Bangladesh’s telecom sector recorded a modest year-on-year drop in mobile phone users in December 2025, largely driven by a reduction in active SIM cards following new government restrictions on personal SIM ownership.
Total subscribers across the four major operators stood at 18.59 crore in December 2025, down from 18.76 crore a year earlier — a decline of 17 lakh users.
In June 2025, the government reduced the maximum number of SIM cards an individual can own to 10 from 15 to enhance transparency, curb misuse and strengthen national security oversight. Users were initially asked to deregister excess SIMs by October 30, with the deadline later extended to December 29, 2025.
Industry insiders say the clean-up process significantly contributed to the drop in active connections.
Grameenphone, the country’s largest mobile operator, maintained its market leadership with 8.42 crore subscribers in December 2025, slightly down from 8.45 crore a year earlier.
