Zero digital divide still a far cry for Bangladesh
Achieving the zero digital divide goal — where every citizen has equal access to digital resources — appears to be a distant dream for Bangladesh. However, the country must take the issue seriously as closing the divide is not just a matter of fairness but a strategic investment in national development
After the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the severity of the digital divide in Bangladesh, the former policy advisor of a2i Program, Anir Chowdhury, boldly declared that Bangladesh would be embarking on a quest to bring down the digital divide to zero.
"Covid-19 proved us wrong. It actually showed us that we left a huge set of pockets across the entire country, as far as the digital divide is concerned. The pandemic changed that perspective," Chowdhury told Forbes in an interview in 2023.
"And that's the new quest right now. So it's not only about digitalisation. Really, it's about reducing the digital divide, bringing it to zero," he said.
However, as of 2025, achieving the zero digital divide goal — where every citizen has equal access to digital resources — appears to be a distant dream for Bangladesh.
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The most significant feature of the digital divide is region-based, meaning the disparity between rural and urban areas.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has recently revealed a grim picture on this in its ICT Access and Use Survey for July-September period of FY2024-25. The report found that only 36.5% of individuals in rural areas use the internet, compared to 71.4% in urban areas.
"The rural-urban internet disparity is not merely about access to technology but highlights deeper systemic issues, such as affordability, digital literacy, and the limited availability of relevant local content or services for rural communities. These challenges disproportionately affect marginalised groups, further entrenching social and economic inequalities."
It means the number of internet users in urban areas is now almost double that of rural regions. This gap has even widened compared to the last fiscal year.
This growing digital divide between urban and rural areas reflects a troubling persistence of structural inequalities in digital access, engagement and utility — core aspects of the equality framework. While internet usage in rural areas has remained stagnant, urban adoption rates continue to rise, creating a widening chasm in opportunities for education, healthcare and economic participation.
Bangladesh has lagged behind in internet usage for a long time. The 'Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023' published by the World Bank shows that only 39 out of every 100 people in Bangladesh use the internet. This rate is lower than that of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and several other countries with similar economies.
Income and wealth inequality between rural and urban populations naturally contributes to the digital divide. A key factor behind this is the price of data. The high cost of internet access remains a formidable barrier for rural communities, where lower incomes and limited economic opportunities make digital connectivity a luxury.
The deeper roots
But is ensuring internet access sufficient to bridge the digital divide?
In their working paper titled 'Understanding the first and second digital divides in rural Bangladesh: Internet access, online skills, and usage', Muhammad Shahadat Hossain Siddiquee and Md Saiful Islam, respectively a professor and a lecturer of Economics at Dhaka University, argue that internet access alone may have little impact without adequate online skills and effective usage.
Their study tested whether rural people with internet access differ when it comes to second-level digital divide measured in terms of 'web know-how' (i.e. online skills and internet usages). They found that only about 35% of people with internet access have internet skills, and 31% can use it effectively for basic tasks.
This implies that internet access is a necessary condition for internet usage, but not a sufficient condition, as having access does not guarantee usage.
"The rural-urban internet disparity is not merely about access to technology but highlights deeper systemic issues, such as affordability, digital literacy, and the limited availability of relevant local content or services for rural communities. These challenges disproportionately affect marginalised groups, further entrenching social and economic inequalities," said Zulkarin Jahangir, an Assistant Professor at North South University (NSU).
The policy paradox
In our country, the high cost of mobile services is a major barrier to reducing the digital divide. Currently, for every Tk100 spent on mobile services, customers have to pay a total tax of Tk39 — the highest in South Asia.
In the FY25 budget, the Awami League government increased the supplementary duty on mobile services by 5 percentage points, raising it to 20% last June. Now, with the combined effect of supplementary duty, value-added tax (VAT), and surcharges, the total tax burden exceeds 39%.
On one hand, the government raised taxes, and on the other, mobile operators increased service charges. The general public has been bearing the brunt of the cost hike.
While the country has been grappling with this crisis, the interim government's recent move to raise VAT on the internet would have only worsened the situation. Amid widespread public criticism, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) backtracked.
Although the decision was reversed, it raises concerns about the government's approach to policy-making.
Fahim Mashroor, CEO of bdjobs.com and coordinator of Technology Industry Policy Advocacy Platform (TIPAP), believes that governments must recognise the internet as a 'social good' to guarantee equitable access for all citizens, especially marginalised communities.
"The current high taxation and fiscal policies directly contradict the country's commitment to equitable development," he remarked.
The way forward
Zulkarin Jahangir, also a consultant on digital divide at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bangladesh, believes that policies that drive down data costs through innovative pricing models, public-private partnerships, or government subsidies can play a pivotal role in bridging the gap.
"Community-owned networks, bulk data purchasing schemes for rural cooperatives, and region-specific pricing adjustments could create more affordable and sustainable access models," he said.
Fahim Mashroor recommends immediate withdrawal of 20% supplementary tax and 2% surcharge on the internet. He suggests that the BTRC should also waive the 5.5% revenue sharing and 1% social obligation fund (SOF) for internet revenue.
"Since most rural people access the internet only through mobile operators, BTRC should urgently allow network operators or ISPs to lay optical fibre both nationally and locally, including last-mile connections, to optimise resources and improve service quality," he added.
Zulkarin believes that the solution lies not merely in expanding internet infrastructure but in building ecosystems that empower rural communities to use digital tools effectively. "By focusing on the affordability of data and its implications for bridging the rural-urban divide, policymakers can tackle the root causes of digital inequality and create a more inclusive digital future for Bangladesh," he suggested.
In his opinion, addressing this gap requires a citizen-centric approach that prioritises foundational digital services in rural areas. Policies should focus on reducing costs through subsidies or community-owned networks, enhancing digital literacy through localised training programs, and ensuring the delivery of meaningful online services tailored to rural needs.
