The production of mobile phones in Bangladesh saw a significant decline in February, dropping to 13.88 lakh units from that of 18.19 lakh units in January, marking a drop of 4.31 lakh units, according to the latest data from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
Feature phones, which are primarily 2G devices, accounted for 58.18 per cent of the total production in February, marking a decrease from that of 65.14 per cent in January.
Meanwhile, the share of smartphones in overall production in the reporting month increased to 41.82 per cent from that of 34.86 per cent in the previous month.
A breakdown of the production figures revealed a notable reduction in 2G phone manufacturing, which fell to 8.08 lakh units in February from that of 11.81 lakh units in January.
Similarly, the production of 4G-enabled phones also experienced a decline, dropping to 5.56 lakh units in February compared with that of 6.32 lakh units in the previous month.
Conversely, the production of 5G-enabled phones saw a moderate increase, rising to 0.25 lakh units in February from that of 0.05 lakh units in January.
However, the total number of 5G devices produced remains relatively low compared with that of other technologies.
The BTRC data also showed that the production of 3G-enabled mobile phones has ceased in the country since January 2023, aligning with the global transition towards more advanced mobile technologies.
Looking at the production trends over the past few months, February鈥檚 total output represents the lowest production volume since May 2023, when 8.72 lakh units were manufactured.
In contrast, December 2024 recorded the highest production in recent months, with 24.38 lakh units produced.
This downward trend in mobile phone production reflects shifting consumer demands and industry priorities.
While feature phones continue to dominate the market, their share is gradually declining as smartphone production gains momentum.
The rise in 5G-enabled phones, though still modest, suggests a slow, but steady adoption of next-generation mobile technology in Bangladesh.
The import of mobile phones in Bangladesh showed notable fluctuations in recent months, with February 2025 recording 7,620 imported units, all of which were 4G-enabled devices.
In contrast, January saw a significantly lower import volume of only 850 units, consisting entirely of 5G-enabled phones.
In December 2024 a total of 900 units were imported, including both 4G and 5G models.
The highest import volume in recent months was in November 2024, when 22,500 units were brought into the country, all of them 4G devices.
Notably, feature phones were completely absent from imports during this period, with 100 per cent of imported devices being smartphones.
This trend reflects a growing preference for advanced mobile technology on the Bangladeshi market.
