Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s power policy is caught in a costly contradiction. The state continues to spend enormous sums subsidising electricity, with Tk 37,000 crore allocated for power subsidy in FY2025-26 after the revised figure for FY2024-25 rose to Tk 62,000 crore. Yet even as the country struggles under a subsidy-heavy, import-dependent power model, it continues to make renewable adoption more difficult than sound judgment would suggest.
Bangladesh needs stronger data governance and OTT regulation, but not through disruption or disproportionate compliance burdens. A sequenced, market-aware approach combining digital literacy, smarter enforcement, and competitive local infrastructure can protect citizens while preserving exports, entrepreneurship and economic resilience.
Two new Ordinances got gazetted on the 6th November creating a single, very heavy data regime together: ● the Personal Data Protection Ordinance (PDPO) governs privacy, rights and security of personal data; ● the National Data Governance Ordinance (NDGO) governs how all data – personal and non-personal – must sit inside a state-managed interoperability and DPI stack (BNDIA, NRDEX, etc.). Let us try to analyse the impact of these two laws on (a) global OTTs and (b) small/local data-handling businesses.
The draft Bangladesh Telecommunications Ordinance 2025 has been released for public comment with a bold promise: a “modern” telecom regime that recognises the realities of the digital age – from spectrum and submarine cables to OTT, AI and IoT. But when you dive in, three big questions stand out: how independent will the regulator really be, how much can the Ministry realistically supervise, and where exactly does licensing stop and surveillance begin?
Bangladesh, with a GDP of around USD 460 billion in 2025, has one of the most over-licensed financial sectors in South Asia. It currently hosts 61 scheduled banks, 38 non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), over 750 licensed microfinance institutions (MFIs), alongside 13 mobile financial service (MFS) providers, 9 payment service providers (PSPs), and 12 payment system operators (PSOs). These institutions are regulated by four bodies: Bangladesh Bank (BB), the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA), the Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA), and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). Yet financial inclusion remains suboptimal. A substantial segment of the population, including many in urban areas, remains excluded from formal financial services.
The BTRC’s draft reform of the ILDTS policy is a vital step toward a modern, future-ready telecom framework. After two decades of outdated licensing, this overhaul promises a more efficient, competitive, and innovation-driven sector. By phasing out ineffective licenses and addressing key inefficiencies, it sets the stage for meaningful, sustainable growth in Bangladesh’s telecom industry.