Limiting SIMs to five per NID a rumour: BTRC

Recent media reports claiming that the government has decided to reduce the SIM registration limit to five per national identity card (NID) from January 1, 2026 are incorrect and misleading, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the regulator said such misinformation creates unnecessary confusion among customers and businesses.

The telecom industry also emphasised that limiting the number of SIMs is neither an effective nor a sustainable solution to address crime, fraud or misuse of mobile services, the statement said.

Instead, these challenges can be more effectively managed through strong know-your-customer (KYC) enforcement, real-time monitoring, data analytics and advanced fraud-detection mechanisms, rather than imposing blanket restrictions on legitimate users and enterprises.

The statement further noted that overly restrictive policies may inadvertently push users towards informal or unregulated channels, increasing security risks instead of reducing them.

The telecommunications sector remains committed to supporting individual users, entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, and technology-enabled services, while safeguarding customer rights and freedom of choice, it added.