Govt to cut smartphone duty, allow travellers three handsets

The National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Ministry of Commerce, the Posts and Telecommunications Division and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) have agreed on several major decisions to reduce import duties on smartphones and ease handset regulations.

The decisions were taken at a meeting held on December 1 at the Secretariat, chaired by Faez Ahmed Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser in charge of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.

Key decisions

1. Expatriates can use phones without registration for 60 days
Bangladeshis living abroad may use their smartphones without registration for up to 60 days while visiting the country. Those staying longer must register their devices.

2. Expatriates with BMET cards can bring three phones duty-free
Expatriates who hold a BMET registration card may bring a total of three phones without duty—one personal handset plus two new sets. A fourth device will require tax.
Expatriates without a BMET card may bring one additional handset duty-free, but must carry valid purchase documents to prevent misuse by smugglers who often pressure travellers to carry undeclared items.

3. Smartphone import duty to be significantly reduced
The government has started the process of substantially lowering the current 61% import duty on legally imported smartphones. Officials say this will reduce handset prices.

4. Local manufacturers’ duties to be adjusted
As import duties decrease, duties and VAT for locally manufactured phones must also be revised to protect foreign investment in Bangladesh’s 13–14 handset factories.
BTRC and NBR have already held multiple meetings with the Commerce Ministry on balancing the two sides.

5. Warning on misuse of SIMs registered under one’s name
Citizens are urged to regularly check whether any unknown person is using a SIM card registered in their name, as such misuse is linked to cybercrime, online scams, gambling and mobile banking fraud. Only SIMs registered in one’s own name should be used.

6. Illegal phones to be restricted; some may be regularised temporarily
Cloned phones, stolen/robbed sets and refurbished devices will be banned.
Stocked handsets imported illegally but carrying valid IMEI numbers may be legalised with reduced duty if their IMEI list is submitted to BTRC before December 16. This facility will not apply to cloned or refurbished devices.
Phones activated before December 16 will not be blocked.

7. NEIR to take effect on December 16
With the launch of NEIR, users are warned to avoid purchasing handsets without valid IMEI numbers. Illegal, smuggled and cloned phones will be blocked nationwide.
The government also plans to stop the dumping of old foreign handsets and the import of refurbished units disguised with new casings. Customs surveillance at airports and land ports will be intensified, especially on flights arriving from India, Thailand and China.

The draft Telecommunications Ordinance (Amendment) 2025 includes strong data protection measures for SIM eKYC and IMEI registration. A new provision will criminalise any breach of registration data.

The government urged citizens not to be misled by rumours and to remain aware of ongoing reforms.