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Published : 07 Dec 2025, 09:26 PM
Senior BNP leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said, if the party comes to power, the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) policy will be thoroughly reviewed.
Speaking at a discussion on Sunday, held amid protests by mobile handset traders opposing mandatory registration under the NEIR, he said other regulations conflicting with free-market principles will also be reviewed if the BNP is elected.
“We will consult all stakeholders and make adjustments accordingly. Policies of the previous or current [government] that contradict a free-market economy will certainly be revised.
“You cannot talk about a free market on one hand and create a government-controlled market on the other.”
The discussion, titled NEIR: Implementation Framework, National Interest, and Citizen Concerns, was organised by the Centre for Technology Journalism (CTJ).
On the same day, mobile phone traders under the banner of the Mobile Business Community Bangladesh began protesting at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in Agargaon from 10:30am, initially blocking one side of the road and later, by 1pm, closing all roads in the area, causing severe traffic disruption.
Traders demand reforms to the NEIR process, fair tax policies, abolition of monopolistic syndicates, and equal opportunity for all, but allege the government is pushing the policy unilaterally.
The NEIR, set to take effect from Dec 16, will require government-approved handsets to access mobile networks, although authorities have assured that devices active before that will not be disconnected.
Khosru also questioned the high cost of essential products, citing the government’s Tk 670 billion investment in Digital Bangladesh, and argued that reducing taxes can actually increase revenue by expanding the tax base.
He added that under a BNP government, all exporters will receive bonded warehouse and back-to-back LC [letter-of-credit] facilities, recalling how similar incentives during Ziaur Rahman’s tenure benefited the country’s garment sector.
The discussion, titled NEIR: Implementation Framework, National Interest, and Citizen Concerns, was organised by the Centre for Technology Journalism (CTJ) at a city hotel.
On the same day, mobile phone traders under the banner of the Mobile Business Community Bangladesh began protesting at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in Agargaon from 10:30am, initially blocking one side of the road and later, by 1pm, closing all roads in the area, causing severe traffic disruption.
Traders demand reforms to the NEIR process, fair tax policies, abolition of monopolistic syndicates, and equal opportunity for all, but allege the government is pushing the policy unilaterally.
The NEIR, set to take effect from Dec 16, will require government-approved handsets to access mobile networks, although authorities have assured that devices active before that will not be disconnected.
Khosru also questioned the high cost of essential products, citing the government’s Tk 670 billion investment in Digital Bangladesh, and argued that reducing taxes can actually increase revenue by expanding the tax base.
He added that under a BNP government, all exporters will receive bonded warehouses and back-to-back LC [letter-of-credit] facilities, recalling how similar incentives during Ziaur Rahman’s tenure benefited the country’s garment sector.
