Staff Reporter :
The government will move to block all cloned, illegally imported and smuggled mobile phones as part of a broader effort to curb crime, protect consumers and support the domestic handset industry, Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb said yesterday.
According to a press release from the ministry, Taiyeb warned that illegal mobile phones are tied to a wide range of offences, including fraudulent SIM registration, online scams, bulk SMS fraud, tax and customs evasion, border smuggling and disruption to local phone manufacturing. He said shutting down these devices is essential to safeguarding both national security and the digital ecosystem.
Taiyeb added that once the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) becomes fully operational, the misuse of a single IMEI number across multiple devices — a common tactic in phone cloning — will end. The NEIR will identify and block unregistered or illegally duplicated devices at the network level, preventing them from operating in Bangladesh.
To ensure a smoother transition, he said the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is working to streamline registration procedures for legally imported phones and help make authorised devices more affordable for consumers. All phones active before December 16 will automatically be registered as valid, he noted.
Addressing questions about expatriates, Taiyeb clarified that Bangladeshi travellers can legally bring one or two phones without any complications. Bringing more than two handsets will require complying with National Board of Revenue (NBR) regulations.
The move reflects the government’s push to clamp down on illegal handset markets while offering more accessible legal channels for consumers and travellers.
