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Bangladesh saw a continued decline in both mobile and mobile internet subscribers in September 2025, according to the latest data released by the telecom regulator.
The figures show a downward trend in subscriber numbers across major operators and internet service categories, extending a slowdown observed in recent months.
The total number of mobile subscribers fell to 187.97 million in September from 188.57 million in August, marking a decrease of around 0.32 per cent.
This is the second consecutive month of subscriber loss since July's peak of 188.87 million.
Grameenphone, the country's largest mobile operator, lost around 0.62 million subscribers in September, bringing the total number down to 85.85 million from 86.47 million in August.
Robi Axiata, the second-largest operator, also saw a slight drop to 57.41 million from 57.52 million.
Banglalink's subscriber base dipped to 37.93 million from 38.05 million, while state-run Teletalk saw a marginal rise of 0.03 million, taking its total number to 6.67 million.
Compared to the same period last year, mobile subscriptions fell by around 1.05 per cent since the high of 189.96 million in October 2024.
The overall number of mobile internet users dropped to 119.70 million in September from 120.87 million in August, reflecting a decrease of nearly 0.97 per cent.
The decline marks a reversal from July's peak of 121.53 million.
This dip in mobile internet use was accompanied by stagnation in broadband and PSTN internet connections, which remained unchanged at 14.46 million, as they have since July.
Total internet subscribers, combining both mobile and fixed-line users, stood at 134.16 million in September, down from 135.33 million a month earlier.
This represents a drop of 0.87 per cent, narrowing the total internet subscriber base to its lowest since May this year.
The data indicates a fluctuating pattern over the past 12 months, with mobile subscriptions hitting a high of nearly 190 million in October 2024 before gradually declining.
Similarly, mobile internet subscriptions peaked at more than 123 million in October last year, followed by a steady downturn.
The persistent decline in both mobile and internet users may point to a combination of market saturation, economic pressures affecting consumer spending, and the impact of regulatory and competitive shifts in the telecom landscape.
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