Mobile phone Industry Owners’ Association- MIOB got registration
After two years of application, the Mobile Phone Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (MIOB) received registration as a commercial organization. The organization made its official debut on Monday through the membership of 11 mobile phone manufacturers out of 16 companies registered by BTRC in the country. But Walton, the country's first mobile manufacturer, and RFL, which went into production last, have not yet joined the organization. Chinese brand Xiaomi too is not a member. OK Mobile did not apply for membership as it had not started production.
However, according to Section 21 of the New Trade Organization Act 2022, if you start manufacturing mobile phones in Bangladesh, you must be a member of this trade organization. This Act was gazetted on April 13 last year.
11 mobile phone manufacturers have already been registered under this Act. Founding members include: Fair Electronics (Samsung), Edison Industries (Symphony), CarlCare Technology (Itel, Tecno), Union Techpark (Nokia), Grameen Distribution (Lava), Linux Electronics (Linux, Bengal), Benly (Oppo, Realme ), Best Tycoon (Vivo), Banglatronics, Alamin Brothers (Five Star) and Mycel.
According to sources, MIOB was registered as the second commercial organization of the year on January 11. However, on Sunday (January 29, 2023), Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi handed over the license in the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce.
The license was accepted by Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub, the president of the new structure and the chairman of Fair Group, Zakaria Shahid, the general secretary of the organization and the managing director of Edison Group, and other members of the organization.
It may be noted that, currently the mobile phone market in the country is about 15 thousand crore taka per year. Almost 100% of the mobile handsets of the country are now being manufactured in the country. In 2017, the first mobile factory was established in the country under the government's incentives. After that, within a short span of time almost all the established brands set up their factories. After that, the import gradually decreased. As a result, the Mobile Phone Importers Association (BMPIA) gradually faded away. At that time, the leaders of that organization formed the producer organization. The previous committee members are in the new leadership. But according to the constitution, the next leadership will be formed through elections.
Through the new organization, the mobile phone manufacturers work on one platform and take the sector forward; that is what the sector stakeholders feel.
