Nearly two-thirds of the students using education technology platforms for academic learning in Bangladesh are from rural areas, underscoring a quiet shift in how learners outside major cities are accessing quality tutoring, reveals the market-leading platform Shikho.
The Shikho Learners Report 2025 shows that 66 per cent of the 3.4 million students who used the Shikho platform between 2021 and 2025 were from rural areas, reflecting the growing role of online learning in bridging long-standing gaps in access to quality education.
In 2025 alone, at least 1.1 million secondary and higher secondary students took tutoring on the platform, while a large share of the 800,000 learners from 2024 continued their studies there, the report said.
Learners spent a total of 566 million minutes studying on the platform during the year, double the level recorded in 2023, highlighting the rapid expansion of digital education.
Girls led overall engagement, accounting for 59 per cent of total learning time, compared with 41 per cent by boys, according to the report.
Most learning took place in the afternoon, between 12 pm and 3 pm, as students balanced school schedules, household responsibilities and study time.
Students spent 43 per cent of their time attending live classes, followed by 21 per cent on assessments, 18 per cent on guideline sessions, 12 per cent on learning materials and 8 per cent on animated lessons.
Regionally, Dhaka recorded the highest learning time with 172 million minutes, followed by Chattogram with 147 million minutes, Rajshahi with 53 million minutes, Sylhet with 42 million minutes, Rangpur and Khulna with 40 million minutes each and Barishal with 31 million minutes.
The report also highlights strong academic outcomes, with more than 5,400 students achieving GPA 5 in the Secondary School Certificate examinations in 2025 after studying on the platform.
ICT emerged as the most popular subject overall, while Mathematics was the most popular subject among science group students.
Artificial intelligence-based learning is also gaining traction, with 160,000 learners using AI tools during the year, generating around 600,000 sessions and 985,000 AI-driven conversations.
For students like Mushfiq Zaman Tapu from Bedkashi union in Koyra upazila of Khulna, the shift has been transformative.
Tapu secured GPA 5 in the SSC examination from Bedkashi Collegiate School and has since been admitted to Notre Dame College in Dhaka, with his parents and teachers crediting his success largely to online learning.
Many students said the platform appealed to them because it provided access to quality teachers at a lower cost, particularly in rural areas where private tutoring options are limited.
Once registered, learners can attend live classes throughout the year, revisit recorded lessons through an online library, take part in quizzes and model tests and use animated content to better understand science and mathematics concepts.
Shikho said students from class six to ten spend an average of Tk100 per subject per month, while higher secondary students spend up to Tk120, keeping costs significantly below traditional private tuition.
That means a full year’s coursework and practice for one class can be completed at a cost of around Tk10,000, much lower than in-person tuition.
The platform is often more academically updated than many local tutors, with instructors including top performers from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka Medical College and the University of Dhaka, Shikho CEO Shahir Chowdhury told TIMES of Bangladesh.
He also said the platform uses artificial intelligence tools to help students learn curriculum-based subjects through question-and-answer formats.
However, he identified high internet costs and the struggle for devices among low-income families as major barriers to the further expansion of online learning across the country.
Despite these challenges, the report suggests that digital education is steadily changing study habits in Bangladesh, offering an affordable and flexible alternative that is increasingly reaching students far beyond the cities.
