MAHMUDUL HASAN

From January next year, one person will be allowed to register and use a maximum of five personal SIM cards under a single national ID (NID), according to a decision by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

At present, each citizen can register up to 10 SIM cards under one NID.

The regulator took the decision at a recent commission meeting, where members discussed the current law-and-order situation and concerns raised by the home ministry over the use of SIM cards in criminal activities, according to a document.

Once approved, the BTRC will instruct mobile network operators to enforce the rule for all new registrations starting in 2026.

This marks the second major tightening of Bangladesh’s SIM registration policy within a year.

Earlier, in April 2025, the BTRC decided to reduce the ceiling from 15 SIMs to 10 per NID, a move that has already come into effect, with a 45-day grace period for users to deregister excess numbers.

The regulator has also launched a nationwide campaign urging subscribers to comply by October 30.