Bangladesh Defense
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Nearly half of Bangladeshis remain offline: BBS
Nearly half of the population of Bangladesh is still without internet access, according to the latest official data, a situation that IT professionals describe as disappointing when compared with neighbouring countries.
Nearly half of Bangladeshis remain offline: BBS
Nearly half of the population of Bangladesh is still without internet access, according to the latest official data, a situation that IT professionals describe as disappointing when compared with neighbouring countries.
Despite more than a decade of rapid expansion in online and smartphone-based services, experts argue that high data costs, driven by heavy taxation, are the primary reason for the poor performance.
By the end of September this year, 48.9 percent of people aged five and above were direct internet users, according to a quarterly report by the state-run Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
In other words, the BBS report on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage means 51.1 percent of the population remained offline during the same period.
"The performance is actually worse than that of our neighbouring countries," said AKM Fahim Mashroor, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (Basis).
At the household level, just over half of homes -- about 56 percent -- had at least one internet user in the July-September period, according to the report released on Wednesday.
The BBS survey covered 61,632 households nationwide and is aimed at informing national ICT policy as well as international platforms such as the International Telecommunication Union and the SDG Tracker.
According to the findings, 50.4 percent of households were online in the July-September quarter, down from 55.1 percent at the end of fiscal year 2024-25.
This means that around half of citizens remain digitally excluded, even as online services increasingly shape access to education, healthcare, finance and government support.
Mashroor described the findings as "extremely disappointing for Bangladesh", adding that the high cost of data is the main barrier. In India, more than 70 percent of the population is online, while in Pakistan, the figure exceeds 60 percent.
"Internet prices in Bangladesh are way higher than in many other countries, largely because of the heavy tax burden," said the former Basis president.
Out of every Tk 100 spent on mobile data, he said that around Tk 50 goes to the government. Charges include a 20 percent supplementary duty, value-added tax (VAT), revenue sharing and spectrum-related costs.
"In total, more than half of the data price is absorbed by taxes and fees. And because data is so expensive, marginalised and low-income people are simply unable to use the internet, which keeps overall usage low."
According to Mashroor, usage will not improve unless smartphone penetration rises and data prices come down.
The survey found that 80.6 percent of people use mobile phones, while 56.5 percent own their own handsets.
Usage among men and women is almost equal, 81 percent for men and 79 percent for women. But handset ownership and internet access show a clear gender gap.
About 63 percent of men own a mobile phone compared with 53 percent of women. Internet use follows a similar pattern, with 51.2 percent of men online compared with 46.3 percent of women.
The BBS report indicates a steady rise in internet use in recent years, even with a slight decline in overall mobile phone ownership.
Internet usage rose from 38.9 percent in 2022 to 48.9 percent this year.
At the household level, however, technology access appears broader.
The survey shows that 99 percent of homes have at least one mobile phone, and 72.4 percent now own a smartphone.
Television is available in 59 percent of households, radio use has fallen to 15 percent, and only 9.1 percent of homes own a computer. Electricity coverage is almost universal, reaching 99 percent of households.
A clear urban-rural divide remains. Smartphone ownership is far higher in towns and cities, where 81 percent of households have at least one device, compared with 69 percent in rural areas.
Nearly half of the population of Bangladesh is still without internet access, according to the latest official data, a situation that IT professionals describe as disappointing when compared with neighbouring countries.
Despite more than a decade of rapid expansion in online and smartphone-based services, experts argue that high data costs, driven by heavy taxation, are the primary reason for the poor performance.
By the end of September this year, 48.9 percent of people aged five and above were direct internet users, according to a quarterly report by the state-run Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
In other words, the BBS report on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage means 51.1 percent of the population remained offline during the same period.
"The performance is actually worse than that of our neighbouring countries," said AKM Fahim Mashroor, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (Basis).
At the household level, just over half of homes -- about 56 percent -- had at least one internet user in the July-September period, according to the report released on Wednesday.
The BBS survey covered 61,632 households nationwide and is aimed at informing national ICT policy as well as international platforms such as the International Telecommunication Union and the SDG Tracker.
According to the findings, 50.4 percent of households were online in the July-September quarter, down from 55.1 percent at the end of fiscal year 2024-25.
This means that around half of citizens remain digitally excluded, even as online services increasingly shape access to education, healthcare, finance and government support.
Mashroor described the findings as "extremely disappointing for Bangladesh", adding that the high cost of data is the main barrier. In India, more than 70 percent of the population is online, while in Pakistan, the figure exceeds 60 percent.
"Internet prices in Bangladesh are way higher than in many other countries, largely because of the heavy tax burden," said the former Basis president.
Out of every Tk 100 spent on mobile data, he said that around Tk 50 goes to the government. Charges include a 20 percent supplementary duty, value-added tax (VAT), revenue sharing and spectrum-related costs.
"In total, more than half of the data price is absorbed by taxes and fees. And because data is so expensive, marginalised and low-income people are simply unable to use the internet, which keeps overall usage low."
According to Mashroor, usage will not improve unless smartphone penetration rises and data prices come down.
The survey found that 80.6 percent of people use mobile phones, while 56.5 percent own their own handsets.
Usage among men and women is almost equal, 81 percent for men and 79 percent for women. But handset ownership and internet access show a clear gender gap.
About 63 percent of men own a mobile phone compared with 53 percent of women. Internet use follows a similar pattern, with 51.2 percent of men online compared with 46.3 percent of women.
The BBS report indicates a steady rise in internet use in recent years, even with a slight decline in overall mobile phone ownership.
Internet usage rose from 38.9 percent in 2022 to 48.9 percent this year.
At the household level, however, technology access appears broader.
The survey shows that 99 percent of homes have at least one mobile phone, and 72.4 percent now own a smartphone.
Television is available in 59 percent of households, radio use has fallen to 15 percent, and only 9.1 percent of homes own a computer. Electricity coverage is almost universal, reaching 99 percent of households.
A clear urban-rural divide remains. Smartphone ownership is far higher in towns and cities, where 81 percent of households have at least one device, compared with 69 percent in rural areas.
