SIM registration : Biometric authentication 

The government is planning to introduce biometric authentication system to prevent forgery in the registration of Subscriber Identity Module, popularly known as SIM, for cell phones.

The government has planned to introduce the system on 16 December, Victory Day, said officials in the posts and telecommunications ministry, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and cell phone operators.

They said a new SIM card would be activated as much as 72 hours after its registration only after verifying the information provided by the user with the information preserved in the national identity database.

Officials in the posts and telecommunications ministry said the ministry has already sent letters to the cell phone operators issuing necessary instructions to introduce biometric authentication system from 16 December this year.

The ministry also asked the operators to take initiative to manage necessary software and equipment as well as to train their sales agents on how to use the biometric authentication system.

BTRC on Tuesday held a meeting with the cell phone operators in this connection.

BTRC secretary Sarwar Alam told Prothom Alo that a pilot project would be undertaken in November to introduce the biometric system and on the basis of the experience of the pilot project, the system would be introduced on 16 December.

Cell phone operators have welcomed the decision of introducing the biometric authentication system. Grameen Phone’s chief corporate affairs officer Mahmud Hossain told Prothom Alo that the operator would make all arrangements to implement the government instructions.

Robi Axiata vice president Ekram Kabir said, “We hope that the government will give us necessary time to introduce the biometric authentication system.”

At the instruction of the posts and telecommunications ministry, cell phone operators have handed over the information of their registered users to the National Identity Wing (NID) of the Election Commission and the NID wing is verifying the information.

After the verification, the NID would send information about those SIMs to be found registered under fake identity to the BTRC and the ministry.

The NID would also send information about the persons who are using multiple SIMs at a time.

After all verifications, the cell phone operators will send messages to the users whose SIMs are found registered against ake identities, requesting them to register his or her SIM anew with the genuine national ID.

The user would be given seven days to register his or her SIM. If the user does not register his SIM within the stipulated time, the SIM would then be disconnected permanently.

Users with multiple SIMs would be asked through SMS to let the authorities concerned know as to how many SIMs he or she would like to use. The user would get seven days time in this regard, too.

The biometric authentication system would be introduced in December after completing all procedures within next three months.

Talking to Prothom Alo, state minister for posts and telecommunications Tarana Halim said, “Victory Day is related to our national pride. That is why we want to start this good task from that day.”

Asked whether all the SIM users would need to register their SIMs anew with the biometric system, Tarana Halim said, “As the verification is on, those who have proper registration would not have to go through this procedure.”

A senior BTRC official said it would be clear after the verification that everyone has to register with biometric system or not. According to BTRC’s last survey, there are 12.87 crore mobile phone SIM users in the country.

Sources of posts and telecommunications ministry said the mobile phone operations have have an agreement with the Election Commission to get access of national identification (NID) server to verify the customer information. The mobile phone companies have been asked to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) as quickly as possible.

Sources said the verification of the bulk customers have already started. The mobile phone operators have been asked to hand over their customer information to the project director (NID) for the ‘bulk verification’ of the SIM and RIM registration. Grameenphone has been given 15 days, ROBI Axiata got 10 days, Banglalink 10 days, and Airtel, Citycell, and Teletalk has been given seven days for this.

List of retail SIM card dealers would be also prepared as well. Registration of retailers would be done on the basis of the list given by the mobile phone companies.