The National Equipment Identification Register (NEIR) system will remain suspended for the next three months, according to Masud Alam, deputy commissioner (DC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Ramna Division.
He made the statement on Sunday afternoon while speaking to reporters following a meeting with representatives of mobile phone traders, who staged day-long demonstrations at Karwan Bazar and clashed with police during efforts to disperse them.
However, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has yet to officially confirm any decision regarding the postponement of the NEIR system.
Representatives of mobile phone traders, who observed a nationwide shutdown of mobile phone shops on Sunday, also said they were unaware of any such development.
Earlier in the day, at least 20 mobile phone traders were injured and 12 reportedly detained as police cleared protesters from several key intersections in the capital.
Law enforcement used baton charges, water cannons, tear shells and sound grenades as traders staged sit-ins demanding the withdrawal and postponement of the NEIR system.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in the afternoon, Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, said the NEIR system would not be shut down, as the demands of mobile phone traders had already been addressed.
“Despite the government reducing duties on legally imported mobile phones, the BTRC building was attacked, which was unjustified and against the law,” Taiyeb said after visiting the BTRC headquarters.
The NEIR system officially came into effect on Thursday, requiring the IMEI numbers of all mobile phones used on mobile networks to be registered in a national database.