I did not say that NEIR will remain suspended for three months: DC Masud Alam

Recently, various media outlets quoting Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam reported that the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system will be suspended for three months. However, Masud Alam, later, clearly told the media that he did not give any such information.

DC Masud Alam said, "I did not say that NEIR will be suspended for three months. I gave such a message on behalf of the Information and Communication Technology Department that no mobile phone will be blocked illegally for three months."

When contacted earlier on the matter, BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd.) Emdad-ul-Bari also confirmed, "NEIR is operational and will not be closed."

The government has officially launched the NEIR system to make mobile phone registration mandatory from January 1. At the same time, the duty on legally imported phones was reduced to 43.4 percent. The illegal handsets have also been allowed to come under the legal framework. The BTRC office was vandalized in protest against this decision.

According to BTRC, NEIR basically keeps the network active by verifying IMEI, SIM number and IMSI. It does not record any calls, read messages or monitor internet activities.

Expatriates will be able to bring two new handsets into the country along with their used phones within three months and register them with NEIR. During this three-month period, the phones will remain active and can be registered with travel documents.