Is this a gateway to more intrusive surveillance?
The launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) has created more panic and confusion than the security the government promises it will deliver. The government has stated that the main objectives of making mobile handset registration mandatory are to prevent tax evasion, stop the entry of illegal and counterfeit mobile phones into the country, and support crime control. Experts, however, believe that, as seen in the past, the system creates greater scope for a government to expand surveillance of citizens since both SIM cards and handsets will be registered against individuals.
In 2016, the Awami League government made biometric registration, including fingerprints, mandatory for mobile SIM cards, citing crime prevention as a justification. But instead, fingerprints of citizens were misused to register SIM cards, leading to numerous incidents of mobile phone fraud and crime. After the NEIR system went live on January 1, 2026, many people received a rude shock when they discovered that 30 to 40 mobile phones had been registered in their name using their National Identity Card (NID). This exposes individuals to the risk of being implicated in criminal activity if phones have been registered under their NID without their knowledge. One can only imagine the legal complications and harassment such individuals may face to extricate themselves from this kind of situation.
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The government's assurances, moreover, are not very convincing. According to officials from the telecom and IT ministry, this is a temporary technical glitch involving the inclusion of historical data of handsets linked to active SIMs or devices. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and mobile operators are reportedly working together to resolve the problem. But given the country's poor track record in protecting private data and preventing major breaches, public concern is hardly misplaced.
Experts have pointed out that the NEIR should not have been launched without proper testing. The BTRC, moreover, has failed to clearly explain the nature of these glitches to the public, further fuelling anxiety. That mobile phone traders—whose livelihoods are at stake—resorted to protests that ended in vandalism at the BTRC headquarters reflects the government's lack of foresight and strategic planning before implementing such a drastic measure. The government has since announced that total duties on handsets will be reduced from 61.8 percent to 43.4 percent, but this has failed to satisfy traders.
So why was it so necessary to launch the NEIR at this moment? At a time when it was evident that the move, however well-intentioned, would adversely affect small traders, introducing a system that effectively renders their businesses illegal or uncertain overnight seems quite imprudent. From the consumer's perspective, many may no longer be able to afford to buy smartphones due to rising prices, while all mobile phone users will understandably worry whether the new system could become a gateway to more intrusive surveillance.
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