Bangladesh, Oct. 22 -- The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has drawn up a two-phase plan to reactivate the National Equipment Identification Register (NEIR), with the first phase scheduled for January 1, 2027, to curb tax evasion involving illegal mobile handsets and address security risks and financial fraud linked to unregistered and cloned devices.Buy Maps

The proposed rollout aims to address estimated annual government revenue losses of Tk 20 billion (Tk 2,000 crore) from tax evasion involving illegal handset production, smuggling and unauthorised sales in the domestic market, according to a document prepared for a commission meeting, citing an assessment by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

Under the f...