Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has set a new cap on the number of mobile SIM cards a user can register with a single National Identity Card (NID), lowering the limit from 15 to 10.

In a notice issued on Wednesday, BTRC said that subscribers who currently have more than 10 SIMs registered under their NID must deactivate the excess ones by 30 October 2025. Users are instructed to visit their respective mobile operators’ customer care centres to complete the de-registration process.

To check how many SIM cards are registered under a NID, users can dial *16001# from any mobile phone, the commission said.

Previously, a person could register up to 15 SIM cards against one NID. 

BTRC officials said the new policy aims to improve subscriber management, curb illegal activities, and enhance national security by preventing misuse of excess SIM cards.

Failure to deactivate extra SIMs within the deadline may result in automatic deactivation by mobile operators, according to the commission.

MSK/