NEIR Seen as Key to Combating Cybercrime and Protecting Bangladesh’s Digital Ecosystem
Stakeholders believe that the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) is essential for preventing cybercrime, ensuring internal security, and meeting the needs of Bangladesh’s rapidly growing industrial sector. Once implemented, NEIR is expected to protect citizens from various forms of harassment and criminal activities, according to experts.
Discussions on the policy challenges and realities of Bangladesh’s digital device sector are taking place at the Digital Device and Innovation Expo 2026, currently being held at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh–China Friendship Conference Center (BCCFC) in the capital.
As part of the expo, these views were expressed at a seminar titled “Prospects and Challenges of Implementing the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) in Bangladesh”, held on Thursday, January 29.
The seminar was organized under the initiative of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division, with support from the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority and the Bangladesh Computer Society (BCS). The session was chaired by ICT Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, while the keynote paper was presented by former Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), Major General (Retd.) Md. Nasim Parvez.
Participants in the discussion included Joint Secretary of the ICT Division Dr. Mohammad Azizul Haque, Head of Regulatory Management and Commercial Affairs at Grameenphone Imtiaz Shafique, Director General of the Spectrum Division at BTRC Brigadier General Md. Aminul Haque, Executive Director of Excel Telecom Private Limited Mohammad Saifuddin Tipu, and Additional Deputy Police Commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Division of CTTC, S. M. Mobashwer Hossain.
During the seminar, speakers discussed the practical implementation of NEIR, customer awareness, policy preparedness, and cybersecurity considerations. They emphasized that effective implementation of NEIR requires coordinated efforts among the government, mobile operators, importers, and law enforcement agencies.
In his keynote presentation, Nasim Parvez explained why NEIR has become necessary for Bangladesh at this stage. He stated that around 40 percent of devices in the country are illegal, resulting in an annual revenue loss of approximately BDT 6,000 crore for the government. Beyond revenue losses, he noted that the use of old and substandard handsets also poses risks to public health.
However, he observed that misinformation has overshadowed facts regarding NEIR implementation. He urged all relevant stakeholders to work on raising awareness, adding that claims about handset prices increasing due to NEIR are also part of this misinformation. He concluded his presentation with several recommendations, including comprehensive awareness-building initiatives.
Brigadier General (Retd.) Aminul Haque said that the introduction of NEIR is supported not only by BTRC, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and BIDA, but also by the mobile industry itself. According to him, NBR wants to prevent the loss of around BDT 2,000 crore in annual revenue, while multiple ministries support NEIR due to the involvement of various stakeholders. BIDA supports the initiative to protect investments made by numerous foreign companies worth thousands of crores of taka, and law enforcement agencies see NEIR as crucial for ensuring public safety and security.
DIG Abu Bashar Talukder said that cybercrime will be one of the biggest challenges in the coming days. He noted that the implementation of NEIR would help reduce this challenge, as crimes committed through mobile phones could be identified more easily.
Grameenphone’s Imtiaz Shafique stated that the entire telecom ecosystem is fundamentally dependent on handsets, making NEIR implementation essential. He expressed confidence that once NEIR is in place, smartphone penetration in the country will increase further.
Excel Telecom Executive Director Mohammad Saifuddin Tipu emphasized that NEIR is necessary to protect the local industry. He noted that around 18 companies currently manufacture mobile phones in Bangladesh, employing about 50,000 people directly in factories, with an additional estimated 50,000 indirectly involved through distribution networks. He said the industry contributes around BDT 3,000 crore in revenue annually, yet legitimate manufacturers currently control only 50 percent of the market, while the remaining half is dominated by illegal traders from whom the government earns no revenue.
Additional Deputy Police Commissioner S. M. Mobashwer Hossain of CTTC’s Cyber Crime Investigation Division said that mobile-related criminal activities are frequent in Bangladesh, and ordinary citizens are often the victims. He acknowledged that it is not always possible to take action in every case, despite the existence of a dedicated cybercrime lab at CTTC. He expressed confidence that NEIR would significantly ease the identification and investigation of such crimes once implemented.
DBTech/EH/EK/OR
