FROM PAGE B1

Although the platform has recently been relaunched, handset blocking is still awaiting a policy decision from the new government, a BTRC official said.

The commission has recently observed a sharp rise in the use, production, import, marketing and sale of illegal mobile handsets and wireless equipment in divisional cities, city corporations and district towns.

It noted that these activities are punishable under the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Act, 2001.

Industry insiders said weak enforcement over time, the depreciation of the taka, rising global handset component prices and repeated tax increases have all contributed to the growth of the illegal handset market in Bangladesh, particularly in the smartphone segment.

According to industry estimates and BTRC data, grey-market smartphones now account for 40 to 50 percent of the country’s handset market, which is valued at around 1.7 billion US dollars. The grey market is expected to exceed 0.7 billion US dollars in 2025.

Data from Samsung shows that grey-market imports rose from 24 percent in 2022 to 40 percent in 2024. In the same year, 93 percent of premium phones from one brand and around 69 percent of mid-range phones in Bangladesh entered the market through unofficial channels.

The commission said illegal handsets and wireless devices are causing several problems, including consumers being misled with low-quality products, loss of government revenue from illegal imports, disruption in telecom regulation and network management, and financial losses for legitimate handset manufacturers.

In response, the E&I Directorate proposed restarting joint drives with law enforcement agencies, including the Rapid Action Battalion, police and executive magistrates, to stop these activities nationwide.

The commission has decided that enforcement drives will resume at an appropriate time after further instructions.