The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) has clarified that recent media reports claiming the government has decided to reduce the SIM registration limit to five per National ID (NID) from Thursday are false, misleading, and factually incorrect.
AMTOB states that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has not issued any directive or decision regarding such a reduction. Dissemination of unverified information risks creating unnecessary confusion among mobile subscribers, enterprises, and stakeholders across the digital ecosystem.
The association further emphasizes that limiting the number of SIMs per NID is neither an effective nor a sustainable approach to addressing crime, fraud, or misuse of mobile services. Global best practices demonstrate that these challenges are better mitigated through robust Know Your Customer (KYC) enforcement, real-time network monitoring, data analytics, and advanced fraud detection mechanisms, rather than imposing blanket numerical restrictions on legitimate users and businesses.
AMTOB cautions that overly restrictive policies may unintentionally push users toward informal or unregulated communication channels, thereby increasing security and compliance risks instead of reducing them.
The mobile telecommunications industry remains committed to supporting individual consumers, entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, and technology-driven services, while ensuring the protection of customer rights and freedom of choice.
AMTOB reiterates its readiness to continue working closely with regulators and policymakers to ensure that connectivity-related policies strike an appropriate balance between security, accessibility, innovation, and consumer empowerment, fostering sustainable digital and economic growth for Bangladesh.
