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In a bid to crack down on rising SIM-related fraud and criminal misuse, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will enforce a new cap limiting individuals to a maximum of 10 mobile SIM cards, effective from August 15, 2025.
The move, approved at the BTRC's latest commission meeting, represents a significant tightening of existing rules and is being rolled out in coordination with mobile operators nationwide.
The decision was formally communicated to all mobile operators and relevant stakeholders.
The new policy, which reduces the current per-user cap of 15 SIMs introduced in 2017, follows mounting concerns from law enforcement agencies over how excessive SIM ownership is being exploited for activities such as extortion, impersonation, and even cloning of numbers belonging to senior government officials.
Although the SIM registration process was updated in 2022, the user limit had remained unchanged until now.
According to BTRC data, the new restriction will require the deactivation of approximately 6.7 million SIMs currently registered under around 2.6 million users.
The BTRC will provide mobile operators with detailed lists of users exceeding the 10-SIM threshold.
Operators will then contact those users to identify which 10 numbers they wish to retain, with preference given to frequently used numbers and those associated with mobile financial services.
As of May 2025, Bangladesh had 187.61 million active SIMs, though the number of unique subscribers stood at only around 67.5 million.
While over 80 per cent of users have fewer than five SIMs, approximately 16 per cent hold between six and ten, and only about 3 per cent currently possess more than 10.
BTRC sources said the new regulation underscores BTRC's commitment to strengthening national security and accountability in mobile phone usage.
It also aligns with global best practices aimed at optimising mobile number allocation and enhancing transparency in the telecommunications sector.
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