Anonymous SIMs helping grow digital crime wave

More than a decade after Bangladesh introduced biometric SIM registration to eliminate anonymous mobile connections, SIM cards registered under other people’s identities remain widely available across the country, exposing significant weaknesses in a system designed to prevent digital crime and strengthen accountability.Sold through Facebook groups, online marketplaces and mobile phone shops, these SIMs are often bundled with pre-verified mobile financial service (MFS) accounts, creating ready-made digital identities that can be used almost instantly for financial transactions and online activities. Investigators say the thriving trade has become an important enabler of cybercrime, online fraud, illegal gambling and money laundering, while making