Mahmudul Hasan

The number of internet users in Bangladesh rose in July on the back of a spike in mobile data consumption as operators try to expand their network and improve the quality of 4G service. 

Over a decade ago, Kamal Quadir adorned the venue of the launching ceremony of bKash, a nascent mobile financial service provider that he just founded at that time, with some black and white pictures in big frames.

Grameenphone lost 8 lakh customers in July as the country’s top mobile network provider is starting to feel the pinch of a ban on new SIM sales imposed by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

In 2011, state-owned Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) made Bangladesh proud by assembling the country’s first laptop, showing promises to deliver the device at an affordable price and help the government to implement its digitalisation agenda.   

The government has selected three private firms to award them the licence to establish, maintain and operate submarine cables as it looks to ramp up the supply of bandwidth amid a surge in data consumption. 

The government has formulated a draft law to regulate logistics companies, which will establish stiff control and impede growth in the industry, according to market players.

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, former managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Robi Axiata, has filed a suit against the telecom operator, its board chairman and former group CEO seeking Tk 227 crore in retirement benefits and damages for 'wrongful dismissal'.

The government is gearing up to implement a new “Smart Bangladesh” vision by 2041 with the belief that a preceding “Digital Bangladesh” had been realised by 2021.

Bangladesh’s payment ecosystem is poised to leapfrog to become a very large substantial payment market within the South Asia and Asia Pacific region in the next few years, said Vikas Varma, chief operating officer for South Asia at Mastercard.

Online purchases are getting costlier as courier companies in the country have collectively raised their fares in response to the recent increase in fuel prices.

The nascent mobile phone manufacturing industry in Bangladesh has been hit hard by the higher inflation, unprecedented dollar price hike, and increased value-added tax as their sales have plummeted amid belt-tightening by consumers. 

Utility bill payments through mobile financial service (MFS)  providers crossed the Tk 2,000-crore mark in June, underscoring the  growing preference among users to make payments from the comfort of  their homes.

Ride-sharing service users in Bangladesh could not escape from the impact of the recent fuel price increase as Pathao has already announced new fares while Uber is set to follow suit. 

The telecom regulator in Bangladesh yesterday directed mobile network operators and internet service providers (ISPs) to furnish it with information about their spending on digital advertisements on different social media platforms in 2021.

If you type Betwinner, which is an online sports betting site, on Google and scroll past a couple of search results, you will find a link related to Bangladesh.

Patients in Bangladesh, even for a simple treatment or consultation, often get bewildered how they would find their desired doctors and locate the nearest or best hospitals or labs. 

State-run mobile network operator Teletalk has yet again failed to pay fees to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for the spectrum it acquired in the latest auction. 

About three crore people of Bangladesh, aged 18 or above, don’t own a mobile phone and 6.5 crore don’t use internet, according to the new population census, highlighting the non-affordability of connecting devices and elusive digital inclusion for many. 

Mobile network providers Robi Axiata and Banglalink gained clients in June while Grameenphone, the industry’s top operator, saw a slight drop in its customer base.

Information technology (IT) exports from Bangladesh are snowballing as global clients have swamped local IT companies with orders for various software, data processing and other digital service solutions.