Internet usage in Bangladesh has significantly risen across various activities, including social media browsing, online shopping, educational pursuits and official tasks.
An analysis of data from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) shows that the number of internet users in the country increased by 10.05 per cent in the first six months of 2024.
BTRC data reveals that in January this year, there were 129.18 million mobile and broadband internet users. By June, this figure had climbed to 142.17 million, marking an increase of 12.99 million users over the period.
Internet users in Bangladesh primarily access the web through two means — mobile phones and broadband connections via internet service providers (ISPs) and the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
A closer look at the BTRC data shows that in January 2024, there were 116.30 million mobile internet users. This number grew steadily over the months, reaching 129.17 million in June, reflecting an increase of approximately 12.87 million users and a growth rate of 11.06 per cent.
The data further indicates that mobile internet users increased gradually from 116.30 million in January to 117.47 million in February, 121.26 million in March, 125.15 million in April, 127.84 million in May, and finally 129.17 million in June.
Lt Col (retd) Mohammad Zulfikar, secretary general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB), told The Business Post, “The figures are encouraging and optimistic for the industry, reflecting the growing number of people joining mobile networks. The rise in internet subscribers clearly indicates the increasing demand for the internet, which has become an essential part of daily life.”
“Furthermore, mobile internet underpins all forms of communication, business, financial services, education, and healthcare. Mobile network operators (MNOs) are fully committed to driving the growth towards a more technology-integrated Bangladesh,” he added.
The BTRC analysis also shows that the number of broadband internet users remained stable at 12.88 million in January and February of this year. However, the figure rose to 13.44 million in March, April, and May, and further to 13.53 million in June.
This increase of 650,000 broadband users between January and June represents a growth of 5.05 per cent.
Emdadul Haque, president of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), told The Business Post, “The demand for broadband is consistently increasing, and new users are joining every day. We are also expanding our network, bringing new areas under coverage and reaching out to rural regions. This is the primary reason for the growth.”
However, Emdadul Haque expressed some dissatisfaction with the rate of growth, stating that it should have been higher. “According to government estimates, there are about 12 million official broadband users, but many more are using the service illegally. We estimate the actual number to be closer to 18 million,” he said.
“The number of broadband users should have reached between 30 and 35 million by now, but we have been unable to expand the transmission network to all areas. With government support, we could significantly increase this number,” he added.
Internet users have also expressed concerns about the impact of recent internet shutdowns during the student protests against discrimination, which caused significant disruptions to their activities.
They urged the current interim government to ensure that such shutdowns are avoided in the future, emphasising the critical importance of uninterrupted internet access.
