The leaders of Bangladesh Mobile Phone Importers Association at a press briefing in Dhaka also urged the government to re-fix the flat import duty on a mobile phone set at Tk 200 from exiting rate Tk 1600 to discourage smuggling.

The association leaders said they will stop import from the next year if the government does not reduce the duty.

"Many importers have already stopped importing and it will be impossible for them to resume the business again if the government does not reduce duty," Dilip Rozario, a member of the association, said.

"The government is deprived of about Tk 247.50 crore in the current fiscal year as 80 percent sets have entered local market illegally," Rozario added.

The association Vice-president NSM Faruque said the government should cut duty drastically to discourage smuggling. He also said import duty on cellphone set is only 5 percent in neighbouring India.

Association member Fazlul Karim also attended the press briefing.