2.8 mobile phone subscribers drop out in Bangladesh

The number of mobile phone subscribers in Bangladesh has dropped by more than 2.8 million in the last four months, according to BTRC statistics.

The country had 133.72 million subscribers at the end of December 2015. The number gradually dropped to 130.88 million in March 2016, says BTRC.

In January 2016, the country had 131.95 million subscribers, reducing to 131.08 million in February, indicating a steady drop every month in this quarter.

Mobile phone operators say the government's insistence on biometric registration and re-registration of SIM cards is responsible for this sharp drop in their subscriber base.

Biometric registration and re-registration was made mandatory from Dec 16 last year.

Posts and telecommunications division says 54.5 million subscribers went for biometric registration until Apr 10.

Grameenphone has lost 400,000 subscribers (from 56.6 million to 56.2 million) between December and March, BTRC statistics indicated.

Banglalink, the second largest operator, lost 900,000 subscribers (from 32.8 million to 31.9 million) between December and March.

Robi lost as many subscribers in these three months -- from 28.3 million to 27.4 million.

Airtel lost 600,000 subscribers at the same time -- from 10.7 million to 10.1 million.

Citycell’s subscriber base also dropped by 200,000 – from 1 million to 800,000.

Only state-sponsored Teletalk has gained more subscribers since the biometric registration was made mandatory.

From 4.1 million in December, its number of subscribers has gone up to 4.2 million in March.

But all SIMs which are registered are not active. Mobile operators say that just over half the SIMs registered -- 80 million of the 130 million -- are active.

State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim had threatened to deactivate all SIMs if subscribers do not go for biometric registration or re-registration.

"This is a transition period. The number of subscribers may go up after the biometric registration and re-registration process is complete," TIM Nurul Kabir, secretary general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, told bdnews24.com.

One senior official of a top mobile operator company said many subscribers are not going for biometric re-registration of the multiple SIMs they hold. "So some of these SIMs are getting deactivated and the numbers are dropping."