Dhaka, Oct. 28 -- For 10 months, Bangladesh's mobile-phone registration system has remained in limbo. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), which announced that the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) would launch on Jan 1, now says it is waiting for government approval.

Phones labelled "unofficial" still work freely on networks, despite plans to disconnect them.

Authorities argued that smuggled, low-quality, stolen and refurbished handsets evade taxes and can facilitate fraud.

Grey-market traders countered that excluding them would raise prices and undermine digital inclusion.

Their protests turned violent in December, when the Mobile Business Community of Bangladesh rallied outside BTRC headquarters ...