Mustafa Mahmud Hussain

Bangladesh stands on the brink of a digital revolution — a chance to reshape lives and bridge the persistent digital divide.

Bangladesh’s digital aspirations are at risk. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), once an independent force driving the nation’s telecom sector, is now caught in the grips of bureaucracy.

Bangladesh’s mobile data prices are among the highest in the region, surpassing Pakistan, India, and even developed countries like France and Italy. In today’s world, access to affordable data is a necessity, not a luxury. It’s the bridge between a mother staying connected to her children overseas, a farmer consulting a doctor via telemedicine, or a student in a remote village accessing the same quality education as a child in Dhaka. When the cost of data is high, we’re not just raising prices, we’re raising barriers to progress, education, and health.

Bangladesh has one of the slowest mobile data speeds in the region, lower than neighbouring Myanmar, with prices higher than neighbouring India and Pakistan or even developed nations like Italy and France.