SIM registration sans NID

Passport, driving licence can be used for six months: Tarana

Mobile phone subscribers who do not have National Identification Document (NID) will be able to register their SIM cards with passport, driving licence and birth certificate.
State Minister for Posts and Telecom-munications Division Tarana Halim said this in a Facebook post yesterday.
But, the SIM registration will be only valid for six months from the day of registration and it must be registred with a valid NID within the time, the state minister also wrote.
Also, temporary NID can be used for this process but it will be only good for six months, she told The Independent yesterday.
When asked about the registration process for minors, who are under 18 years of age, the state minister said parents or guardians can purchase and register SIM on behalf of them.
About the SIM registration process for expatriates the state minister said if they are not able to come to Bangladesh now their parents or relatives can complete the process for expats.
“We are talking to the mobile phone operators and officials of Election Commission to come up with a registration system for physically challenged people who do not have both hands or unable to give finger print,” she said.
The operators have been asked to give priority to old SIM registration and at the same time the registration of new SIM will continue, Tarana said.
Bangladesh as the second country has started the biometric SIM registration on December 16 last year to ensure the actual ownership of mobile phone users, and the process will be continued till April 30 this year.
But, the minister expressed her dissatisfaction over the progress of re-registration process, saying that “the cellular phone operators are not cooperating cent per cent, rather they are moving ‘go slow’ for the process which was not expected from them (operators).”
Referring to the lots of allegations against the operators’ customer care centers and appointed agents for running the verification process, Tarana Halim said:
“They (operators) have to make explanation for those allegations no one is beyond the accountability.”
Stern action will be taken if any operator charge fees for SIM registration, she said adding any amount of money taken for registration must be refunded to subscribers.
Earlier, Tarana Halim said they would cancel the approval of the retailers if they charge any fee during SIM registration using biometric system.
“At first we would make them (retailers) blacklisted and then cancel the approval if they charge any money,” she added.
Referring to receiving huge numbers of allegations in her facebook page, Tarana Halim told the CEOs that “there would be no scope to charge extra money for the service.”
She informed the newsmen that in the meeting they have taken decision “to blacklist the retailers through investigation and cancel their retailer-ship”.
Tarana asked the operators to take action against the retailers responsible for taking money immediately to set instance.
Bangladesh as the second country has started the biometric SIM registration on December 16 last year to ensure the actual ownership of cellphone users, and the process will be continued till April 30 this year.
Replying to a query on completion of the re-registration process by April 30, the state minister said they are determined to finish the job on the stipulated time.
arana Halim expressed her dissatisfaction over the progress of re-registration process, saying that “the cellular phone operators are not cooperating wholeheartedly, rather they are moving ‘go slow’ pace for the process which was not expected from them (operators).”
She said the operators should put concentration on strengthening monitoring and team work in filed level to make the campaign in reality on time.

SIM registration sans NID

Passport, driving licence can be used for six months: Tarana

Mobile phone subscribers who do not have National Identification Document (NID) will be able to register their SIM cards with passport, driving licence and birth certificate. State Minister for Posts and Telecom-munications Division Tarana Halim said this in a Facebook post yesterday. But, the SIM registration will be only valid for six months from the day of registration and it must be registred with a valid NID within the time, the state minister also wrote. Also, temporary NID can be used for this process but it will be only good for six months, she told The Independent yesterday. When asked about the registration process for minors, who are under 18 years of age, the state minister said parents or guardians can purchase and register SIM on behalf of them. About the SIM registration process for expatriates the state minister said if they are not able to come to Bangladesh now their parents or relatives can complete the process for expats. We are talking to the mobile phone operators and officials of Election Commission to come up with a registration system for physically challenged people who do not have both hands or unable to give finger print, she said. The operators have been asked to give priority to old SIM registration and at the same time the registration of new SIM will continue, Tarana said. Bangladesh as the second country has started the biometric SIM registration on December 16 last year to ensure the actual ownership of mobile phone users, and the process will be continued till April 30 this year. But, the minister expressed her dissatisfaction over the progress of re-registration process, saying that the cellular phone operators are not cooperating cent per cent, rather they are moving go slow for the process which was not expected from them (operators). Referring to the lots of allegations against the operators customer care centers and appointed agents for running the verification process, Tarana Halim said: They (operators) have to make explanation for those allegations no one is beyond the accountability. Stern action will be taken if any operator charge fees for SIM registration, she said adding any amount of money taken for registration must be refunded to subscribers. Earlier, Tarana Halim said they would cancel the approval of the retailers if they charge any fee during SIM registration using biometric system. At first we would make them (retailers) blacklisted and then cancel the approval if they charge any money, she added. Referring to receiving huge numbers of allegations in her facebook page, Tarana Halim told the CEOs that there would be no scope to charge extra money for the service. She informed the newsmen that in the meeting they have taken decision to blacklist the retailers through investigation and cancel their retailer-ship. Tarana asked the operators to take action against the retailers responsible for taking money immediately to set instance. Bangladesh as the second country has started the biometric SIM registration on December 16 last year to ensure the actual ownership of cellphone users, and the process will be continued till April 30 this year. Replying to a query on completion of the re-registration process by April 30, the state minister said they are determined to finish the job on the stipulated time. arana Halim expressed her dissatisfaction over the progress of re-registration process, saying that the cellular phone operators are not cooperating wholeheartedly, rather they are moving go slow pace for the process which was not expected from them (operators). She said the operators should put concentration on strengthening monitoring and team work in filed level to make the campaign in reality on time.