Rohingyas to Receive Regulated Mobile, Internet Access
Over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, displaced by the Myanmar junta’s persecution, are set to receive long-awaited legal access to mobile and internet services — a move expected to replace widespread illegal connectivity.
According to sources, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to visit the Rohingya camps on August 25. If all arrangements proceed as planned, he may inaugurate the service on the same day. In the first phase, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will facilitate the allocation of 10,000 SIM cards from Bangladesh’s four telecom operators. Rohingyas will be able to purchase these SIMs using a “Progress ID.” While it remains unclear whether a formal agreement between the government and UNHCR has been finalized, officials say efforts are underway to launch the initiative swiftly.
Under existing SIM sale regulations, buyers must present a valid identification document and complete biometric verification. Since Rohingyas lack national ID cards, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) held a meeting with mobile operators on October 11 to explore using UNHCR’s “Progress ID” as an alternative. Under the government agreement, the database will be hosted at the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Data Center, with the handover process to the government expected to be completed by November. Operators will then register users’ names and offer three service packages, the cost of which will be covered by either UNHCR or the government. Only Rohingyas aged 18 or older will be eligible.
The government will also deactivate any illegally registered SIMs currently in use with Bangladeshi national IDs, potentially shutting down around 400,000 active connections in the camps.
BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd.) Emdadul Bari confirmed to the media that the plan is still “under discussion.”
Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Banglalink, urged for a simplified registration process. “This is critical from a national security perspective. But the registration process needs to be made easier,” he said.
The idea of providing SIM cards to Rohingyas was first considered in 2023 after reports emerged that illegal Bangladeshi and Myanmar SIMs were being used by criminal groups in the camps. At the time, discussions centered around offering only state-owned Teletalk connections. This time, BTRC plans to extend the service through all operators.
