Bangladesh to launch nat’l phone registry on Dec 16

Bangladesh will roll out the long-awaited National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) on December 16, marking a major step towards curbing mobile-based fraud, blocking illegal handset imports, and ensuring greater transparency in the telecom sector.

The move, announced on Wednesday by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), will bring every mobile device under a central database.

All handsets currently active on local networks until the day before the launch will be automatically registered to prevent disruption, officials said.

Once NEIR comes into effect, all mobile phones brought from abroad must be registered online with valid documents before they can be used. Unauthorised or counterfeit handsets that avoid customs duties will be gradually blocked from the network.

The announcement was made on Wednesday at a press conference at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and ICT, said all devices currently active on mobile networks until the day before the launch will be registered automatically to ensure uninterrupted service.

Once the system comes into force, mobile phones brought from abroad must be registered online with proper documentation before they can be used in Bangladesh. Illegal or counterfeit handsets that bypass customs duty will gradually be blocked from the network.

Taiyeb said a significant share of mobile financial service (MFS) fraud, SIM swap scams, digital deception and even harassment occurs using unregistered or illegally imported phones.

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