Mobile phone traders surround BTRC in protest

Mobile phone traders laid siege to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) office in Agargaon on Sunday, demanding reforms to the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system. Operating under the banner of “Mobile Business Community Bangladesh,” they began assembling around 11:30am near the BTRC, blocking traffic on one side of the road.

Their main demands include overhauling the NEIR system, ending alleged syndicate dominance in the mobile phone market, and expanding opportunities for importing devices.

The association claims that the NEIR rollout will harm hundreds of thousands of traders and their families. They argue that the system will mainly benefit a “special group,” while higher taxes and tighter regulations will push up mobile phone prices for consumers.

On 30 November, mobile shop owners and employees from different shopping malls formed a human chain in the Karwan Bazar–Panthapath area, closing their shops to observe a previously announced protest program.

The government plans to launch the NEIR system on 16 December to enhance security in the telecommunications sector and curb the use of unregistered mobile devices. Once enforced, any unregistered, stolen, or illegally imported phone will be barred from accessing mobile networks in Bangladesh.