Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant on the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, has emphasized the need to register mobile handsets brought from abroad, calling it a standard practice worldwide, reports BSS.
“Mobile phones brought from abroad must be registered, and this is a common rule across the world,” Taiyeb said in a Facebook post Friday. He explained that registration prevents issues including wrong SIM or mobile financial services (MFS) registration, crimes involving SIM cards or mobile financing, online scams, use of cloned phones, evasion of VAT and customs duties, illegal imports, smuggling, and protects the local handset industry.
The post follows the announcement of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR), set to go live on December 16, Victory Day, to ensure only approved and legally imported handsets remain active. Taiyeb noted that SIMs registered in users’ own names make registration simple and secure.
Expatriates may bring one or two phones duty-free following rules, while additional phones are subject to fees under existing NBR regulations. Taiyeb also invited public suggestions to simplify registration, de-registration, and re-registration processes.
NEIR registration process: Users create an account at neir.btrc.gov.bd, enter the IMEI number, upload required documents (passport, purchase receipt), and submit. Valid handsets are registered automatically; invalid devices are disconnected with notification via SMS.
Support is available through mobile operators’ customer care centers and the USSD code *16161#. Handsets already in use before December 16 will be automatically registered.
BTRC reminded users to rely only on verified IMEI devices to prevent fraud, theft, and cybercrime, ensuring a safer digital ecosystem in Bangladesh.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
