Mobile operators cannot sell any SIM card for 18 hours starting from 8:00pm Thursday as the telecom regulator plans to update its central biometric verification monitoring system.

State Minister for Telecommunication Tarana Halim, in a press briefing at her office today, came up with the decision while inaugurating the central biometric verification monitoring system, which will be live from Friday.

“This system will help to check user identification which will ultimately ensure customers authentication as well,” said Tarana.

Already all the mobile phone operators have sent their re-registered and verified mobile users’ information to the central biometric verification monitoring system, she added.