Dhaka, Nov. 20 -- The government will move to block all cloned, illegally imported and smuggled mobile phones as part of a broader effort to curb crime, protect consumers and support the domestic handset industry, Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb said yesterday.

According to a press release from the ministry, Taiyeb warned that illegal mobile phones are tied to a wide range of offences, including fraudulent SIM registration, online scams, bulk SMS fraud, tax and customs evasion, border smuggling and disruption to local phone manufacturing. He said shutting down these devices is essential to safeguarding both national security and the digital ecosy...