DHAKA – In a major step to combat digital fraud, tackle crime, and boost national revenue, the Bangladesh government is set to launch the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system. This will effectively end the trade and use of illegal mobile handsets across the country.
The launch date for the centralized system has been set for December 16. The announcement was made today, Wednesday (October 29), by Faiz Ahmed Tayeb, the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for Post, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, at a press conference held at the BTRC building in Agargaon, Dhaka.
How NEIR Will Work
Faiz Ahmed Tayeb explained that NEIR is a centralized system designed to link and register every mobile handset’s internationally approved IMEI number with the user’s National Identity (NID) number and the SIM card being used.
“The NEIR system will be launched on December 16. Once operational, it will make it easy to identify legal and illegal handsets, effectively blocking the use of counterfeit or illegally imported mobile phones,” he stated.
National Commitment to Security
Faiz Ahmed Tayeb emphasized the broad implications of the initiative:
NEIR is not just a technological system; it is a national commitment to ensuring citizen security, state order, and transparency in the telecommunications sector.”
He expressed hope that NEIR will save the government substantial annual revenue, protect the domestic mobile manufacturing industry, and serve as an effective tool for crime detection and deterrence.
Major General (Retd.) Md. Emdad Ul Bari, Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), added that NEIR will also provide information on the SIM card used in a mobile, making mobile tracking more feasible.
The press conference was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology, BTRC, mobile network operators, and local mobile handset manufacturers.
