Mobile phone traders on Thursday vandalised the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) headquarters in the capital’s Agargaon area, protesting the launch of the National Equipment Identification Register (NEIR), a mandatory handset registration system that came into effect the same day.
The protest turned violent in the afternoon when demonstrators attacked the BTRC building, throwing bricks and stones and damaging glass panels of the main structure and corridors. A Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) bus parked in a nearby alley was also vandalised.
Law enforcement agencies, including the army, police, RAB, Coast Guard and Ansar members, were deployed in large numbers to bring the situation under control. At least five people were detained in connection with the violence, officials said.
Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Ibn-e-Mizan said the attackers launched a sudden assault on the BTRC premises. “They carried out an abrupt attack and hurled bricks and stones. We are trying to control the situation,” he told reporters.
Ansar personnel on duty at the BTRC said mobile phone traders had been staging demonstrations since around 2:00pm, and the situation escalated into vandalism at about 3:00pm. By early evening, visible damage was seen across the building, including shattered glass in corridors and on the main façade.
The traders have been protesting the implementation of NEIR for several days, opposing the mandatory registration of mobile phone handsets. The government, however, says the system is aimed at curbing tax evasion and preventing the circulation of low-quality, cloned, used and illegally imported mobile phones in the domestic market.
Under the NEIR system, only government-approved, legally imported handsets will be allowed to connect to mobile networks. Phones brought into the country through illegal channels, including old and used handsets smuggled from abroad, will no longer function once the system is fully enforced.
Officials clarified that mobile phones already in use on networks before the launch of NEIR will not be disconnected. Ahead of the rollout, the authorities had extended the deadline until December 31 for traders to submit information on unsold or stocked handsets, following demands from business groups. That deadline expired on Wednesday.
No injuries among BTRC officials or staff were reported in the incident.
Authorities said legal action would be taken against those involved in the vandalism, while security around the BTRC headquarters has been tightened.