The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has issued a strict directive requiring mobile phone owners to de-register their devices before selling or handing them over to a new user.
The announcement, made by the commission's Spectrum Division on Tuesday, follows the full implementation of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system earlier this year.
According to the regulatory body, the NEIR system became fully operational on January 1, automatically registering all mobile phones currently active on the country's cellular networks.
The commission stated that this new mandatory de-registration process is essential to ensure transparency in handset management and to curb the trade and use of illegal, stolen, or unauthorized devices.
Under the new guidelines, a user must officially unlink the handset from their National Identity (NID) profile before transferring ownership.
The BTRC explained that to complete the de-registration process, the user must provide the last four digits of the NID card or passport that was originally used to register the SIM card associated with the phone.
To facilitate this transition, the commission has advised citizens to visit the official portal at neir.btrc.gov.bd for detailed instructions.
Additionally, users facing difficulties can seek assistance by dialing the BTRC helpline at 100 or by visiting the nearest customer care center of their respective mobile network operators.
