No place for lawlessness in telecom sector

The launch of National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) at the start of the new year constitutes a long-overdue step to curtail the chaos and illicit trade that have defined much of Bangladesh's mobile handset sector. For years the sector has functioned with a large grey zone where illegal imports and tax evasion were widely acknowledged yet seldom confronted. NEIR seeks to correct this by linking every new handset to a verifiable identity before it can fully function on a mobile network. The move has been deliberately cautious rather than abrupt. Existing handsets will continue to function, traders were given sufficient time to regularise stock through IMEI submission and new devices are granted a three-month registration window. Expatriates returning home have also been accommodated through special provisions. These measures indicate an effort to introduce order without causing panic or disruption, even as the state asserts its regulatory authority. To further allay public concern, the government has clarified that NEIR lacks the capacity to monitor private communications such as calls or messages, with data protection safeguards embedded in the amended Telecommunications Ordinance and strict penalties prescribed for any misuse. 

Despite these assurances, resistance to NEIR has taken a violent turn recently with the vandalism of the BTRC headquarters in Agargaon. Such an attack on a regulatory institution is unacceptable and must be condemned without reservation. While constructive dialogue and the expression of concerns are pillars of a democratic society, the destruction of public property falls far outside the bounds of legitimate protest. This resort to aggression is even more difficult to justify given the government's sustained efforts to accommodate stakeholder concerns through meaningful policy adjustments. Such actions only serve to undermine the credibility of genuine grievances within the trading community and divert attention from the merits of the policy to mere questions of law and order. 

Contrary to alarmist claims circulating in some quarters, the government has introduced NEIR alongside concrete measures to safeguard market stability and affordability. Customs duties on imported mobile phones have been reduced from 25 per cent to 10 per cent, while duties on locally manufactured handsets have been halved from 10 per cent to 5 per cent. These decisive cuts directly address concerns about price inflation and honour the government's prior commitment to rationalise taxes before implementing the new register.  By making legal imports more affordable and the registration process transparent, the policy actively removes the incentive for smuggling and tax evasion. This matters because the scale of illegal imports is far from marginal. Industry estimates suggest that majority of handsets sold in the country enter through illegal channels, costing the government billions of taka in lost revenue each year. NEIR also strengthens the domestic mobile manufacturing sector, which has grown in recent years with many global brands producing devices locally. However, illegal imports have long constrained these industries from operating at full capacity. 

The resistance from a segment of traders, therefore, seems driven less by genuine concern and more by a desire to protect a profitable network of illegal activity. The illicit handset trade is closely linked to fake SIM registrations, smuggling, tax evasion and even online fraud, and by ensuring that every device is verifiable, NEIR reduces the risks these practices pose to consumers. Systems like NEIR exist in many countries precisely to curb such illegal practices. Given these factors, the government must remain resolute in implementing NEIR to secure long-term economic and social benefits while ensuring that channels for dialogue remain accessible to address legitimate concerns through formal and lawful means.