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South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-Keun has stressed on the introduction of the While List System for parallel or illegal import mobile handsets so that terrorists and extremists or money laundering entities cannot utilize PI phones.
The envoy said at his first meeting in his tenure with Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar on Tuesday.
The parallel or illegal import (PI) of mobile phones further complicates the industry’s business situation, hampering local manufacturing. PI phones have increased by more than 50 percent, amounting to Tk 5,000 crore ($0.5 b), for which the Bangladesh government is losing its revenue up to Tk1,000 crore($100m).
If the While List System is applied to PI phones, phones that are not registered with their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number with the system will not work. By doing so, terrorists and extremists or money laundering entities cannot utilize PI phones.
Ambassador Lee adduced that if the White List system is ushered in Bangladesh, customers will desist from buying PI, thereby protecting legal distribution lines. As a corollary, manufacturers will increase investment, and more jobs will be created.
National security will also be enhanced in the absence of terrorists and criminals taking advantage of national communication due to the absence of IMEI, he added.
The envoy also stressed on an increase in foreign investments in the Bangladesh Mobile Industry by fostering investment-friendly situations.
