Bangladesh’s mobile phone users lodged 66,705 complaints against the country’s four mobile operators between January 2021 and June 2026, with poor service quality emerging as the biggest source of dissatisfaction.
According to data from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), 65,856 complaints have been resolved, while 849 remain pending. Robi recorded the highest number of complaints, followed by Grameenphone, Teletalk and Banglalink.
Consumer rights advocates, however, say the official figures capture only a fraction of the actual grievances, as many customers either do not know how to complain to the regulator or lack convenient access to complaint mechanisms.
Robi tops complaint list
Robi received 24,874 complaints during the period, of which 24,839 were resolved, and 35 remained pending.
Grameenphone recorded 21,526 complaints, with 20,895 resolved and 631 pending. Teletalk received 11,594 complaints, resolving 11,447 and leaving 147 pending. Banglalink recorded 8,711 complaints, of which 8,675 were resolved, and 36 remained pending.
However, when complaints are measured against subscriber numbers, Teletalk had the highest rate at around 0.17%. The rates for Robi, Grameenphone and Banglalink were approximately 0.042%, 0.025% and 0.023%, respectively.
Service quality remains the biggest concern
The nature of the complaints highlights persistent problems in customers’ everyday experience.
During the 2024-25 fiscal year, BTRC recorded 11,427 complaints across different categories. Of these, 3,529 were related to Quality of Service (QoS), making service quality the largest complaint category.
Customers also filed 926 complaints over data speed, 811 over value-added services (VAS), 647 regarding package migration, 481 concerning data volume and 467 related to recharge and billing. Another 1,331 complaints were classified as miscellaneous.
The complaints include poor network coverage, dropped calls, slow mobile internet, disputed data consumption, unwanted services and billing-related problems.
‘Hundreds of minutes and data remain unused’
For some customers, frustration extends beyond network performance to the terms attached to prepaid packages.
Dhanmondi resident Sk Shahidul Islam said he regularly purchases data and talk-time but often fails to use the full allocation before its validity expires.
“I buy data every month. Sometimes I remember to use it, and sometimes I don't. But I have heard for a long time that unused data and talk-time would be carried forward with the next recharge. In reality, that is not happening,” he said.
“Every month, hundreds of minutes and a considerable amount of data remain unused. The mobile companies are benefiting from this in some way, while customers are losing something they have already paid for. There should be a proper and transparent solution.”
Moghbazar resident Rubel Mia said poor data speeds, dropped calls and unexpected balance deductions were among his recurring complaints.
“Sometimes I have data remaining in my package, but the speed becomes so poor that it is practically unusable. Calls also drop without warning, forcing me to reconnect,” he said.
“When a service is activated, money can be deducted immediately. But when customers want to deactivate an unwanted service or dispute a charge, they often have to contact customer care repeatedly. The process should be much simpler.”
Operators defend services
Mobile operators say they take customer complaints seriously.
Grameenphone Head of Communications Sharafuddin Ahmed Chowdhury said customer interests remain central to the company’s operations.
“We consider every customer complaint with utmost importance and try to resolve it,” he said.
He said network and tower-related complaints that cannot be resolved immediately are followed up with affected customers.
Robi Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer Sahed Alam said around 95% of complaints received through BTRC had been resolved. He said the company regularly reviews network performance and service delivery, particularly in relation to service quality, data speed and VAS.
Sahed also claimed that more than 40% of issues raised by BTRC concerning Robi were investigative or inquiry-related.
BTRC challenges ‘inquiry’ claim
BTRC Director (Service) Lt Col Md Kamrul Hasan Mamun said complaints generally reach the regulator after customers fail to obtain satisfactory solutions from their operators.
“If it is merely an investigative matter or an inquiry, it should not normally come to BTRC. Such issues should be resolved at the customer service level,” he said.
BTRC Chairman Major General (retd) Md Emdad Ul Bari said complaints submitted to the commission generally represent a second level of escalation.
He said the regulator had improved its monthly resolution rate from roughly 45-50% previously to 69% last month.
However, he noted that network coverage and infrastructure-related complaints can take considerably longer to resolve.
“There are many complaints that cannot be resolved overnight. Some may take months or even years,” he said.
‘Actual number could run into millions’
Consumer rights advocates argue that the 66,705 complaints recorded by BTRC should not be considered a complete picture of customer dissatisfaction.
Mohiuddin Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers Association, said many customers simply do not know how to lodge complaints with the regulator.
“If customers were able to actively lodge complaints, the number would certainly not be 66,000. It could run into several million,” he said.
He called for easier complaint procedures, district-level complaint facilities and stronger technical capacity within BTRC. He also urged wider publicity for BTRC’s 100 short code.
Online public hearings questioned
The association has also criticised BTRC’s online public hearings, arguing that the format cannot adequately represent millions of mobile users.
According to the association, 848 people registered for a 2022 hearing, but only 94 were able to participate. A physical hearing was held in 2024 before the process moved online again in 2025.
Mohiuddin claimed nearly 3,500 people registered for the 2025 hearing, but only a small number were given an opportunity to speak. He also alleged that representatives of the association were not given adequate opportunity to present their concerns.
“The most surprising thing is that the event ended within around 40 minutes,” he said.
The association has called for public hearings at district and divisional levels, alongside online and telephone participation. It also wants BTRC to accept written submissions and publicly disclose how complaints and recommendations are addressed.
The real test is better service
The growing number of complaints raises a fundamental question: are individual complaints being closed without addressing the systemic problems behind them?
Poor network coverage, dropped calls, slow data, disputed data consumption, unwanted services and billing concerns continue to affect consumers.
For customers such as Sk Shahidul Islam, the issue is ultimately about accountability and transparency. Consumers paying for data and talk-time should know exactly what they are purchasing, how long it remains valid and what happens to any unused balance.
Operators have a responsibility to provide reliable services under clear terms, while the regulator must ensure complaints are not merely closed but properly investigated and resolved.
Ultimately, the performance of Bangladesh’s mobile telecommunications sector should not be judged by how many complaint files are closed. It should be judged by whether millions of consumers receive the reliable, transparent and fairly priced service for which they pay.
