Tech Desk : dhakamirror.com
Tourists coming to Bangladesh will be able to get a tourist SIM card, like in many other places around the world, according to official documents from BTRC,.
These SIM cards for tourists will work for 7, 15, or 30 days in a certain block. Tourists can only add two SIM cards to their passports.
According to official BTRC documents, tourists can also get an e-SIM card when they enter the country through any of its ports.
Most tourists and people from other countries only stay in the country for a short time. Once they leave, the SIM card linked to their passport is no longer used, so it doesn’t bring in any money.
Once a registered SIM is not being used, the rules say that it can’t be re-registered in someone else’s name for 540 days. This wastes resources like the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN).
Bangladeshi people and people from other countries or tourists visiting Bangladesh have different needs.
Foreigners usually don’t want to buy Bangladeshi SIM cards because there is no service that cares about their needs.
If a foreigner only uses the SIM for a short time and then puts it away, it will stay active for as long as the visa is valid, up to a maximum of 6 months.
These new tourist SIMs can be registered at retailers of BTRC-authorized operators and customer care centers of the country at all air, land, and sea ports in Bangladesh.
This SIM will be marked differently on the Central Biometric Verification Monitoring Platform (CBVMP), and operators won’t be able to give tourist SIMs to people outside of the block that was set up for them.
In the same way, because the SIM card’s validity is limited, it will automatically stop working after 30 days.
After the tourist SIM, if a foreigner needs the SIM for a longer time, the bidder can get a new SIM regularly against the work permit.
On the other hand, based on the demand of foreigners or tourists, operators can offer different deals and packages than the regular package after activating the tourist SIM on a specific serial number.
But the packages and deals for this SIM will need to be approved by BTRC first.
At the same time, only data, voice (international/national), SMS, and combo (international/national) plans will be available.
“We are currently working on this to benefit tourists visiting Bangladesh so they can enjoy their stay. More details regarding tourists SIMs will be shared soon,” said Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, vice-chairman of BTRC.
