Mobile phone traders blocked the road in front of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) office in the capital’s Agargaon area on Sunday, demanding reform of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system, among other issues.
At the call of the Bangladesh Mobile Business Community, traders and shop employees from various shopping malls gathered in front of the BTRC building around 10:30am, staging a sit-in and blocking traffic in the area.
Holding placards and banners, the protesters chanted slogans pressing their demands, causing severe traffic congestion and inconvenience for commuters.
Leaders of the organisation said traders have been facing multiple challenges for a long time, but no effective steps have been taken to address them, forcing them to take to the streets.
The key demands include reform of the NEIR system, abolition of the syndicate system in the mobile handset market, and opening legal avenues for mobile phone imports.
Bangladesh Mobile Business Community Secretary Abu Sayeed Pias said traders had repeatedly sought dialogue with the government, but received no response.
“We have appealed for discussions many times, but no one has called us even once. These issues could have been resolved through dialogue. Now retail traders nationwide have been forced to announce shop closures,” he said.
Earlier, traders had announced a tougher movement, including an indefinite shutdown of mobile phone shops across the country from Sunday, alongside the program to surround the BTRC office.
Traders allege that the implementation of the NEIR system will affect millions involved in the mobile phone business, while benefiting a specific group by creating an artificial crisis in the market.
They also fear handset prices will rise due to complications and additional duties in the import process, ultimately burdening consumers.
On November 30, as part of a previous program, mobile phone traders closed shops and formed a human chain in the Karwan Bazar–Panthapath area of the capital.
According to government plans, the NEIR system is scheduled to be implemented from December 16, under which unregistered, stolen or illegally imported mobile phones will be barred from using mobile networks in the country.
Mobile phone traders have intensified protests ahead of the system’s rollout.
