Mahmudul Hasan

When the official market is constrained, the grey market thrives, and that is precisely what has happened in the mobile phone sector of Bangladesh.

The Awami League’s flagship Digital Bangladesh vision functioned largely as “an architecture of political slogan” rather than a coherent national digital strategy, according to a government-commissioned white paper.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has decided to introduce a separate SIM numbering series for Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices to manage the country’s rapidly growing network of smart gadgets and sensors.

The white paper paints a bleak picture of a sector "structurally misaligned, operationally compromised and failing to deliver trusted, affordable connectivity"

The government has approved a 10 percent reduction in the price of the 700 MHz frequency band, often called the “golden spectrum” for mobile networks, as the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) prepares for an auction.

Subscribers of all major operators report the same experience, despite the "reliable 4G" and "5G-ready" claims in telecom marketing

A recent inspection by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has exposed deficiencies in mobile network services, highlighting a gap between operators’ claims of nationwide 4G coverage and the reality on the ground.

The two operators are demanding a formal investigation

While digital transactions — covering payments through mobile wallets, internet banking, and other electronic channels — grew in volume in Bangladesh in 2024, their share of total payments declined, according to the Bangladesh Payment Systems Report 2024 published by Bangladesh Bank.

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) has raised concerns about Bangladesh’s draft telecom licensing guidelines, cautioning that several proposed conditions could deter investment, restrict market participation, and contradict the objectives of the Telecommunications Network and Licensing Policy (TNLP) 2025.

The government has decided to reserve 10 MHz of the valuable 700 MHz band exclusively for state-owned Teletalk once a pending court case is resolved, raising concerns among industry experts about underutilisation and anti-competitive effects.

BTRC writes to tax authority

The introduction of new taxation provisions by the BTRC to different licensing layers could increase costs for broadband service providers

The initiative is set to be effective from January 1

The internet regulator has decided to seek further clarification on Starlink Services Bangladesh Ltd’s bid to export unfiltered bandwidth from Bangladesh through local internet service providers before taking a decision on granting permission to the company..When bandwidth is filtered, it

From January next year, one person will be allowed to register and use a maximum of five personal SIM cards under a single national ID (NID), according to a decision by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

Officials of BTRC said that existing unauthorised phones currently in use will not be blocked

This could eventually lead to higher net bills, slower speeds

Bangladesh currently has 13.53 crore internet subscribers, including 1.45 crore broadband, 12.08 crore mobile users

GSMA tells BTRC high costs, limited supply could slow digital expansion