NEIR Data Stays Domestic: BTRC, Agni Systems Deny India Link
Amid nationwide debate for and against the registration process of imported mobile handsets, allegations have emerged claiming that user data under the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) is being transferred to India. The controversy intensified following the launch of phishing websites using the NEIR name.
In this context, DigiBanglaTech.news published a tech-exclusive investigative report on January 13 titled “Is NEIR Data Stored on Indian Servers?” Based on fact-checking and disclaimers, the debunking report examined the claims in detail. Following its publication, both the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and internet service provider Agni Systems Limited issued parallel statements clarifying the matter.
No Scope for NEIR Data Going Abroad: BTRC
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission stated that all data of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system are securely stored within Bangladesh, with no possibility of data or traffic being transferred to any foreign country.
In a special notice issued by BTRC’s Spectrum Division, the regulator said the NEIR system was launched on January 1 under a government decision to prevent illegal handset imports, curb theft, suppress crimes committed using illegal handsets, and ensure government revenue.
Since the launch of NEIR, misleading information regarding the system’s server location and IP usage has been circulating on social media and online platforms, the notice said. BTRC clarified that all NEIR data are hosted within the country, using the commission’s own hardware, in full compliance with government-mandated data protection laws to ensure customer data security.
The IP addresses used by the system are allocated by APNIC in the name of a Bangladeshi organization. All operational requests related to NEIR are processed domestically, and IP route analysis has confirmed the system’s physical location and security within Bangladesh, BTRC added.
No NEIR Data Stored or Transferred Abroad: Agni Systems
Agni Systems Limited also issued a statement rejecting claims that the NEIR database is hosted overseas, following reports of protests and demonstrations by an organization alleging foreign data hosting.
The company described the claims as completely false, baseless, and misleading. According to Agni Systems, technical verification across multiple international databases confirmed that the NEIR web server is located in Dhaka. More than eight independent geo-location and IP verification platforms reported the server’s location as Bangladesh.
Only one third-party IP location database incorrectly showed a foreign address—Delhi, India—due to an internal database error, the company explained.
Agni Systems further clarified that all NEIR data are stored entirely within Bangladesh at the data centers of BTRC and Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL). There is no scope for storing or transferring any NEIR data outside the country.
As a domestic internet service provider, Agni Systems provides data routing and network security services only. The IP address in question is allocated to Agni Systems as a Bangladeshi ISP and is not part of any foreign ISP infrastructure. The confusion arose solely due to incorrect data entry by a third-party database provider, with no involvement or liability on the part of Agni Systems.
The company said it has already contacted the relevant international database service provider, which has assured that the error will be corrected promptly.
Agni Systems reiterated that the NEIR system is fully built on Bangladeshi infrastructure, with its database hosted inside the country, and that allegations of data transfer abroad are entirely unfounded.
DBTech/Press Release/EK/OR
