Bangladesh will launch the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) on 1 January 2026, postponing the rollout from the previously scheduled date of 16 December to give mobile phone traders additional time to complete mandatory handset registration.

The decision comes as a significant number of traders have yet to submit IMEI numbers and related information for unsold or stocked mobile handsets, according to a press release issued on Monday by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

Under the revised timeline, the deadline for submitting details of previously imported but unsold or stocked handsets has been extended to 31 December 2025. The extension is intended to ensure that these devices can be integrated into mobile networks once the NEIR system becomes operational.

Earlier, all mobile phone traders were required to submit IMEI numbers and related information for their unsold or stocked handsets by 15 December 2025 for inclusion in the NEIR system. However, BTRC noted that many traders were unable to meet the deadline.

The regulator has urged all concerned mobile phone traders to submit the required information in the prescribed format by 31 December 2025 via email to [email protected].