The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has announced plans to implement measures blocking unauthorized mobile phones nationwide by 2025, as part of broader initiatives to protect domestic industry and enhance telecommunications infrastructure. The initiative follows similar implementations across South Asia, including Sri Lanka’s planned IMEI registration system and India’s Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR).
The BTRC has established a National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) to automatically register IMEI numbers of legally imported and locally assembled handsets. According to BTRC officials, approximately 30 million handsets currently in use within Bangladesh are either illegally imported or unregistered. The NEIR system will function similarly to India’s CEIR, which has proven effective in tracking and blocking stolen devices while combating international mobile device theft networks.
“The move would help protect the country’s nascent smartphone assembling industry. It would also attract investments there for job creation and better law enforcement,” said Posts, Telecommunication, and ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
The measure comes as Bangladesh’s mobile manufacturing sector faces significant challenges. Industry representatives report that manufacturers are currently operating at 50 percent capacity due to grey market competition. Mohammad Mesbah Uddin, chief marketing officer at Fair Electronics, indicated that continued market pressures could result in “a 40 percent job cut” across the sector.
Rizwanul Haque, vice president of the Mobile Phone Industry Owners’ Association of Bangladesh, highlighted concerns about the combined impact of value-added tax (VAT) on local manufacturers and unregulated grey market competition, noting potential threats to both the industry and government revenue. The implementation of NEIR is expected to help address these concerns by creating a more regulated market environment similar to other South Asian nations.
In a parallel initiative, the BTRC has announced restrictions on single-band routers, prohibiting their import and production from April 2025. The regulation will require all routers to support both 2.4-2.8 GHz and 5.7-5.8 GHz frequency bands, aimed at improving broadband internet service quality.
Telecommunications experts have indicated that single-band routers operating only on the 2.4 GHz band cannot adequately support current internet speed requirements, particularly for smart home devices and high-speed connectivity applications. The dual-band mandate marks a significant step toward modernizing Bangladesh’s digital infrastructure and meeting international telecommunications standards.
Sources: The Business Standard, The Financial Express, The Business Standard
Follow Us