Dhaka:Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has announced a comprehensive two-phase plan aimed at reactivating the National Equipment Identification Register (NEIR). The first phase is scheduled to commence on January 1, 2027, focusing on reducing tax evasion related to illegal mobile handsets and addressing security risks and financial fraud connected to unregistered and cloned devices.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the proposed NEIR rollout is intended to tackle an estimated annual revenue loss of Tk 2,000 crore due to tax evasion from illegal handset production, smuggling, and unauthorized sales. The BTRC plans to activate the system's original features, automatically registering handsets currently on mobile networks, and including unsold handsets' IMEI data from authorized importers and local manufacturers. This phase will also identify and block illegal and tax-evading handsets brought from abroad.
The second phase of the plan will introduce a de-registration mechanism to verify handset ownership, curb cloned devices, and prevent financial fraud. The BTRC Director General (SM) presented a detailed working paper on the NEIR reactivation, highlighting that key features have been inactive since its experimental launch on July 1, 2021.
The initiative follows repeated demands from revenue, telecommunications, and security authorities for a complete deployment of the system. On October 29, 2024, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) requested BTRC to activate NEIR, with the Posts and Telecommunications Division granting initial approval on June 28, 2025. Despite being prepared for full rollout by January 1, 2026, key features were held back to prevent public inconvenience.
Security agencies have emphasized the economic and national security risks tied to incomplete deployment and have advocated for full implementation. An inter-ministerial meeting on July 2, 2026, discussed vulnerabilities related to IMEI, SIM registration, and mobile financial service fraud, recommending full NEIR deployment. A high-level meeting on September 22, 2026, further endorsed a two-phase rollout by January 1, 2027.
Additionally, BTRC has approved a phased roadmap to phase out 2G-only mobile handsets by December 2029, imposing restrictions on their approval, manufacture, import, and marketing.