The previous deadline for mandatory registration of SIM was March 16.

"In case of the old subscribers, the connection could be snapped if their addresses were not registered against the SIMs within the deadline" in line with the prescribed Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) form, an official said.

The source said the mobile phone operators would be fined $10 per SIM if they did not record the clients' addresses and their identities correctly while selling SIM along side the disconnection of the service. The amount could be raised if the situation did not improve despite the warning.

The officials said the extended deadline was set at a high level meeting at the BTRC office on July 16.

"Earlier decision for the registration by July 16 could not be materialised because of the influence of some vested quarters during the past several years. But the present government has taken a firm step to enforce the rule for mandatory registration," an official said.

He said under the decision BTRC would ask the mobile operators to launch a massive campaign for registration of mobile phone SIMs to make the campaign successful.

The officials said the mobile phone operators as well as the clients will not face any problem with the registration of the SIMs. Because of unregistered SIMs, the ordinary clients had often been entrapped by the extortionists, terrorists and corrupt people.