The home ministry will form a monitoring cell to prevent mobile phone-based crimes and unauthorised sale of SIMs, says the state minister.
“The cell will work to put an end to mobile phone crimes. Home ministry joint secretary (political) will head the body to be formed with representatives from law-enforcing agencies, detective agencies and mobile operators,” Shamsul Haque Tuku said on Wednesday.
“The government is serious to deal with such crimes,” he told reporters after a meeting with officials of six mobile operators at the Secretariat.
The mobile phone operators on Wednesday urged the state minister to lift the provision that requires showing the national identity card for buying SIMs (Subscriber Identification Modules) while the sale only by authorised dealers and retailers.
The government imposed the rules in October last year, a decision that the operators claim has reduced their sale of SIMs.
They proposed Tuku to allow also certificates from public representatives and other identity cards as proofs of identity.
Tuku assured the operators that he would raise the issue with the national committee on mobile phone.
He, however, warned that those selling SIMs without specific documents will be caught and detained.
The monitoring cell will look into mobile phone-related crime cases and the illegal sale of SIMs, he added.
There are 751 dealers and 185,100 retailers collectively authorised by the mobile operators in the country.
Read the original story on The Independent
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