Glitch in EC server disrupts mobile SIM sale

The SIM-related services have remained suspended for two days due to the technical glitch in the national identity (NID) registration server, belonging to the election commission (EC) -- which, however, said it will be solved tomorrow, Wednesday.     

The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) sent a letter to the EC on Monday regarding the issue.

The letter read the country's four mobile network operators (MNO) are connected to the database server of the election commission. The server needs to be functional for 24 hours.

But the operators are experiencing troubles repeatedly, disrupting the services related to SIM.  

They have not been able to work in the server for the last 18 hours -- from Sunday evening to Tuesday evening, the letter further read.   

In the letter, AMTOB urged the election commission to treat the matter seriously and hold a meeting with the operators.      

Secretary general of AMTOB colonel (retired) Mohammad Zulfiqar told Prothom Alo that national identity (NID) server of the election commission is used to provide SIM related services, including SIM registration, SIM replacement, MNP, SIM roaming and SIM ownership transfer, to the people through verifying their NID cards.

However, the services remain suspended due to the malfunction in the server.

Mohammad Ashraf Hossain, system manager of NID registration, told Prothom Alo that the problem will be resolved by tomorrow. Those who wanted to take biometric services for SIM registration are facing the problems.