No New Five-SIM Limit per NID, Mobile Operators Clarify

The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) has said that the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) did not issue any directive limiting SIM ownership to a maximum of five connections per national identity (NID) card.

In a statement issued on Tuesday (December 30), AMTOB said recent media reports claiming that, from January 1, 2026, the number of SIM registrations per NID would be reduced to five are “incorrect and misleading”. Such reports, it warned, could cause unnecessary concern among customers and businesses.

AMTOB said it does not believe that simply capping the number of SIMs per user is an effective way to tackle mobile misuse, fraud or crime. 

Instead, it added, more emphasis should be placed on proper customer identity verification, real-time monitoring, data analytics and advanced fraud-detection technologies.

Placing additional restrictions on legitimate users and enterprises could push them towards informal or unregulated channels, which may in fact increase security risks, the association cautioned.

The telecom industry, AMTOB said, remains committed to protecting consumer rights and freedom of choice, while supporting individuals, entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises and technology-based services.

For Bangladesh’s sustainable digital and economic growth, the sector is working continuously with regulators to ensure that relevant policies strike the right balance between security, access, innovation and consumer rights.