Dhaka:Bangladesh's mobile telecommunications market saw substantial growth in the first nine months of 2026, as the country's four main operators collectively increased their subscriber base to 191.39 million by September, up from 185.80 million in January. Internet subscriptions also experienced steady growth during this period.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Grameenphone and Robi Axiata led the subscriber growth, adding 2.83 million and 1.99 million subscribers respectively. Banglalink also recorded growth, ending September with 38.07 million subscribers, despite peaking at 44.73 million in May 2024, as reported by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
The overall mobile subscriber base increased by 5.59 million from January to September. Grameenphone's subscribers rose from 84.33 million in January to 87.16 million in September. Similarly, Robi Axiata's subscriber count increased from 57.24 million to 59.23 million during the same period.
Banglalink's subscriber base grew from 37.40 million in January to 38.07 million in September, despite some fluctuations. The base fell to 37.35 million in February but gradually recovered, reaching 37.71 million in May, 37.86 million in June, 37.95 million in August, and 38.07 million in September. This was after a decline from 44.73 million in May 2024 to 37.81 million in October 2025, before showing signs of recovery.
Teletalk also saw a modest increase, with its subscriber base rising from 6.83 million in January to 6.93 million in September.
The internet market in Bangladesh mirrored the mobile market's expansion. Total internet subscriptions increased from 128.99 million in January to 137.81 million in September. Mobile internet subscriptions rose from 114.22 million to 122.26 million, while fixed internet subscriptions through ISPs and PSTN services grew from 14.77 million to 15.55 million.
Monthly data indicated total internet subscriptions reached 131.42 million in April, 135.94 million in June, and 137.66 million in August before climbing further in September. Mobile internet subscriptions increased consistently after February, maintaining 122.26 million in both August and September, while fixed ISP and PSTN subscriptions continued to grow, reaching their highest at 15.55 million in September.
The figures demonstrate simultaneous growth in mobile and internet subscriptions, with leading operators enhancing their subscriber bases and Banglalink showing a gradual recovery toward its previous peak.