18 SIM Cards Registered Against Expatriate Returnee’s NID Without His Knowledge

Abdul Malek, 56, obtained his National Identity Card (NID) after returning to Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia. However, when he tried to purchase a mobile SIM card in his own name, he was told that 18 SIM cards had already been registered against his NID. Malek claims he has never obtained even a single SIM card himself. Although he has managed to deactivate some of them by contacting different mobile operators, several remain active.

Malek is a resident of Molla Bari in South Luduya village, under East Fatehpur Union of Matlab Uttar upazila in Chandpur. His father was the late Noab Ali.

Malek said he had not obtained an NID earlier because he had lived in Saudi Arabia for a long time. After returning to Bangladesh, he applied for an NID around two months ago and received the card a week ago. When he subsequently visited a computer shop at Sujatpur Bazar to purchase a SIM in his name, the shopkeeper informed him that 18 SIM cards were already registered against his NID.

He later contacted the offices of different mobile operators in Chandpur to verify the registration details. According to him, two SIM cards were registered under Robi, four under Banglalink and 12 under Teletalk.

Malek said the two Robi SIM cards have been deactivated. He was told that he would have to travel to Dhaka to cancel the four Banglalink SIM cards. Of the 12 Teletalk SIM cards, three have reportedly been deactivated, while the authorities said the remaining ones would be cancelled in phases.

“I haven't obtained even one SIM card. Who registered these SIMs, and whether they are being used for good or bad purposes—I know nothing. I went through considerable trouble to get some of them cancelled. But what will I do if the same group registers more SIM cards in my name in the future?” Malek said.

He further claimed that he provided his fingerprints only at the election office while applying for his NID and had not given his fingerprints anywhere else. He questioned how so many SIM cards could have been registered using his identity information or fingerprints.

Malek said that when he contacted the police station over the matter, he was advised to approach the election office. He fears that he could face harassment if any of the SIM cards are used in criminal activities.

The allegation that multiple SIM cards were registered against a citizen's NID without his knowledge has raised concerns about personal data security and transparency in the SIM registration system. Malek says that cancelling the existing SIM cards is not enough; effective measures must also be taken to prevent any further SIM cards from being registered using his identity.

Shamsuzzaman Dollar, president of the Matlab Uttar Upazila Committee for Prevention of Corruption, described the allegation as highly concerning. He said it raises questions about personal data security and the transparency of the SIM registration system. He called for a prompt investigation to identify those responsible for registering the SIM cards, ensure the victim's security and hold the responsible parties accountable.

Matlab Uttar Upazila Election Officer Sultana Elin said she had never encountered such an incident during her career. She said she could not understand how so many SIM cards could be registered against someone's NID without the person's fingerprints. However, she expressed the view that hacking the election office's server was not possible. She added that the matter should be examined if specific information becomes available.

Chandpur District Election Officer Ziaur Rahman Khalifa said the election office was not responsible for the incident and that the mobile operators should bear responsibility.

Meanwhile, Assistant Manager of Chandpur BTCL Hasib Ahmed said his office did not handle such matters, describing them as an issue for the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

However, it was not possible to contact any officials from the BTRC or the relevant mobile operators for comment on the SIM registration allegations.