Bangladesh added internet users at a much faster pace than new mobile subscribers during the first half of 2026, highlighting rising digital adoption as the government seeks to raise the information and communication technology (ICT) sector's contribution to the economy to 10 percent within the next five years.
Latest Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) data showed the country had 189.83 million active mobile subscribers and 135.94 million internet subscribers at the end of June, with internet subscriptions expanding at a significantly faster pace than mobile connections.
Rapid Internet Adoption
Between January and June, internet subscriptions rose by 6.95 million to 135.94 million from 128.99 million, while active mobile subscribers increased by 4.03 million to 189.83 million from 185.80 million. The figures indicated that digital growth is increasingly being driven by greater internet use among existing mobile subscribers rather than by first-time SIM registrations. The gap widened during the second quarter.
From April to June, internet subscriptions grew by 4.52 million compared with an increase of 2.76 million mobile subscribers. In June alone, the country added 1.87 million internet users against 1.23 million new mobile subscribers.
Government's Digital Agenda
The latest subscriber trends come as the government has identified ICT as a thrust sector and unveiled an ambitious roadmap to accelerate digital transformation, expand connectivity and strengthen the sector's contribution to national output. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury highlighted the importance of ICT in his Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget speech, stating that through effective planning and implementation, the sector's contribution can be increased to 10 percent within the next five years.
The government's digital agenda includes extending 5G coverage to 90 percent of the population, ensuring broadband speeds of 100 Mbps, establishing a National Fibre Bank to provide affordable high-speed internet in remote and rural areas, introducing a "One Citizen-One ID-One Digital Wallet" system through Digital Public Infrastructure and creating 200,000 technology jobs annually. Supporting these goals, the FY27 budget withdrew the Tk 300 specific tax on mobile SIM cards and abolished import duty, regulatory duty, supplementary duty and VAT on laptops, desktop computers, computer printers and computer monitors.
