BTRC has launched NEIR (National Equipment Identity Register) to ban all illegal mobile handsets. So if your handset is not registered under NEIR then it will be deemed as illegal and deactivated automatically under BTRC. The handset will not be usable in this country.
Validity of mobile handsets without NEIR
All mobile handsets in Bangladesh (legal or illegal) will be automatically registered by BTRC by June 30th 2021. Phones that are bought after this date will need to be registered online from the official NEIR website. New phones need to be registered within10 days of purchase or they will be automatically deactivated.
This is only in the case of phones that are bought from abroad or illegally. If your phone is from Bangladesh from a legal seller then NEIR is not required.
How to do NEIR (National Equipment Identity Register)
Since NEIR has been activated since July 1st 2021, it is important to register your phone as soon as possible to avoid being deactivated.
Handsets can be activated through the official NEIR website: NEIR(Citizen)
At first you will have to register to the website if you haven’t already. This process is very simple. All you have to do is provide your name, mobile number and a password and you’re good to go!
With the given information you can now login to the website.
Every handset has an IMEI number which can be found from Settings > About Phone.
After logging in you can check the IMEI status of your current phone with the IMEI number or you can register a new phone under “Special Registration of Handset”. To register your handset you will need the following documents:
- Buyer/Applicant Passport (Personal Info Page) – Mandatory
- Immigration page from passport – Mandatory
- Invoice/Purchase Receipt – Mandatory
- Tax Payment Receipt (For more than 2 piece)
The documents will vary upon the type of handset (Purchased, Gifted or Airmail).These documents have to be added to the given attachment box. After adding all the necessary documents you have to click submit and your handset will be registered to BTRC permanently.
If you have any more queries regarding the NEIR process you can contact BTRC’s helpline: 100 or your mobile operator’s custom care number.
How to check current NEIR status
In order to check if your phone has been registered or not you will have to login to the NEIR website: NEIR(Citizen). After logging in click on “Handset IMEI status check”. You will then see a screen that says to enter your IMEI number. Enter the 15 digit number and click search. You will immediately get a message to see if your phone has been registered or not.
Another method is to check through SMS:
Handsets from abroad
Regarding handsets from abroad there are only 3 options, either gifted, airmail or bought personally. So if your handset falls under any one of these categories you can easily register from the website.
But if you are a citizen of another country coming to travel to Bangladesh then it does not clarify if you will have to register your handset for the time being or will it still be legal without registration. According to BTRC, all unregistered handsets after June 30th 2021 will be considered illegal. From this statement, it is possible that it also indicated the handsets of travellers.
If a handset is found to be unregistered after the given date, then the user will be given a 3 month warning period during which they can register their phone before it is permanently deactivated.
