Inside Bangladesh’s struggle for skilled mobile phone technicians

Bangladesh has around six million iPhone users and about 65 million Android users. It totals nearly 70 million mobile phone users. 

"Yet, the number of skilled mobile phone technicians is negligible," said Mostafizur Rahman Biplob, a well-known technician at Motalib Plaza in Hatirpul, Dhaka. 

"There are plenty of unskilled technicians, but they often damage devices further, which destroys customer confidence."

According to him, Motalib Plaza alone has around 1,500 technicians — 50 in the 'A' category, 300 in the 'B' category, and the rest in the 'C' category.

"This ratio is similar in other IT markets. The reasons are a lack of proper institutions and the prevalence of short-term training. Many who enter this field limit their ambition to just having a job."

Insufficient remuneration is a key issue

S A Kayum of QQ Repair also stated the same, saying 90% of technicians in the country are unskilled. 

"They take a job and worsen the issue. When they finally cannot solve it, they hand it over to a skilled person. The value of this work is low here. A job that earns Tk1000 in Bangladesh can fetch two or three times more in a nearby country like the Maldives. Most technicians earn Tk25,000–Tk35,000 a month and survive on that."

When asked whether such an income is enough in today's market, especially when auto-rickshaw drivers often earn more, Kayum replied, "I do not look down on any profession. But technicians here enjoy a certain respect. They work in clean, air-conditioned rooms and wear smart clothes. Many value these things."

But not everyone has the same story. In Mirpur Shah Ali Market, Wasim Mahmud said his confidence in the profession has collapsed. On 4 November, he had only one customer by midday. The biggest problem is the large number of workers posing as technicians.

"In some shops, you will see seven or eight workers, but only a couple actually know the work. The rest are 'call men' who drag in customers. My shop is at the end of the alley; before a customer even reaches me, ten people have already badgered them."

"Unskilled technicians offer temporary fixes, and when those fail, customers lose faith in everyone. I have four mouths to feed. If I do not earn a thousand taka a day, how do we manage? Sometimes I think driving a rickshaw would have been better, but I feel ashamed," he added.

Wasim took a six-month UCEP Bangladesh course after his SSC in 2016, learning diagrams, components, common faults and solutions. After four years in the market, he opened a shop with two partners, investing about Tk1 lakh in a microscope, hot air gun, soldering iron, pre-heater, power supply and other tools. He initially had customers, but as untrained technicians crowded the market, his business collapsed; now even getting four customers a day is difficult.

They take a job and worsen the issue. When they finally cannot solve it, they hand it over to a skilled person. The value of this work is low here. A job that earns Tk1000 in Bangladesh can fetch two or three times more in a nearby country like the Maldives. Most technicians earn Tk25,000–Tk35,000 a month and survive on that.

S A Kayum, mobile phone technician, QQ Repair

In contrast, Moklesur Rahman, with 12 years' experience, remains trusted by hundreds who leave their phones with him without hesitation. "I often cannot eat before noon due to workload. Many people have opened new shops, and some have gone abroad after learning the trade. So I cannot say the situation is entirely bad," he said.

A technician must be a researcher

Kayum has trained 30–35 people, many now earning well abroad. "Those who are creative and focused do well," he said.

"New problems arise constantly. While Androids have a similar basic structure, processor, display, or motherboard faults differ by brand. And new models arrive every year. You cannot learn everything in six months. A technician must always research and update themselves," he added.

Around Mirpur 6, B Block, technician Yusuf Ali Sujon runs a small mobile shop. Trained by a mentor at Shah Ali Market, he worked three years as a helper before starting his own business. Unable to afford a market shop, he opened one in his neighbourhood and added stationery sales to manage expenses.

He gets three to five customers a day, mostly Vivo, Tecno, and Xiaomi users, with display, battery, or motherboard issues. As many earlier faults have been solved by companies, he now does more replacement work than repair, with most problems caused by user negligence, like overcharging. Working locally means customers are patient, but familiarity makes it hard to charge proper fees. "Often I must accept whatever they give," he said.

"Some people work only with ICs, some only with iPhones. I will also choose a specialty. But to work on iPhones, you need equipment worth Tk7–Tk10 lakh. And once you know iPhones, all other phones are like dal-bhat—very easy," he added.

In Motalib Plaza's training centre, Mobile Re-Life, chief instructor Nizamuddin Rubel began learning repairs in 2010—the era of button phones. Touch phones soon followed: first Java-based models requiring fingernails, then more advanced Nokia, Samsung, and Motorola devices. 

The iPhone, he said, offered the first complete touch experience. Rubel is now an expert in Apple devices and enjoys teaching. He is setting up a larger training facility and charges Tk26,000 for a one-month course.

He believes trainees must be able to read English, but real success comes from problem-solving ability and a technical mindset. 

"A month's training covers 50–60% of what is needed. Replacing displays or charging ports, removing dust, or updating software are easy tasks. But diagnosing why a screen turns green to white or develops grill lines demands intelligence. Understanding why a CPU overheats and shifts the balls underneath is complex."

16 years into the profession, Rubel still seeks advice from seniors. "A customer hands you an iPhone worth Tk150,000. If you do not know what you are doing, the damage can be huge."

He believes the future of the field is bright. "If you forget your wallet at home, you can manage. But forget your mobile and everything falls apart. Work, reminders, personal records—you become paralysed without it. Phones will only become more essential. Skilled technicians will always find opportunities, even abroad."

Photo: TBS

Mostafizur Rahman Biplob's path to becoming an iPhone specialist began in Chuadanga. A science-competition enthusiast who once won a district prize, he became curious about phone repair after his Symphony touch phone malfunctioned following his SSC exams, and several shops in Shapla Plaza failed to fix it. He then started learning from senior technician Md Sujon.

The Covid-19 lockdown proved a turning point: stuck at home, he immersed himself in theory and practice. After mastering the basics, he came to Dhaka to specialise in iPhones. At Motalib Plaza, where he knew no one, he met Apple Doctor Limon bhai, who agreed to train him if he stayed for two years.

Housing was another hurdle; after a brief stay with a cousin in Savar, he moved to a mess in Hatirpul to stay close to the market.

Rising through skill and discipline

Seeing his enthusiasm, Limon trained him diligently. In six months, Biplob learned what many cannot master in two years. Realising his potential, Limon arranged for him to join another shop, where he was offered a job at Tk15,000 a month on a two-year contract.

By the end of the contract, Biplob understood that Android and iPhone mechanisms were similar except for motherboard structure. iPhones no longer intimidated him. He then joined another shop on a profit-sharing basis, using their equipment for three years.

During this time, he created a Facebook page explaining smartphone issues and solutions. Within two years, he built a following of 200,000, greatly boosting his reputation and customer base.

As his contract neared completion, he prepared to open his own shop. He trained a few cousins as assistants and rented a space on the second floor of Motalib Plaza for Tk40,000, naming it Biplob TCS.

Not yet twenty-five, Biplob is now regarded as a highly skilled technician. "I cannot rest until I solve a problem," he said. "I never cheat customers. When I open a phone, my hand automatically becomes gentle—it has to be, because phones contain delicate ribbons that tear easily. And I did not want to remain an employee forever. That creates laziness."