BTRC to Cap SIM Ownership at Five per NID From January
Ahead of the upcoming national election, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is set to tighten controls on mobile-centric crimes by reducing the number of SIM cards that can be registered against a single individual’s National Identity Card (NID). While personal SIM ownership will be capped, the commission will allow the sale of special-series SIMs for Internet of Things (IoT) devices through a separate registration mechanism.
According to BTRC decisions, from January 2026 a maximum of five SIM cards can be registered against one NID—down from the current limit of ten. Once the decision comes into effect, any SIMs exceeding the new limit will be deactivated.
Sources said that some unscrupulous retailers have been storing customers’ biometric data without their knowledge while selling SIM cards at the retail level. Using this data, additional SIMs are allegedly being registered illegally without customers’ consent. BTRC monitoring has found instances where multiple SIM cards were registered under a single customer’s name in just one day. To curb such irregularities, the government is moving toward stricter enforcement.
A BTRC official said the decision was taken recently at a special law and order meeting held at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Considering the current situation in the country, a proposal has been made to limit new SIM registrations by mobile network operators to a maximum of five per individual. Subject to approval from the Posts and Telecommunications Division, the rule will take effect from January 2026.
Earlier, on October 26, following a meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said there were plans to reduce the number of SIMs used at the personal level ahead of the election. The government’s longer-term goal, he added, is to further reduce the personal SIM usage limit to as few as two.
Two days later, on October 29, at a press conference at the BTRC headquarters, BTRC Chairman Major General (retd) Md. Emdad Ul Bari said that from November 1, mobile operators would begin shutting down SIMs exceeding the ten-SIM limit per NID. By the end of December, no individual would have more than ten active SIMs under a single NID.
However, in December he clarified that from January 1, any person seeking to purchase a new SIM would not be allowed to register more than five SIMs against one NID. Those who currently have ten SIMs will be required to reduce the number to five before being allowed to buy additional SIMs.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions from both customers and service providers. Mobile operators argue that the assumption that reducing the number of SIMs will automatically curb crime is unfounded. Some customers noted that individuals often need to buy SIMs in the names of family members and that SIM cards are no longer used solely for voice calls but also for internet access and IoT devices. Others pointed out that multiple operator SIMs are often necessary for better network coverage and package benefits.
At the same time, some believe the restriction will not pose major problems for households with multiple adult NID holders. However, concerns remain for families with members who do not yet have NIDs and must rely on others, making the proposed limit feel too restrictive for them.
Currently, around 188 million SIM cards are in use by approximately 67.59 million people across the country. Of these users, about 12 million hold six SIM cards each. Notably, 80 percent of all subscribers already use no more than five SIM cards.
DBTech/IH/OR
