by the Centre for Technology Journalism.
The event followed nationwide protests by mobile phone traders, who blocked roads in major markets, including Dhaka’s Bashundhara City and Chattogram’s Kazir Dewri.
Demonstrators argue the sudden enforcement of NEIR, scheduled for imminent rollout, would paralyze retailers and threaten an estimated one million jobs.
Mohammad Arifur Rahman, president of the Chattogram Metropolitan Mobile Traders Association, said shop owners are not opposed to regulation but demand a fair and transparent system that does not exclusively benefit large businesses.
Zahir Uddin Swapon, adviser to the BNP chairperson, echoed the same, asserting that national policies should prioritise citizens over specific interest groups.
He argued the policy is being rushed without proper mandate and stressed that only an elected government has the mandate to implement such a major project.
“Until then, NEIR should remain suspended,” Swapon said.
Industry figures highlight its structural challenges. Bangladesh has an estimated 180 to 200 million mobile connections but only 100 to 120 million active devices, with a small fraction fully traceable under current systems.
Market estimates suggest 35-40 percent of smartphones enter Bangladesh through informal channels, while the country ranks among the global top 10 for highest handset prices and top five for mobile-related taxes.
Multiple speakers at the roundtable criticised the policy’s implementation. BACCO Secretary Faisal Alim argued that while NEIR is necessary, the special advantages granted to nine specific organisations are unacceptable.
Ganasanghati Andolon’s Zonayed Saki warned the policy jeopardises employment and accused some local assemblers of low tax payments and inflated pricing.
Logistical feasibility was also questioned. Several participants said that registering 70 to 80 million devices within days is impossible, demanding at least a six-month public awareness campaign before launch.
Former BASIS Committee Chairman Rafael Kabir labelled the timeline “unrealistic,” and ISPAB President Aminul Hakim warned that domestic investors in phone assembly face significant risk.
The roundtable concluded with a consensus that NEIR implementation must be transparent, fair, and undertaken only after exhaustive consultation with all affected parties.
