Panel formed to oversee SIM re-registration

Tarana Halim

Telecom Minister Tarana Halim yesterday asked mobile operators to cooperate with the government for re-registration of all existing connections through biometric verification.

To monitor progress in biometric SIM registration, the government yesterday formed a two-member committee that will detect any anomalies in the system.

If needed, the regulator will even fine the respective operators, said Tarana, speaking at the inauguration of the website of Bangladesh Telecom Reporters' Network at the secretariat.

"I found several anomalies, such as a lack of biometric machine, and harassment of customers, while visiting many registration centres in the city. So, the committee has been formed to supervise the system."

The committee members are Brig Gen Emdad ul Bari, director general of systems and services department at Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, and Brig Gen Shaekh-Uz-Zaman, a senior official of National Telecom Monitoring Centre.

Bangladesh's six mobile phone operators began applying biometrics, such as verifying fingerprints, for SIM card verification and re-registration from December 16 last year. There is a lack of publicity over the re-registration process, and so people are not well aware of it, Tarana said.

"We are going through lots of trial and error but the job needs to be completed before the deadline and I am going to be strict on it."

"Initially, there were problems in the Election Commission's server, but everything is okay now with no complaints. So the operators cannot give excuses," she added.

Biometric SIM registration will continue till April this year.