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Telecom regulator, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is set to launch a database on mobile phone handsets to prevent theft and illegal import on Tuesday.
It will be possible to recover stolen mobile phones once the database is launched, said spokesman Zakir Hossain Khan to bdnews24.com on Monday.
The other details of the services such as how the users will be able to know whether their handsets are on the database will be revealed during the launch, Zakir said.
Earlier, the telecom regulator said it had moved to crack down on illegal mobile handsets.
Once the process starts, any SIM other than the one specified with the handset will no longer work on it.
After some time, all SIMs will become inactive on the handsets. As a result, customers will be forced to stop using fake or illegal handsets.
Although there are no official figures, there are an estimated 30 million illegal handsets in Bangladesh.
The BTRC says it has taken the initiative to prevent illegal imports, cloning, theft, health risks, to ensure security and prevent loss of revenue.
People related to the telecom sector hope the rate of using mobile phones in crimes will drop once the database is launched.
The BTRC gave the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Importers Association (BMPI) the nod to create and preserve a database of information on all imported handsets in May last year.
A test run of the database had been conducted earlier. Now the commission is going to officially launch it.