Dhaka, Jan 02 (V7N) – Even after the official launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR), illegal and cloned mobile handsets will not be blocked for the next 90 days, said Faiz Ahmed Tayyab, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor on Telecommunications and Information Technology.

He conveyed this assurance to mobile phone users in a Facebook post on Friday (January 2), urging customers not to panic following the activation of the new system.

In his post, Tayyab said that although NEIR has become operational, no immediate action will be taken against illegal or cloned devices during the initial 90-day period.

Explaining the current confusion among users, he said that telecom operators have already uploaded more than three billion data sets, including historical records, into the system. As a result, many National Identity Cards (NIDs) are temporarily showing a higher number of active SIMs or handsets.

“Since the migration date is showing as current, the system is reflecting historical usage. Gradually, this data will be archived in the background and only currently active devices will be shown. This will take some time,” he said.

He added that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and mobile operators are working jointly to resolve these technical issues.

Tayyab acknowledged receiving feedback from users regarding errors and inconsistencies in NEIR data. “Initially, several complex technical issues are expected on such a platform. We are addressing them step by step,” he said, thanking users for pointing out the problems.

Regarding system security, he said that although VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) had been conducted earlier, authorities have instructed that VAPT be conducted again to ensure stronger protection. He noted that the NEIR system was not newly installed and that an initial attempt to launch it was made in 2021, with additional functional features added before its current activation.

Referring to SIM registration policies, Tayyab said that in the past, individuals were allowed to register up to 20 SIMs, later reduced to 15, and now capped at 10 SIMs per NID. This explains why historical data may show an unusually high number of SIMs or devices against a single NID.

However, he said this visibility could increase public awareness. “It is a civil right of citizens to know whether any financial crimes, mobile banking fraud or online gambling activities are being conducted using SIMs or devices registered under their NID,” he added.

At the end of his post, Tayyab assured users that steps have been taken to secure the NEIR database. He said secure digital tokens (JWT), rate limiting, and multi-layer authentication processes are active, and further security layers are being added to prevent unauthorized access.

It may be noted that NEIR was officially launched on January 1 to curb the use of illegal, stolen and unofficial mobile handsets in Bangladesh. Through this system, IMEI numbers of all devices connected to mobile networks are being registered in a national database, enabling easier identification of stolen and illegal phones. However, its launch has led to confusion among users, which authorities say will be resolved gradually.

END/SMA/AJ