The implementation of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) has created a pathway to protect citizens from SIM- and unregistered device-centric crimes, financial fraud and forgery, said Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb.
He made the remarks on Sunday morning while visiting the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) building, which was damaged in an attack by illegal mobile phone traders, and reviewed the overall extent of the damage while speaking with officials.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb said it was extremely unfortunate that the attack took place on the very day when Bangladesh reduced import duties on legally imported mobile handsets from around 61 per cent to about 43 per cent, calling the incident at a key state institution completely unacceptable.
He said all mobile phones imported into Bangladesh before 1 January, 2026, whether active or unsold, would be legalised, adding that seven companies have already submitted IMEI lists of their unsold handsets.
He said some companies have yet to submit their lists, possibly due to misinformation or obstruction, and expressed hope that all stakeholders would move away from such activities and join the NEIR implementation process.
BTRC said the NEIR system was launched with full functionality on January 1, 2026, under a government decision to prevent illegal handset imports and use, handset theft and crimes committed using illegal devices, while ensuring government revenue.
The regulator said several meetings have already been held at the BTRC office with representatives of the Mobile Business Community of Bangladesh following the NEIR rollout, and that import duties on mobile handsets have been reduced in response to business community demands.
BTRC said the mobile handset import process would be simplified, vendor enlistment certificates would be issued within a short time and authorised dealer documents would be accepted in place of original manufacturer certificates to facilitate imports while ensuring after-sales service for consumers.
The commission said unsold or stocked handsets would be connected to the network by paying a nominal duty without requiring documentation, and handsets currently under import process would also be brought under network inclusion.
On the issue of importing used handsets, BTRC said the matter falls outside its jurisdiction and that quality verification is not possible, posing a risk of consumer deception.
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.
The regulator assured that all customer data remain secure and that users can access only their own information.
ICT Division Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, Posts and Telecommunications Division Secretary Abdun Naser Khan, BTRC Chairman Major General Md Emdad Ul Bari and other senior officials were present during the visit.
