Muktadesh Desk: Illegal mobile phones in the country are going to be shut down from December 16. The government is going to launch a system called National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) for this purpose.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has said that only approved, standard and legally imported mobile phones will be able to connect to this new system. Illegal or cloned IMEI (mobile phone identification number) mobile phones will not be able to connect to the network.
At a press conference at the BTRC office in Agargaon in the capital on Wednesday, Faiz Ahmed Tayyab, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, said that according to the 2024 report of Bangladesh Bank, 73 percent of digital fraud in the country is from illegal devices and SIMs. It will be possible to reduce it by launching NEIR. The government loses Tk 500 crore in revenue every year due to illegal mobile phone handsets.
Things to do before buying a new phone
BTRC has said that from December 16, before buying a mobile phone from any medium (sales center, online sales center, e-commerce site, etc.), its validity must be verified. In addition, the receipt for purchasing a mobile phone must be saved. If the mobile phone is valid, it will be automatically registered in the NEIR system.
How to know the validity of the phone
Step-1: Go to the message option of the mobile phone and enter KYD 15-digit IMEI number.
Step-2: After writing the IMEI number, send it to 16002.
Step-3: You will be able to know about the validity of the mobile phone through the return message.
Registration of phones brought from abroad
Mobile phones legally purchased or received as gifts from abroad will initially be activated on the network. Instructions will be given to submit the necessary information online within the next 30 days through short message (SMS). After verifying the submitted information, only valid mobile phones will be activated on the network.
How to register a phone brought from abroad
Step-1: Register your personal account by visiting the neir.btrc.gov.bd portal.
Step-2: Go to the ‘Special Registration’ section of the portal and enter the IMEI number of the mobile phone.
Step-3: Upload the image/scan copy of the required documents (passport visa/immigration, purchase receipt, etc.). Then press the submit button.
Step-4: If the mobile phone is valid, it will be automatically registered. If it is not valid, the customer will be informed through SMS and disconnected from the network.
This service can also be availed with the help of the mobile phone operator’s customer service or customer care center. According to the Passenger (Unchecked) Baggage (Import) Rules (known as Baggage Rules), a person can bring a maximum of one mobile phone from abroad duty-free, excluding a personal one previously used on the country’s network. And can bring another mobile phone with duty.
Registered Handset De-Registration Process
From December 16, if a customer needs to sell or transfer their used handset, it can be done by ‘de-registration’. While de-registration, the last four digits of the National Identity Card (NID) must be provided. The customer’s used handset can be de-registered using the following means—
- Citizen Portal (neir.btrc.gov.bd)
- MNO Portal
- Mobile Apps
- USSD Channel (*16161#)
De-registration Conditions
For de-registration, the SIM used in the customer’s handset must be registered with its own NID.
While de-registering a clone or duplicate IMEI-equipped handset, the SIM number of the next user must be provided as additional information.
Corporate SIM User De-registration Process
Corporate SIM users will be notified via SMS to provide personal NID information through USSD channel or Citizen Portal within 30 days.
Subject to submission of the above information, de-registration facility can be availed with personal NID or Key Contact Point (KCP) NID. Otherwise, de-registration can be done only with Key Contact Point NID information.
Blocking Process in Case of Theft or Loss
If the handset used by the customer is stolen or lost, it can be locked or unlocked at any time from Citizen Portal (neir.btrc.gov.bd)/Mobile Apps or Mobile Operator’s Customer Service Center.
NEIR service process for customers without internet
Mobile phone customers can avail NEIR system services from anywhere in the country through USSD channel or NEIR (neir.btrc.gov.bd) Citizen Portal or Mobile Apps or Mobile Operator Customer Care Center. However, customers who do not have internet connection can avail NEIR service from the Customer Care Center of the concerned operator by dialing USSD channel or 121.
