NEIR to remain operational: Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb

Despite the ongoing protests by mobile phone traders, there is no change in the government's stance on keeping the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) operational, said Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.

Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb said that since the duty on mobile phone imports has been reduced, the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) will remain operational from now on.

Faiz Ahmed said this at a press conference after visiting the BTRC building in Agargaon in the capital on Sunday.

At the press conference, Faiz Ahmed called for bringing the attackers of the BTRC building to trial. He said that such attacks on state institutions are completely unprecedented. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been requested to bring those involved in this under the law. A case has been filed regarding this and other government institutions have been ordered to prevent such heinous attacks in the future.

At the press conference, Faiz Ahmed said, "When a regulatory tool comes, various problems arise. We have resolved these problems very quickly... A team has worked 24/7 (every day of the week). They have worked through the night and resolved the problems."

Stating that the citizens' information is safe, the special assistant to the chief adviser said that through this, the path to freedom from the insecurity of citizens on the internet and SIM-centric or unregistered device-centric fraud and financial crimes has begun.

On January 1, the government officially launched the NEIR program. At the same time, the duty on legally imported mobile phones was reduced from 60 percent to 43.4 percent and illegal handsets were also given the opportunity to be brought under the legal framework. However, mobile phone traders protested on that day too. The BTRC office was also vandalized that day.

Meanwhile, mobile phone traders staged a protest in Dhaka today demanding a halt to the implementation of NEIR. They blocked a road in the Karwan Bazar area in the morning. At one stage, the traders clashed with law enforcement forces. Police fired stun grenades and tear gas shells in addition to baton charges to disperse the protesters.

In today's protest, the traders also demanded a halt to the NEIR activities, withdrawal of the cases filed against them and the release of those arrested.