How to check and register your phone
Here's a quick, simple guide to what you need to do
Mobile phone users across Bangladesh are being urged to check whether their devices are properly registered as the government has formally begun blocking unofficial handsets with the launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR).
The process officially began on 1 January, when the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) introduced the NEIR system. Under this mechanism, any new unofficial or illegally imported handset attempting to connect to the country's mobile networks will be automatically detected and, after a stipulated period, disconnected if it is not registered.
Legally imported handsets will continue to be registered automatically when they connect to a mobile network. However, devices brought into the country through unofficial or illegal channels - whose IMEI numbers are not listed in the BTRC database - must be manually registered within the allowed timeframe to remain operational.
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BTRC has clarified that handsets already active on the network before 1 January will not be blocked, and the NEIR system will only apply to phones newly connecting to mobile networks from that date onward.
Users are therefore advised to verify their phone's registration status and complete registration in time to avoid service disruption.
Here's a quick, simple guide to what you need to do
