No mobile connection belongs to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia since she did not register any SIM (subscriber identity module) through the biometric process, State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Tarana Halim said yesterday.

“As the BNP chief, it's her responsibility to complete biometric SIM registration within the stipulated time,” she said at a press briefing at the secretariat.

The deadline of the biometric SIM registration was on May 31, which was declared mandatory in December last year in a bid to fight crimes.

Khaleda can still do the registration. “In that case, she will have to pay fees and charges,” the state minister said.

Responding to this, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed said Khaleda does not have any personal mobile phone and so, there was no question of her doing biometric SIM registration.

President Abdul Hamid, Prime Mister Sheikh Hasina, all ministers of the cabinet and PM's son and ICT adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy registered their SIMs through the biometric system, Tarana Halim said at the briefing.

Out of 13.19 crore active mobile connections in Bangladesh, 11.6 crore SIMs were registered within the deadline.