Mobile phone traders and their employees took to the streets in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar on Sunday protesting the government's decision to block unauthorised handsets from December 16.
Traffic in the surrounding areas was disrupted as the demonstrators marched while chanting slogans and holding placards demanding the move be halted.
Witnesses said several hundred traders and employees from various areas of Dhaka gathered near Karwan Bazar around 1:00pm. They then brought out a procession and marched through Banglamotor and Karwan Bazar areas.
Alamgir Kabir, owner of Anika Telecom in Dhanmondi, said the current situation has made business "impossible," prompting them to demonstrate.
"We want to do business by paying taxes, but the tax structure must be rational," he stressed.
"If the government does not meet our demands, we will hold a mass rally in Dhaka with participation of lakhs of mobile phone traders from across the country," added Alamgir.
Shamiul Islam, a trader from Badda, said, "We want the government to reduce the current tax. We want to conduct business lawfully, but the law must protect the interests of both customers and traders."
They protesters left the road around 2:45pm
Meanwhile, many mobile phone shops — particularly in Dhaka — remained closed today in protest against the government's decision to enforce the national equipment identity register (NEIR) from December 16.
NEIR is a system that records and verifies the unique IMEI numbers of mobile phones. It blocks illegal, cloned, or unregistered devices, preventing them from accessing mobile networks once enforcement begins.
