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Published : 07 Dec 2025, 01:47 PM
Mobile phone traders have blocked the road in front of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) headquarters in Dhaka to protest the government’s decision to deactivate unregistered handsets.
Several hundred traders and their employees gathered outside the BTRC building in Agargaon on Sunday under the banner of "Mobile Business Community Bangladesh."
They later moved onto the road, bringing traffic to a halt on one side of the Shishu Mela–Agargaon route.
Inspector Masud Rana of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station said traffic remained normal in the opposite lane but movement towards Agargaon had stalled.
The blockade was still in place at 1pm.
Police also closed one side of the road at the nearby Shishu Mela intersection, leading to congestion on Mirpur Road in the Shyamoli area.
The demonstration comes amid growing unease among traders over the government’s plan to enforce the National Equipment Identity Registrar (NEIR) from Dec 16. The system would block mobile phones that are not officially registered.
Last week, many mobile phone shops across Dhaka and other parts of the country were shuttered in protest.
Traders also staged a demonstration at the SAARC Fountain intersection in Karwan Bazar, followed by a road blockade on Pragati Sarani two days later on Dec 2.
The protesters say they are seeking reforms to the NEIR process, a fairer tax policy, the dismantling of what they describe as monopolistic syndicates, and equal trading opportunities. They accuse the government of moving ahead with NEIR without consulting those affected.
On Saturday, mobile traders announced an indefinite closure of shops from Sunday to press home their demands, including the opening of mobile phone imports to more businesses and an end to alleged syndicate control.
In line with that decision, shops remained closed and traders assembled outside the BTRC office for Sunday’s protests.
