Dhaka: Following the launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR), citizens should not panic as illegal or cloned handsets will not be blocked automatically during the first 90 days, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT, said today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Taiyeb, in a post on his Facebook account, stated that the authorities have received over three billion data sets from mobile operators, including historical records. He explained that due to the way migration data is currently displayed, some NIDs show a higher number of active SIMs or handsets than actually in use.
Taiyeb added that BTRC and mobile operators are working together to archive historical data in the background and only the number of currently active handsets will be displayed in the future. He mentioned that this process will take some time.
Taiyeb also noted that the NEIR system is not new; it was first attempted in 2021. He explained that the system has been reactivated with enhanced functional features, and the limit on SIMs per NID has been reduced over time. He stated that seeing higher handset numbers in the NEIR mapping is normal.
The system aims to provide citizens with awareness about how many SIMs and devices have been used under their NID, which can help detect financial crimes such as mobile banking fraud or online gambling.
Regarding data security, Taiyeb confirmed that measures have been taken, including secure JWT digital tokens and rate-limiting. He added that future access to data will require NID verification, with an additional security layer to enhance protection.
He thanked the public for pointing out errors and reporting issues, and requested patience while the system resolves technical complexities.