Mahmudul Hasan

Elon Musk’s Starlink has received a lukewarm response in Bangladesh in the first eight months since its launch in the country, as prices up to ten times higher than local broadband fail to attract subscribers.

Global telecom investor Veon plans to introduce direct-to-cell satellite connectivity in Bangladesh, allowing smartphones to connect straight to satellites through a partnership with Starlink and its subsidiary, Banglalink.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has approved a proposal from mobile operators to test a new system that would allow citizens to register SIM cards using real-time facial “liveness” verification.

Bangladesh also risks falling out of step with Asia-Pacific spectrum plans by opening the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed use

Bangladesh’s internet subscriber base has been on the decline for the last six consecutive months till January, with around 70 lakh users dropping off the network since August last year, mainly due to a steady fall in mobile internet subscriptions.

Clothing sales at fashion retailers started off strong before facing a slowdown over the last few days this Eid-ul-Fitr season amid broader economic uncertainty triggered by the United States and Israel’s war on Iran.

US-Israel’s war on Iran has rattled global energy markets, and gig workers such as ride-sharing bikers and car drivers in Dhaka are feeling the strain on the streets.

From economic growth to artificial intelligence adoption, the new government views telecom and ICT as the foundation for Bangladesh’s development over the next three decades, according to Prime Minister’s Adviser Rehan Asad. 

Mobile operators have urged the government to ensure priority fuel supply and stable electricity for telecom infrastructure, warning that any possible shortages could disrupt nationwide connectivity.

The home ministry has decided to allow the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC) to continue operating for another year, even though the previous interim administration had moved to abolish the much-criticised surveillance agency.

Bangladesh’s telecom sector recorded a slight fall in total mobile phone subscribers in December 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier, due mainly to a drop in active connections after new limits on SIM ownership per individual.

Corporate rivalry in Bangladesh’s telecom sector is nothing new. Operators have long competed fiercely on price, network quality, and subscriber acquisition. But 2025 saw that rivalry erupt not through marketing campaigns, but through formal complaints, regulatory challenges, and court petitions.

Bangladesh’s information technology (IT) exports grew 13.54 percent in the first five months of fiscal year 2025-26, buoyed by accelerating global artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and the widening digitalisation of services, according to government data.

The government has directed the telecom regulator to allocate a majority share of the remaining 700 MHz spectrum to state-owned operator Teletalk Bangladesh, despite the company having more than Tk 5,500 crore in unpaid spectrum fees and other liabilities.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the country’s internet regulator, is taking a cautious approach to Starlink Services Bangladesh Ltd’s proposal to export unfiltered internet bandwidth to neighbouring countries via local cable providers, and will seek the government’s opinion before approval.

With Bangladesh striving to build a digital future, information and communications technology (ICT) and telecom have moved from specialised policy areas to key issues in the electoral debate.

Bangladesh’s telecom regulator is seeking legal advice on arbitration proposals from the county’s two largest mobile operators to resolve a dispute over Tk 13,447 crore in audit claims.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has halted its plan to reduce the number of mobile SIM cards registered under a single national identity (NID) card from 10 to five ahead of the upcoming national election.

From underwater drones exploring the ocean depths to Mars rovers navigating simulated alien terrain, Bangladeshi youth are quietly but confidently reshaping the nation’s technological landscape.

Over the past month, two major developments have stood out in the Asian telecommunications market. Telenor, the Norwegian telecom company, has finalised the sale of its Pakistan operations, nearly two years after announcing its exit, and reached an agreement to sell its stake in Thailand, further shrinking its presence in Asia.