The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has taken initiative to deactivate unregistered mobile phones to ensure revenue collection and prevent theft as well as unauthorised use of mobile phones.
To this end, BTRC issued a circular on Sunday.
“Through the BTRC, every mobile phone must be registered by tagging it with the national identity card and registered SIM card,” the circular reads.
BTRC has taken steps to initiate full-phase operations of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system to ensure revenue collection by halting the use of illegally produced or imported mobile phones and prevent theft and unauthorised use.
It said that unregistered mobile phones will be disconnected soon. So, the organisation urged everyone to check the validity before buying a new mobile phone.
When BTRC's activity starts, even if illegal mobile phones remain active, users will not be able to avail any services on their SIM cards, such as mobile data usage, making calls, or receiving calls.
So, before purchasing a mobile handset, users can verify its authenticity by sending the 15-digit IMEI number (e.g. KYD 123456789012345) from the message option to 16002. This measure is aimed at validating the handsets before its purchase, the organisation says.
