Mahmudul Hasan

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.

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.

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.