NEIR Goes Live Today: How to Check If Your Mobile Is Legal

The National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) activity officially begins today, Thursday (1 January). Through this system, newly connected illegitimate handsets on the network will come under the process of being blocked.

BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd) Md Emdadul Bari said: “At present, no approved or unapproved handset that is active on the network will be blocked. Even the unsold handsets with traders whose IMEI lists have been submitted to BTRC will not be blocked.”

It is now very easy to find out whether your mobile phone is legitimately registered. Users can check the registration status of their phone through a few simple steps, and in some cases, without needing an internet connection.

Step-by-step Verification Process

Step 1: Dial *16161# from your mobile phone.

Step 2: Enter your phone’s 15-digit IMEI number in the displayed box and send.

Step 3: Within a short time, a reply SMS will inform you of the handset’s current registration status.

BTRC has stated that users can also avail this service by logging into the citizen portal through the website neir.btrc.gov.bd or by visiting the nearest customer care centre of their mobile operator.

Alternatively, follow these few steps to confirm legitimacy:

Step 1: Go to the message option on your mobile phone and type KYD followed by a space and your 15-digit IMEI number (example: KYD 123456789012345).

Step 2: Send the message to 16002.

Step 3: You will receive a reply message informing you about the validity of your mobile handset.

Earlier, on 10 December last year, mobile traders held a protest and blockade at Karwan Bazar in the capital against the blocking of illegitimate handsets or ‘grey market’ phones. In response, the Posts and Telecommunications Division had announced that the NEIR launch would be postponed by three months. However, a BTRC official said that no formal communication has been received by the commission regarding the three-month postponement decision.

BTRC explained that NEIR is being launched to prevent illegitimate handsets, block stolen phones, and eliminate disorder in the mobile market. Technically, NEIR verifies three elements — IMEI, SIM number, and IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) — to keep the network active. It does not record calls, read messages, or monitor internet activity.

However, since NEIR links devices and SIMs permanently in a central database, there are concerns about surveillance. Experts believe that while NEIR itself is not a surveillance tool, weak security measures could create opportunities for monitoring.

Countries such as India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and Australia also have similar systems in place to block stolen phones. Some experts say NEIR can help curb fraud in the digital economy. However, critics argue that its legitimacy will depend on strict legal oversight, transparency, reasonableness, and protection of privacy.