Bangladesh’s mobile phone sector is facing severe instability following the government’s implementation of the National Equipment Identity Registrar (NEIR) system. The Mobile Phone Industry Owners Association of Bangladesh (MIOB) raised branded handset prices soon after the rollout and donated Tk 46 crore to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to support the project. Meanwhile, grey market traders have protested the initiative, claiming it will render their unsold stock unusable. After a 20‑day closure, they reopened shops but suspended sales of officially distributed smartphones, pledging to continue demonstrations until March 15.
Industry sources said the price surge is not sudden but linked to a global rise in memory chip costs, which have increased by up to 60% since 2025. The higher component prices, coupled with growing demand for AI‑enabled smartphones requiring more RAM and processing power, have pushed production costs up by 10–15%. Retail prices in Bangladesh have risen 10–25% across categories, with brands such as Xiaomi, Vivo, Infinix, Realme, Samsung, and OnePlus all increasing prices.
The BTRC stated that it accepted MIOB’s donation due to the absence of government budget for NEIR, describing the move as being in the national interest.
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