Why Bangladesh lags behind even Bhutan, Myanmar in the digital race

Sayed Uddin (pseudonym), a 68-year-old retired businessman from Satkhira, spends much of his free time using his smartphone. He scrolls through Facebook, sometimes YouTube watching one reel after another. But neither he is aware of nor uses many of his phone's other functions such as online banking, accessing government services or obtaining agricultural information.

People like Sayed Uddin are common in Bangladesh. This scenario has emerged as a major obstacle to the country's digital progress in the latest Digital Development Index published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The report shows Bangladesh lagging well behind its neighbouring countries in the digital race.

The index released this month, assesses ICT development in 159 countries, including Bangladesh. It is based on the data collected back in 2024.

In the latest ITU index, the global average score stands at 79, while the average for lower-middle-income countries is 69. Bangladesh scored 68.9. A year ago, it was 64.9, indicating a 6 per cent increase in one year, marking its biggest annual gain in recent years.

Despite this progress, Bangladesh remains behind Vietnam, Bhutan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and even Myanmar.

According to the ITU index, Vietnam scored 88.4, Bhutan 86.4, Cambodia 78.7, Sri Lanka 73.2 and Myanmar 71.6.

Pakistan ranks below Bangladesh with a score of 67.7, while Afghanistan is at the very bottom of the list with a score of 36.2.

ITU analysis indicates that countries that have advanced are not only expanding network coverage but also using connectivity for education, business, financial transactions and government services.

Although network coverage has expanded rapidly in Bangladesh, the digital economy has yet to grow at the expected pace.

Telecommunications expert Suman Ahmed Sabir blamed a lack of coordination for Bangladesh falling behind in the index. According to him, building infrastructure alone is not enough. Better coordination among agencies, easier access to services and greater public awareness are also essential.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Sabir said that while Bangladesh has made progress in ICT infrastructure, automation and software adoption, these gains are not being fully reflected in international rankings. A country's digital index improves when people can easily and effectively use digital services. However, due to a lack of coordination between different ministries and public-private services, as well as a gap in people’s usage skills, Bangladesh is lagging behind even some of its smaller neighbours.

Nowadays walking through village markets, it is rare to find someone without a mobile phone. Most of them own smartphones. Mobile operator advertisements also claim that almost the entire population of the country is now under 4G network coverage.

According to the ITU report, 99.7 per cent of the people in the country are covered by 3G networks and 99.6 per cent are under 4G coverage.

Meanwhile, 64.4 per cent of the population owns a personal mobile phone.

However, a negative picture has emerged regarding internet usage.

According to ITU estimates, only 53.4 per cent of the country’s total population uses the internet. This means nearly 5 out of every 10 people remain offline.

Analysts say that although network coverage has expanded, a ‘usage gap’ has emerged. It has yet to establish a significant presence in daily lives, education, business or income generation.

Furthermore, the percentage of households with internet access stands at 55.1 per cent. This means one in every two families still lacks the opportunity to use the internet at home.

These ITU figures are based on 2024 data.

The gap becomes even more apparent when compared to global averages. Globally, an average of 70.4 per cent of people use the internet. The global average for household internet access is 72.5 per cent.

The ITU report divides digital progress into two broad categories.

The first is ‘meaningful connectivity’, which measures network quality, speed and coverage. Bangladesh scored 87.1 in this category.

The second is ‘universal connectivity’, which reflects how many people actually use the network. Bangladesh scored only 50.6.

Analysts describe this as a ‘usage gap’, meaning the infrastructure exists, but it has yet to become fully integrated into people's daily lives, education, businesses and income generation.

Professor BM Mainul Hossain, director of the Institute of Information Technology at the University of Dhaka, told Prothom Alo that Bangladesh's score is gradually improving, which is a positive sign. Now is the time to focus on how to improve the standard of living by further strengthening the economy and enhancing the quality of citizen services.

He added that instead of being limited to a specific group, the digital divide must be reduced and people from all levels of society must be integrated into this progress.

The ITU has not only identified the problems but has also shown the way to overcome them. The report places the greatest emphasis on increasing universal connectivity. This means people like Sayed Uddin, who do not yet use the internet regularly, must be brought under its ambit.

At the same time, the ITU urges Bangladesh to strengthen its capacity to regularly collect data on issues such as digital skills and cybersecurity, enabling policymakers to accurately assess the country's digital landscape and formulate more effective policies.