SIM registration in post offices soon, says telecoms state minister

Post offices will soon be used for registering biometric signatures of mobile SIM users, telecoms state minister Tarana Halim has said.

Officials abroad and expatriates can also have their SIM cards registered at Bangladesh embassies abroad, she said at a cabinet meeting on Monday.

There were more than 9,000 post offices in Bangladesh and they will have biometric devices besides operators by next week, she said.  

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will register her own SIM to reassure people. She’ll register before the deadline passes on Apr 30,” she said.

Fingerprints became mandatory for buying new SIM cards after the re-registration drive got underway in December last year.

SIMs already in use also have to be registered, which involves scanning the user’s index finger and thumb to avoid deactivation after Apr 30.

The government has been trying to reassure citizens as concerns have risen about placing sensitive information in the hands of mobile operators. A writ petition was filed seeking court directives to put a stop to the drive.

“The people will feel reassured that we’re not storing their fingerprints once the prime minister registers herself. People must have ownership of their SIM connections for wider welfare and prevent crimes, militancy and use of illegal VoIP,” said Halim.

The state minister stood in line for around 20 minutes to have her mobile SIM registered.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam ruled out possibilities of a misuse of SIMs, saying mobile operators collect the fingerprints for verification with the National ID database but are not responsible for storing the data.

However, a hefty fine of Tk 3 billion will be imposed in case of a misuse of data by any mobile operator, he added.