Only new unauthorised handsets to be blocked

STAR BUSINESS REPORT

The National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system will be activated today, bringing unauthorised new handsets that connect to the network under the blocking process.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) postponed the launch and extended the deadline for mobile handset dealers to submit information on unsold or stable devices until December 31, 2025.

“No handset, authorised or unauthorised, currently connected to the network will be blocked. Even the unsold stock held by traders, whose handset IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) lists have been submitted to the BTRC, will not be blocked,” said Major General (retd) Md Emdad ul Bari, chairman of BTRC.

“Only new phones that connect to the network will be affected,” a BTRC official said.

Expatriates will be allowed to bring two new handsets in addition to their used one, and will have a three-month grace period to register them with NEIR. During this period, the handsets will not be blocked. These handsets can be registered in the NEIR using travel documents.

“The NEIR will be activated if the advisory council reduces the import and production duties of handsets on Thursday,” said Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser with executive authority over posts, telecom, and ICT.

Previously, the Posts and Telecommunications Division granted a three-month delay to NEIR launch after handset sellers, affected by the blocking of grey-market devices, staged a protest at the Karwan Bazar intersection in Dhaka on December 10, which brought traffic to a standstill.

However, a BTRC official said the commission has not yet been officially informed about this decision.