Mobile phone retailers hold human chain at Karwan Bazar, demand dialogue before NEIR rollout

Mobile phone shop owners staged a human chain in Dhaka today (30 November), calling for dialogue with the government and reforms to policy provisions before the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) is implemented.

The demonstration, organised by the Mobile Business Community Bangladesh (MBCB), was held in the Karwan Bazar–Panthapath area.

As part of the broader movement, mobile phone shops across the country remained closed today, and similar human chains were held in cities, districts and upazilas in support of the same demands.

Speakers at the Dhaka programme said NEIR should be introduced only after consultations with market participants, who they note represent more than 70% of the country's mobile phone market.

They said they were not opposed to NEIR but wanted rational reforms to the process, a fair taxation system, the dismantling of monopolistic syndicates and equal opportunities for all businesses.

According to the organisers, the authorities were moving to enforce NEIR without considering the concerns of most retailers.

Business leaders said the sudden announcement of NEIR had caused instability in the market, with nearly 25,000 businesses and more than two million people dependent on the mobile phone trade facing uncertainty.

They said retailers had taken large bank loans worth hundreds of crores of taka and were holding unsold handset stocks also worth crores.

Selling the remaining inventory by 16 December would be impossible, they said, adding that giving exclusive advantages to a few businesses would damage the rest of the market.

The leaders warned that if the government did not open dialogue before NEIR takes effect, mobile phone retailers from across the country would gather in Dhaka for tougher protests.

MBCB leaders said that under the current NEIR framework, legal handset imports would become impossible, regardless of whether the duty is 57% or reduced to zero.

They referred to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) import guidelines that state if a foreign brand assembles products locally, no other entity may import models of that brand.

They said this created monopolies, reduced competition, placed control of the market for nearly 180 million users in the hands of a few firms, increased prices and harmed consumers. They also warned that such outcomes could hinder the country's digital transformation goals.

To ensure market stability, the organisation presented several proposals to the government.

These include removing mandatory exclusive agreements with manufacturers, allowing automatic handset registration upon submission of the bill of entry, providing additional time or issuing a clear policy for selling unsold inventory, reducing the 57% duty on imported handsets, preventing local manufacturers from engaging in retail operations, administering NEIR through a multi-ministry framework and adopting practical, research-based policies.

Members of the MBCB central committee, along with market owners and employees from various parts of Dhaka, took part in the programme.