Bangladesh eSIM | Grameenphone, Robi & Banglalink
Roami
Roami is a global eSIM carrier focused on travel connectivity. This guide is compiled from network data, official carrier and manufacturer documentation, and traveler inquiries.
📑 Table of Contents
A Bangladesh eSIM puts you on the same towers locals use, and here the towers matter more than the brand. Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index for August 2026 puts the median mobile download at 56.45 Mbps — 91st in the world, at 28 ms latency — and Cable.co.uk prices 1 GB of local data at about USD 0.23. So the real question is not whether to buy a Bangladesh eSIM, but which network it should hold. The failure cases Roami’s support team handles for Bangladesh are exactly what the coverage and registration sections below address plainly.
Quick answer: Grameenphone if you are moving around Bangladesh, Robi if you are staying in a single city. The speed, price and registration details below back up that split, and the compatibility page eliminates phone issues first.
Bangladesh compresses remarkable variety into a small map. The Ganges–Brahmaputra delta spreads Dhaka’s commuters across river-braided lowlands; Cox’s Bazar runs roughly 120 km of beach; Sylhet’s tea country climbs into green hills; and the Chittagong Hill Tracts fold into ridges near the Myanmar border. Grameenphone owns the widest rural footprint, Robi is strongest in the big cities, and Banglalink undercuts both on price.
If you want the mechanics of how a profile installs, start with what actually happens when an eSIM profile activates. Compatibility gets its own section.
The one-paragraph answer: Staying in Dhaka, Chittagong and the industrial corridor? Robi is the urban performer. Heading for the Sundarbans, Sylhet’s tea estates or the Cox’s Bazar coast? Grameenphone has the widest rural reach. On a tight budget through the towns? Banglalink sells the cheapest data packs. Either way you will register in person with your passport and a live fingerprint scan — exactly the paperwork a pre-installed travel eSIM avoids. A complimentary trial eSIM tests the networks at no cost.
Which local eSIM network fits your route?
Grameenphone built the largest tower estate, Robi concentrated capacity where the people and money are, and Banglalink competes on price. Read your itinerary against this table before you buy.
| Your route | Best Bangladesh eSIM network | Why it wins there | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj — the delta capital | Robi | Dense urban capacity and consistently strong 4G in the business districts | Peak-hour congestion, roughly 8–11 pm |
| Chittagong port and the southeast | Robi or Grameenphone | Both hold strong signal in the port city; GP edges ahead once you leave the highway | Congestion in the industrial belt |
| Cox’s Bazar and the beach strip | Grameenphone | Reliable 4G along the resort corridor and the marine drive | Season crowds slow every network |
| St. Martin’s Island | Grameenphone | The only network with a dependable footprint at the mainland jetty | Coverage is thin at the island’s far end; access itself is seasonal |
| Sylhet tea country and Jaflong | Grameenphone | The best coverage between the tea estates | Gaps on the estate back roads |
| Khulna and the Sundarbans gateway | Grameenphone | Strongest signal in the gateway towns | Little to no signal inside the mangrove forest |
| Barisal and the southern delta | Banglalink or Grameenphone | Banglalink posted the fastest median 4G download in Barisal of any operator | Cells thin out fast between river towns |
| Mymensingh and the northern centre | Grameenphone | GP recorded the fastest median download in the Mymensingh division | Rural union roads drop out entirely |
| Rajshahi, Rangpur and the northwest | Banglalink or Grameenphone | Banglalink is price-competitive where its 4G holds; GP led Rajshahi on speed | Coverage thins between towns |
| Chittagong Hill Tracts — Rangamati, Bandarban | Grameenphone | The only network with a real presence in the hill districts | Expect 2G-grade service in places |
Two names repeat in that table for a simple reason: where you are going decides the network. A single-carrier plan bought for Dhaka can underperform badly on a boat to the Sundarbans.
Grameenphone vs Robi: which is better in Bangladesh?
Speed claims are where Bangladeshi carrier marketing gets loudest, so here are the published numbers instead. Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence analysis of Q4 2025 data, released under the BTRC’s quality-of-service regime, ranks every operator on median 4G download and upload.
| Network | Median 4G download (Q4 2025) | Median 4G upload (Q4 2025) | Where it led regionally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banglalink | 31.22 Mbps | 11.64 Mbps | Barisal 33.26 Mbps and Dhaka 31.86 Mbps — fastest in both |
| Grameenphone | 30.69 Mbps | 11.23 Mbps | Chittagong 36.50 Mbps, Mymensingh 33.70 Mbps, Rajshahi 30.27 Mbps |
| Robi | 29.31 Mbps | 13.15 Mbps | Top upload in Sylhet (12.36 Mbps) and Rangpur (12.09 Mbps) |
| Airtel (016 prefix, Robi’s network) | 28.48 Mbps | 13.30 Mbps | Quickest uplink in Khulna (16.21 Mbps) and Dhaka (15.07 Mbps) |
| Teletalk | 21.38 Mbps | — | Cleared the regulator’s floor but trails the private three |
| National median, all operators | 31.15 Mbps by January 2026 | 12.22 Mbps by January 2026 | Up from 10.88 Mbps upload in August 2024 |
Every operator cleared the BTRC’s 10 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload thresholds nationally — a floor, not a goal. Banglalink and Grameenphone trade the top spot region by region, while Robi beats both on upload. A separate barometer, nPerf’s 2025 Bangladesh report, ranked Grameenphone first overall with Banglalink second: two measurement houses, two winners.
Grameenphone vs Robi vs Banglalink: which should you choose?
Four operators hold mobile licences in Bangladesh. Grameenphone (Telenor, Norway) leads with roughly 84 million subscribers, about 45% of the market. Robi (Axiata, Malaysia) runs second at around 57 million after the 2016 Airtel Bangladesh merger. Banglalink (VEON) holds close to 38 million, and state-owned Teletalk trails under 7 million.
| Grameenphone | Robi | Banglalink | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Telenor (Norway) | Axiata (Malaysia) | VEON |
| Subscribers, end-2025 (BTRC) | ~84.2 million | ~57.4 million | ~37.5 million |
| Market share | ~45% | ~31% | ~20% |
| Number prefixes | 013, 017 | 016, 018 | 014, 019 |
| eSIM support | Yes — first in Bangladesh, March 2022 | Yes | Yes — via Banglalink Centre, since December 2022 |
| 5G status | Non-standalone 5G in the eight divisional cities from 1 September 2025 | 5G switched on 1 September 2025 in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet | 4G-led; no comparable 5G launch |
| Where it wins | Widest rural coverage and the deepest tower estate | Urban speed and capacity; the strongest uploads | Cheapest data packs |
| Where it loses | Repeated quality-of-service notices from the regulator | Rural footprint thins faster than GP’s | Weakest rural coverage of the three |
| Visitor entry | Tourist SIM blocks with biometric registration | Same process | Same process |
One number moved recently: the regulator capped each national ID at 10 SIMs from 1 November 2025, down from 15, and about five million connections went dark. All three carriers sell eSIMs, but none sells one to a walk-in foreigner without biometrics.
Rural coverage in Bangladesh: Grameenphone vs Robi
Grameenphone runs the country’s largest network — its 2024 annual report counts nearly 23,000 towers — and holds spectrum at 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz. That low-band 900 MHz holding carries signal into delta villages, tea gardens and Sundarbans gateway towns where the others thin out. It was also the first Bangladeshi operator to support eSIM.
Robi eSIM: the best network in Dhaka and Chittagong
Robi’s merger with Airtel gave it a strong urban grid, and it is widely regarded as the network to hold in Dhaka and Chittagong. Robi also describes itself as the first operator to switch on commercial 5G in Bangladesh, on 1 September 2025, in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet; Grameenphone announced the same date with a wider footprint.
How many GB do you need in Bangladesh?
Banglalink, owned by VEON, wins on price, and the latest speed data puts it top of the 4G download table. The catch is process: eSIMs are sold only through its Banglalink Centres, with biometric verification completed in person, so the savings come with a shop visit. Its rural footprint is the thinnest of the three.
Cirkle and Teletalk: the Bangladesh SIM brands at the counter
Two names in Bangladeshi shops confuse visitors. Cirkle is the brand Robi launched on 17 August 2026 to replace Airtel, its youth sub-brand since the 2016 merger. Airtel customers kept their 016 numbers and balances, and the network underneath is Robi’s — so a Cirkle SIM uses Robi’s APN. Teletalk, the state operator, is the cheapest of the four and the one to treat with most care.
Buy a Bangladesh carrier eSIM or install a travel eSIM?
| Local carrier eSIM or SIM | Travel eSIM on a Bangladeshi network | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you buy it | Airport counter, operator store or Banglalink Centre | Online, installed before you fly |
| Paperwork | Original passport, valid visa, live fingerprint scan | None beyond checkout |
| Typical cost | Tourist packs of 15–40 GB run roughly Tk 1,000–2,000; the base SIM card itself is about Tk 200 | Around USD 4–8 for 3–5 GB, depending on the retailer |
| What you get | A real +880 number with voice and SMS | Data-only in most cases |
| Validity | Tourist SIMs run in 7, 15 or 30-day blocks, then auto-unregister | The plan length you choose |
| Top-ups afterwards | Scratch cards, e-recharge at any shop, the operator app | Buy another profile or top up in your provider’s app |
| Time to get online | 20–45 minutes at an airport counter after a long-haul arrival | Two minutes, before you leave home |
| Best for | Stays beyond a month, or needing a local number | Trips under roughly three weeks, and landing with data on |
The economics favour local carriers on price per gigabyte, but registration is the tax you pay: Hazrat Shahjalal’s counters routinely queue 20–45 minutes, and the fingerprint scan cannot be done remotely. A travel eSIM costs more per gigabyte and delivers in two minutes.
Where the carrier route wins is longevity and voice: a +880 number for local ride-hailing and delivery OTPs, top-ups from any shop, and a line that survives a multi-month stay. 💡 For the middle path — instant delivery, no biometrics, and automatic switching across all three networks — that is what Roami’s Bangladesh eSIM is built for.
Will your phone support a Bangladesh eSIM?
Can my phone handle a Bangladesh eSIM?
Bangladeshi 4G runs on 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz — LTE bands 8, 3, 1 and 41 — with band 3 (1800 MHz) the workhorse and band 41 supplying urban capacity. Grameenphone’s 5G is non-standalone on its 80 MHz holding at 2600 MHz. Almost every handset from the last five years covers band 3; older phones may lack band 41 and fall back to LTE in the cities.
Check your exact model — the model number, not the marketing name — against the phone compatibility list, and dial *#06#: if an EID appears, the device can hold a profile.
Are Bangladesh carriers compatible with your device?
A locked phone is the most common reason a Bangladesh eSIM installs but never connects. Check under iPhone → Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock. If it reads “SIM locked,” no third-party profile will register until the original carrier unlocks it — usually free once it is paid off.
Bangladesh IMEI and EID checks
| Device | Symptom | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland-China iPhone models | No “Add eSIM” option at all | Not fixable — use a physical SIM or another phone |
| Carrier-locked handsets | eSIM installs but never registers | Unlock with the original carrier first |
| Dual-SIM setups | Data still runs on the home SIM | Point Mobile Data at the Bangladesh eSIM line |
| Older budget Androids | No band 41 support | Expected behaviour — LTE in cities, fine everywhere |
Handsets that struggle in Bangladesh
| Device class | What you will see in Bangladesh | What to do about it |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-or-later flagship (iPhone 12+, Galaxy S21+, Pixel 6+) | Full band 3, 8 and 41 support; 5G where the operator has it | Nothing — install and go |
| 2018–2019 eSIM handset (iPhone XS/XR, Pixel 3) | eSIM works; no band 41, so city capacity falls back to LTE | Slower city peaks, normal service elsewhere |
| Mid-range Android without band 41 | Attaches to band 3 and band 8 only | Fine for maps and messaging; do not assume fast downloads |
| Dual-SIM user with a home SIM in slot 1 | Data can default to the home line | Set the eSIM as the mobile-data line, keep voice on the home line |
| Tablet or laptop with an eSIM slot | Works, but no voice and no USSD balance codes | Check the allowance in the operator app instead of dialling |
| Phone on a carrier payment plan abroad | May still be locked | Unlock it before you fly, not at the airport |
BTRC registration rules for your eSIM or tourist SIM
Bangladesh requires every SIM to be registered to a verified identity, and since late 2015 that verification has been biometric: a live fingerprint scan checked against the government’s Central Biometric Verification Monitoring Platform (CBVMP). There is no legal way around it for a locally issued SIM or eSIM.
For visitors, BTRC’s tourist SIM guidelines add a specific framework, summarised here for anyone weighing a Bangladesh eSIM bought locally against one bought at home.
| Rule | What it means for a visitor |
|---|---|
| Passport-linked registration | A local SIM or eSIM is registered to your passport on the CBVMP, with a live fingerprint scan |
| Two SIMs per passport | You cannot replace a lost tourist SIM without leaving and re-entering the country |
| 7, 15 and 30-day blocks | Tourist validity comes in fixed blocks rather than custom durations |
| Automatic de-registration | The line unregisters itself after 30 days, so nothing needs cancelling |
| Longer stays | A regular SIM registered against a work permit is the route beyond 30 days |
Does Bangladesh require SIM registration?
The sequence is short but unforgiving of missing documents. This is what happens at a Hazrat Shahjalal arrivals counter or an operator store.
- Join the operator’s counter queue. Grameenphone, Robi and Banglalink all staff arrivals at Dhaka. After a long-haul landing, budget 20–45 minutes.
- Ask for a tourist SIM or tourist eSIM and request the full plan list. Staff sometimes lead with the biggest bundle; the 7-day and 15-day blocks are usually better value.
- Hand over your original passport and visa (or the entry stamp, if you arrived on a visa-on-arrival arrangement). Photocopies are frequently refused.
- Watch the fingerprint capture. Your finger goes on the operator’s reader and the scan is matched against the CBVMP.
- Give a local contact address. Your hotel is accepted. Some counters type this in without asking, but have the name ready.
- Pay in cash, in taka. Airport counters are the least card-friendly point of sale in the country.
- If you chose an eSIM, scan the QR code immediately over a stable connection, ideally the counter’s own Wi-Fi. Most codes are single-use.
- Confirm the line is live before you walk away by opening a page on mobile data, not on Wi-Fi.
What are the registration rules in Bangladesh?
| Item | Why it matters | If you do not have it |
|---|---|---|
| Original passport | The only identity document the CBVMP accepts from a foreigner | Nothing else substitutes — a copy will be refused |
| Valid visa or entry stamp | Proves your legal basis for a tourist SIM | Port-of-entry counters can work from the arrival record |
| Local address (hotel name) | Required as the registered contact address | Any booked accommodation works |
| Cash in taka | Airport counters take cash, and change may be scarce | Airport ATMs exist but can be empty at night |
Your EID, from *#06# |
Lets the counter confirm eSIM eligibility on the spot | Staff can check compatibility on the operator’s system |
| A charged phone with a working screen | The QR code has to be scanned and the profile verified | Use a spare handset or buy a physical SIM instead |
Bangladesh SIM registration: when your fingerprints will not read
The biometric reality deserves honest words. The scan happens at an operator counter, on their device. Travellers with worn or unclear fingerprints — common among manual workers, older visitors and anyone with dry skin in winter — have historically hit rejections, and BTRC has formalised a “special method” for those cases. Ask for it rather than retrying until the system locks you out.
How to buy an eSIM from each Bangladeshi carrier
All three carriers follow the same legal skeleton: biometric registration first, profile second. The counters and apps differ, so here is each route.
The Grameenphone eSIM route
Grameenphone staffs counters in the arrivals hall of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) and runs Grameenphone Centers in every major city. Bring your original passport and visa, complete the fingerprint capture, and choose a tourist pack — tiers sold in 7, 15 and 30-day blocks have recently run from about Tk 999 for 15 GB to roughly Tk 1,999 for 40 GB. The eSIM QR code is issued on demand at port-of-entry counters, so scan it over solid Wi-Fi.
The Robi eSIM route
Robi registers visitors through its own service points using the same passport-plus-biometric sequence, and its tourist packs sit in the same price band. Top-ups afterwards are easy: Robi’s app and the USSD menus printed on every top-up card handle bundle purchases without a shop visit.
The Banglalink eSIM route
Banglalink requires a visit to a Banglalink Centre for new eSIM purchases and conversions; there is no self-serve online path. Staff complete biometric verification and hand you a QR code. The reward is the cheapest data in the room, which matters on longer stays in well-covered towns.
The travel eSIM route in Bangladesh
Buy online before departure, install the QR code at home, and the profile attaches to Grameenphone, Robi or Banglalink the moment you clear customs — no counter, no fingerprints. Our activation walkthrough covers the install on iOS and Android, including keeping the profile off until you land so the validity clock starts at the right moment.
Recharging your eSIM: apps, USSD and vouchers
Prepaid is the whole market here, and running out of data is a five-minute problem rather than an emergency — provided you know which channel works where.
How to top up a Bangladesh eSIM
| Method | How it works | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch card | Buy a card at any shop, scratch the panel, dial the operator’s recharge code | Cash buyers with no local bank account | Denominations are small; you may need several cards |
| Shop e-recharge (flexiload) | Hand the shopkeeper your number and amount; they transfer credit electronically | The fastest option in a village or market | A small service fee is common; keep the printed slip |
| Operator app | MyGP, My Robi or MyBL — buy bundles and check balances | Anyone staying more than a couple of days | Needs a working data connection to load |
| USSD bundle menu | Dial the network’s own code and pick a pack from the menu | When the app will not load | Menus are mostly in Bangla |
| Mobile financial service | bKash, Nagad or Rocket wallets can pay for recharges | Long stays where you set up a wallet anyway | Setting up a wallet needs local identity documents |
| Travel eSIM provider app | Buy another data plan for the same profile | Bangladesh eSIM users who run out of allowance | You need a data connection somewhere to buy it |
Which USSD code checks what on a Bangladesh eSIM
| Network | Balance check | Data remaining | Own number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grameenphone | *566# |
*566*10# |
*2# |
| Robi (and Cirkle) | *222# |
*3# or *8444*88# |
*140*2*4# |
| Banglalink | *124# |
*5000*500# |
*511# |
| Teletalk | *152# |
*152# |
*551# |
Bangladesh eSIM speeds and coverage, area by area
Nationally, the August 2026 Speedtest Global Index puts Bangladesh at a 56.45 Mbps median mobile download — 91st in the world at 28 ms latency — with fixed broadband at 109.09 Mbps. Your Bangladesh eSIM inherits the local network rather than any separate roaming link. The compensations are price and reach: about USD 0.23 per gigabyte, 77.7 million internet users at 44.5% penetration, and 185 million mobile connections.
Grameenphone vs Robi: which Bangladesh carrier is faster?
| Region | Coverage reality | Best network | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka and the central delta | Dense 4G across the capital; 5G zones in selected areas | Robi | Evening congestion on every network |
| Chittagong and the southeast coast | Strong in the port city and along the coastal corridor | Grameenphone (36.50 Mbps median here) | Industrial-belt congestion at shift changes |
| Cox’s Bazar and the beach strip | Full 4G along the resort corridor and the marine drive | Grameenphone | Season crowds slow every network |
| St. Martin’s Island | Signal at the jetty and on parts of the island | Grameenphone | Not dependable at the far end |
| Sylhet and the tea country | Good in the city, thinning on estate back roads | Grameenphone | Robi leads upload here; gaps between the gardens |
| Khulna and the Sundarbans gateway | Reliable in Khulna and the gateway towns | Grameenphone | Effectively no signal inside the mangroves |
| Barisal and the southern delta | Solid in the city, patchy on the river routes | Banglalink (33.26 Mbps median here) | Long stretches between river towns |
| Mymensingh and the north centre | Good in the divisional city | Grameenphone (33.70 Mbps median here) | Rural union roads drop out |
| Rajshahi, Rangpur and the northwest | Good in the divisional towns | Banglalink or Grameenphone | Long thin stretches between towns |
| Chittagong Hill Tracts | Limited, and 2G-grade in places | Grameenphone | Rangamati and Bandarban hinterlands lose signal entirely |
Grameenphone vs Robi: coverage compared
Three environments defeat every network, so treat this as an offline-maps instruction rather than a warning.
| Place | What happens to data | Plan for it |
|---|---|---|
| Interior of the Sundarbans | Disconnected for most of a multi-day boat safari | Download maps and tell someone your schedule |
| Hill districts around Rangamati and Bandarban | Terrain beats tower density; 2G in places, nothing in the deep valleys | Carry a power bank and a printed itinerary |
| Delta chars and river islands | Some have no permanent cell at all | Do not rely on connectivity for onward bookings |
One piece of history belongs in any Bangladesh eSIM guide: the country’s mobile internet was cut nationally for ten days in July 2024, with a further 4G interruption in early August — the strongest argument for carrying offline copies of your documents, tickets and maps.
Extending the trip past Bangladesh? All three borders are reachable overland, and each has its own equivalent of this page:
When a Bangladesh eSIM slows down: Eid, monsoon and peak hours
Congestion on a Bangladesh eSIM is predictable, and it is seasonal as much as hourly. Two national events move tens of millions of people at once, and one weather system does the rest.
Eid travel: Bangladesh’s biggest mobile network load of the year
The BTRC tracks subscriber movement by cell, and Eid-ul-Fitr 2025 shows why that week feels different: 10.7 million mobile users left Dhaka in the seven days from 28 March to 3 April, peaking at 2.39 million departures on 30 March, while 4.44 million returned. Traffic inverts — urban cells empty out while rural sites absorb a surge, and Eid-ul-Azha repeats the pattern more quietly.
Bangladesh monsoon and cyclone season: what it does to mobile data
The monsoon runs roughly June to September, and it is a network event as well as a travel inconvenience. Heavy rain degrades high-band signals, and standing water cuts power to sites that then run on backup batteries. Bangladesh also sits in the Bay of Bengal’s cyclone belt, whose peaks fall around April–May and October–November; a cyclone can take towers down for days.
Bangladesh evening data congestion, and what to do about it
| Situation | What you will notice | What actually helps |
|---|---|---|
| Dhaka evening peak, roughly 8–11 pm | Downloads fall below the national median | Do heavy uploads in the morning; keep messaging for the evening |
| Friday afternoon and public holidays | More video traffic on every network in the cities | Nothing to fix — the network is simply busy |
| Eid travel week | Rural cells saturated, urban cells quiet | Let the eSIM reselect the strongest network and pre-download what you need |
| Monsoon downpour | Brief drops, especially on high bands | Move near a window or step outside; low-band signal recovers first |
| Cyclone warning in a coastal district | Outages can last days, not hours | Offline maps, a power bank and a written list of phone numbers |
APN settings for Bangladesh carrier eSIMs
APN settings are the last thing most travellers need to touch and the first thing worth ruling out when data fails. Modern profiles usually configure themselves; you need these values only if a Bangladesh eSIM installed without its own settings.
| Carrier | APN | Username | Password |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grameenphone | gpinternet |
blank | blank |
| Robi (and Cirkle) | internet |
blank | blank |
| Banglalink | blweb |
blank | blank |
Leave username and password empty. To enter them manually: on iPhone, Settings → Cellular → tap the eSIM line → Cellular Data Network; on Android, Settings → Connections → Mobile Networks → Access Point Names. Save, restart, and confirm the eSIM — not your home SIM — is the selected data line.
Bangladesh eSIM activation and the four failures to expect
The generic install sequence — add eSIM, scan the QR code, label the line, set it as your data line, enable data roaming — is covered step by step in step-by-step eSIM activation guide. What follows are the four failure patterns a Bangladesh eSIM trip actually produces, in the order you are likely to meet them.
A. Registration rejected at the counter. Usually a fingerprint mismatch or a passport detail that will not validate. Move from a small agent shop to a corporate store — they have the escalation path — and bring the original passport. If your prints will not read, ask about the regulator’s special-case process.
B. Installed, but no signal bars. Check the profile is enabled, then switch network selection from automatic to manual and pick Grameenphone, Robi or Banglalink explicitly. In remote districts your phone may camp on 2G — that is the network, not your eSIM.
C. Signal bars, but no internet. Cross-check the APN against the carrier table earlier in this section, confirm the eSIM is the active data line, and check data roaming is on for that line. Then check your balance: prepaid packs simply stop when the allowance ends, and a top-up from any corner shop fixes it.
D. “SOS” or “Emergency calls only.” Confirm the eSIM line is switched on in the SIM manager, disable other active profiles, reset network settings and reboot. As a last resort, request a fresh QR code from the issuing counter — most codes are single-use.
If none of that lands, the wider catalogue in eSIM error troubleshooting guide covers profile-download errors and carrier-lock conflicts in detail.
Bangladesh carrier eSIM FAQ
Can you buy a Bangladesh eSIM from Grameenphone?
Yes. Grameenphone staffs counters in the Hazrat Shahjalal arrivals hall and issues eSIM QR codes on demand. Bring your original passport and visa, expect a 20–45 minute queue after major arrivals, and have Wi-Fi ready for the download.
How SIM registration works in Bangladesh
For any locally issued SIM or eSIM, yes — BTRC rules require a live biometric scan tied to your passport. A travel eSIM installed before departure is a different product category and skips all of it.
Bangladesh mobile operators at a glance
Grameenphone has the strongest presence in Khulna and the gateway towns, but inside the mangrove forest expect long stretches with no signal. Download offline maps and treat connectivity as a town-only resource.
Grameenphone vs Robi 5G: which is better in Bangladesh?
Yes, since 1 September 2025, when both Robi and Grameenphone switched on commercial 5G. Robi describes itself as first, covering Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet; Grameenphone says its launch covered all eight divisional cities. You need a 5G-capable handset on the operator’s approved list.
How long is a tourist SIM valid in Bangladesh?
Tourist SIMs run in 7, 15 and 30-day blocks and automatically unregister after 30 days. A passport can hold a maximum of two tourist SIMs; beyond 30 days, a regular SIM registered against a work permit is the route.
Which carrier tops the speed charts in Bangladesh?
It depends on the district. In Ookla’s Q4 2025 data, Banglalink posted the highest national median 4G download at 31.22 Mbps and Grameenphone second at 30.69 Mbps, while Grameenphone led in Chittagong, Mymensingh and Rajshahi and Banglalink led in Barisal and Dhaka. Robi recorded the fastest uploads.
What is Cirkle, and is it the same as Airtel?
Cirkle is the brand Robi launched on 17 August 2026 in place of Airtel, its youth brand since the 2016 merger. Airtel customers kept their 016 numbers and balances, and the network is Robi’s — so a Cirkle SIM uses Robi’s APN.
Can you top up a Bangladesh eSIM mid-trip?
Buy a scratch card at any shop or kiosk and dial the operator’s recharge code, or hand your number to a shopkeeper and pay for an electronic top-up. Operator apps — MyGP, My Robi, MyBL — accept local cards and wallets, but a shop is simpler.
Do WhatsApp calls work in Bangladesh?
Yes. Your Bangladesh eSIM provides data for the phone and anything you tether to it; WhatsApp, Telegram and your banking apps stay tied to your home number, which remains active on your physical SIM. Keep data roaming off on the home line so it cannot bill you for background traffic.
Budget picks among Bangladesh plans
Yes — about USD 0.23 per gigabyte on Cable.co.uk’s global survey, 12th cheapest of 237 markets. Local packs priced in taka work out even lower; tourist packs carry a modest premium for the short validity blocks.
Where travelers buy Bangladesh eSIMs
Not from the carriers themselves — their process requires in-person biometric registration. What you can buy online is a travel eSIM that roams onto Grameenphone, Robi or Banglalink, installed at home and active on landing. Roami’s Bangladesh eSIM works this way.
What happens to my tourist SIM when I leave?
Nothing needs doing. The tourist registration expires automatically at the end of its validity block — by design, so unused numbers do not linger on the network under a visitor’s passport.
The reporting behind our Bangladesh eSIM numbers
- Ookla Speedtest Global Index — the Bangladesh page tracks the August 2026 median mobile download of 56.45 Mbps, the 91st-place ranking and latency, updated monthly.
- Ookla Speedtest Intelligence — Bangladesh 4G quality of service, Q4 2025 — the analysis delivers every per-operator median above, Banglalink’s 31.22 Mbps and Grameenphone’s 36.50 Mbps in Chittagong included.
- Cable.co.uk worldwide data pricing — the full country table sets the USD 0.23 average cost per gigabyte.
- DataReportal — the Digital 2025 Bangladesh report anchors the internet-user, penetration and mobile-connection counts.
- The Daily Star — the BTRC tourist SIM report records the 7/15/30-day validity blocks, the two-SIM passport cap and port-of-entry eSIM issuance.
- BTRC subscriber data — quarterly operator counts and market shares via The Financial Express and The Daily Star, including the 10-SIMs-per-NID cap of 1 November 2025.
- Grameenphone — the operator’s own 5G announcement pins the 1 September 2025 commercial launch across the divisional cities.
- nPerf 2025 Bangladesh barometer — crowdsourced scoring for January–June 2025, cited above wherever its rankings diverge from Ookla’s.
- BSS / BTRC Eid movement statistics — behind the 10.7 million departures from Dhaka during Eid-ul-Fitr 2025.
None of these are our own measurements; they are dated third-party figures that move as networks upgrade.
The Bangladesh eSIM carriers: Grameenphone, Robi and Banglalink
The right Bangladesh eSIM follows your route — Robi for the cities, Grameenphone for everything green and wet, Banglalink for the budget run through the towns. Install it at home, land with data. New Roami customers can start with a free multi-network trial eSIM and take 20% off with code WEB20 when they buy a Bangladesh eSIM.
