1.25 lakh illegal mobile phones spotted in the last 3 days

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has located 1.25 lakh illegal mobile phones in the last three days after the launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR).

Earlier on Thursday, BTRC decided to stop the use of illegally imported mobile phones and ensure the government's revenue collection.

The authorities will block the illegal mobile phones which will fail to receive registration at the final stage, according to the BTRC, reports Prothom Alo.

The system of spotting illegal cell phones formally started on 1 July, after operating it experimentally for three months.

Customers will be able to use mobile phones that were included in the network until 1 July, but other illegal phones will be blocked, sources of BTRC said.

Besides, BTRC also operated awareness campaigns at different shopping malls and cell phone shops in different places in the capital on Monday, over the matter.

Vice-Chairman of BTRC Subrata Roy said that people should inspect properly before buying any cell phone.

The National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) was launched on 1 July to prevent theft and misuse of mobile phones and to provide assistance to law enforcement agencies for the sake of national security.

The regulatory commission requested citizens earlier to check the legality of their phone sets by sending a message, typing KYD <space> fifteen-digit IMEI number to 16002. The IMEI number is printed on the handset box. Buyers can also find it by dialing *#06#.

According to the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Business Association (BMBA), there are around 3 crore illegal phone sets in the country, and the number is increasing gradually.

From a legal importer, the government gets Tk. 3,000 against each device in the form of import duties. But the government loses revenue when a mobile handset is sold or purchased illegally.