Bangladesh is preparing to reduce taxes on legally imported mobile phones as part of a broader effort to stabilise handset prices and strengthen regulation ahead of the launch of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) on December 16, according to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.
The decision was made at a meeting on December 1 involving the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Ministry of Commerce, the Posts and Telecommunications Division and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
According to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, the government is working to lower the current import duty of about 61 percent to encourage legal imports and bring down retail prices. The government is also considering adjustments to VAT and taxes applied to locally assembled devices, with ministries working to ensure that any reduction in import duties does not disadvantage the country's 13 to 14 domestic manufacturing plants, which rely on foreign investment.
The meeting also addressed rules affecting expatriate Bangladeshis travelling home. Those with BMET registration cards will be permitted to bring in three mobile phones without tax, while other travellers may bring two. Visitors will be allowed to use their own smartphones without registration for up to 60 days, after which devices must be registered.
Officials encouraged travellers to carry valid purchase documents to prevent their devices from being used in smuggling networks operating across regional airports like Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Middle East.
Traders holding stockpiled devices imported without duty but carrying valid IMEI numbers will be able to regularise them at a reduced tax rate before December 16, following discussions between BTRC and the revenue authorities. However, this concession will not apply to cloned or refurbished phones.
No active handset will be disconnected before the NEIR system goes live on 16 December, officials said, urging the public not to be misled by rumours of sudden shutdowns. Authorities also reminded mobile users to check that SIM cards registered in their names are not being used for cybercrime, online gambling or mobile banking fraud, and advised consumers to avoid buying handsets that lack legally issued IMEI numbers.
Officials said the NEIR rollout will help curb dumping of old and repurposed phones into the country, as well as the longstanding practice of replacing casings to disguise electronic waste as new devices. Customs inspections are being stepped up at airports and land ports handling flights from India, Thailand and China.
The upcoming Telecommunications Act 2025 includes new data protection measures for eKYC and IMEI registration, introducing penalties for misuse of registration data.
Regarding the implementation of tax reduction, NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan told The Daily Star, "We will make decisions based on the broader national interest. We are not saying that duties will be reduced immediately, but the matter is under consideration."
