Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Bangladesh’s telecom regulator mandated 1GB free internet on July 18 to honor the July Uprising, marking digital freedom amid political history. Operators support the move but seek clarity on tax exemptions and cost coverage.
GiveDirectly partnered with Bangladesh’s government to pilot MobileAid, an AI-driven method using anonymized mobile phone data to identify low-income households quickly and cost-effectively. The approach outperformed community targeting and rivaled traditional surveys, enabling faster, cheaper poverty relief through mobile money transfers. Challenges for scaling include regulatory approvals, telecom cooperation, and building trust, highlighting the need for combining technology with community outreach. MobileAid shows strong potential for rapid social protection, especially in disaster response, by providing timely, accurate targeting aligned with real-world needs.
Bangladesh’s new three-tier licensing framework aims to modernize the telecom sector and improve regulation, but it faces mixed reactions. While major mobile operators support the move, mid-level domestic firms warn it favors foreign players and threatens local businesses. The government is investigating past corruption, with hopes of greater transparency ahead.
Banglalink and ICC Communication have partnered to offer advanced digital services such as corporate connectivity and vehicle tracking, strengthening enterprise capabilities and service delivery across Bangladesh.
Samadhan Services Limited, under Grameen Telecom, has received Bangladesh Bank’s PSP license to launch the Samadhan e-wallet, ending a lengthy approval process influenced by political shifts. The move expands Bangladesh’s digital payment ecosystem alongside other PSPs and emerging players.
Daraz has transformed Bangladesh’s e-commerce with 8 million active users, a nationwide logistics network, and inclusive seller training programs. Its campaigns offer deep discounts and reliable service, supporting rural and urban markets while building a full digital commerce ecosystem for the country’s future.
Huawei launches four intelligent networking solutions in Bangladesh—Xinghe Intelligent Fabric, Campus, WAN, and Unified Secure Access SASE—targeting core infrastructure challenges in finance, education, manufacturing, and public sectors to drive digital transformation and improve organizational communications.
Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) is collaborating with Starlink to launch satellite internet services, proposing to host Starlink gateways at key ground stations. Following successful terminal tests and regulatory progress, the partnership aims to boost connectivity nationwide, supporting underserved regions and advancing Bangladesh’s digital transformation.
Bangladesh’s internet subscriber base showed signs of recovery in March 2025, with the addition of 750,000 new users. This growth follows a significant loss in subscribers over the previous months. The rise was driven by broadband subscriptions, while mobile user numbers continued to decline, including substantial losses from Banglalink and Teletalk.
A Telenor Asia study shows that nearly 90% of Bangladeshi internet users are incorporating AI into their daily lives, with mobile usage being the main driver. AI is particularly popular for social media, work, and entertainment. However, concerns around data privacy and the security of online accounts remain prevalent.