Mobile shop owners shut stores nationwide indefinitely
Mobile phone shop owners across Bangladesh have closed their stores indefinitely starting Sunday (7 December). Most mobile shops in Dhaka were observed shut from the morning.
The protest is being staged to press several demands, including reforms to the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR), the elimination of syndicate practices, and the opening of mobile phone import opportunities. The NEIR is set to be implemented from 16 December.
Meanwhile, mobile phone traders have warned of a possible siege of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) office in Agargaon, Dhaka, as part of their demands.
The Bangladesh Mobile Business Community (BMBC), the organization representing mobile phone traders, announced the programme on Saturday night (6 December).
Abu Sayeed Piyas, General Secretary of BMBC, said that mobile shops nationwide have been closed from Sunday morning to press their demands. Traders are now gathering in front of the BTRC office in Dhaka, where a sit-in protest will be held.
Mobile phone traders have expressed concerns that the NEIR implementation could adversely affect millions of businesses and their families. They argue that the new regulations will primarily benefit a specific group while increasing costs for consumers due to additional taxes.
Traders’ demands and grievances
The traders emphasised that the NEIR should be implemented only after discussions with companies holding more than 70% of the market share. They clarified that they are not opposed to the NEIR itself but seek reforms, fair taxation policies, the abolition of monopolistic syndicates, and equal opportunities for all under a free market. They want to formally present their concerns to the government.
According to the traders, the sudden NEIR announcement without prior consultation has created market instability, putting around 25,000 businesses and over 2 million people at risk. Many have taken substantial bank loans and currently hold mobile phone stocks worth hundreds of millions of takas. Selling this large inventory before 16 December is practically impossible. They warn that if their demands are ignored and only a few businesses are given monopoly privileges, many traders could face severe losses.
BMBC leaders also claimed that under the current NEIR framework, legally importing mobile phones would be impossible, regardless of whether the duty is 57% or zero. The BTRC import policy specifies that if a foreign brand assembles its products locally, no other company is allowed to import that brand’s model.
Traders argue that this policy effectively creates monopolistic opportunities, eliminates competition, and concentrates control of the mobile phone market of 180 million people in the hands of a few companies. This could lead to sudden price increases for smartphones, severely affecting ordinary consumers.