FROM PAGE B1

According to the Mobile Phone Industry Owners’ Association and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) data, grey smartphones now account for 40 percent to 50 percent of the market.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s figures show grey-market imports rose from 24 percent in 2022 to 40 percent in 2024. The overall market is valued at $1.7 billion, with over $0.7 billion captured by unofficial devices.

According to industry insiders, the grey market alone is estimated at around $0.8 billion in 2025.

TRADERS RESIST NEIR

BTRC data show 4.6 crore handsets were added to the network last year. Of these, 2.7 crore were locally manufactured, one-third of them smartphones, while around 1.9 crore entered through unofficial channels.

However, the breakdown of how many handsets were bought by Bangladeshi expatriates and how many by grey-market traders remains unclear.

Shamim Mollah, acting president of the Mobile Business Community Bangladesh, whose members protested against the NEIR system, denied claims that traders bring in phones illegally.

He said devices are sourced from foreign travellers, bypassing official procedures. NEIR and high taxes, he argued, disproportionately threaten small traders, while local assemblers benefit.

“NEIR needs restructuring. We want to pay tax, but the regulator must remove barriers to legal imports,” he said.

Meanwhile, BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd) Md Emdad ul Bari said the commission is working to simplify import and vendor-enlistment processes.

He said certificates will require fewer documents and faster approval, and unsold devices in the market will be regularised. Inter-ministerial discussions are ongoing.