The home ministry on Sunday once again asked the mobile phone operators to ensure that vendors do not sell any subscriber identification module (SIM) cards without proper identification in a bid to curb crimes through cell phones. ‘We will go tough against the sale of unregistered SIMs. A subscriber must submit copies of either national identity card or passport or driving licence or certificates from Union Parishad chairman to purchase a SIM card,’ state minister for home Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters after a meeting at the secretariat.
He said the lawmen could easily track down the persons issuing threats for extortions or committing other crimes through cell phones if the dealers had the proper identification documents of the mobile phone subscribers.
Retailers, allegedly in association with the mobile phone companies, are still selling pre-activated SIM cards in the capital, violating laws and, therefore, lending a helping hand to criminals.
Police said they were facing problems in tracking criminals because of false registration of SIM cards.
In the wake of rising incidents of crime, such as issuing threats and extortions through cell phones, the home ministry on several occasions in the past directed the operators to comply the law in selling SIM cards.
‘We cannot always track the persons committing crimes through cell phones as the accused are using the cell phones not properly registered,’ the junior minister added.
Senior officials of the home ministry, heads of the law enforcement agencies and representatives from mobile phone operators, among others, attended the meeting.
Replying to a question, Asaduzzaman said that the government would take it seriously from now on so that dealers ensure proper registration before the sale of the SIM cards of any mobile phone operators.
He mentioned that the situation was not improving even after the registration was made mandatory.
SIM cards with false registration are used by most of the criminals. ‘Because of this, we have often faced problems in tracking them,’ a police official alleged.
Continued on The operators assured the meeting that they would ensure proper registration before the SIM cards were activated.
Many retailers do not demand any documents although proper documentation of a subscriber’s information is mandatory as per Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission laws.
As per a BTRC directive issued in September 2012, any mobile connection will be activated only after the subscriber submits documents like copy of his/her national identity card and photograph to the retailer and the mobile company concerned completes verification.
-With New Age input
