Bangladesh’s mobile network operators have warned of potential nationwide service disruptions as prolonged power outages and worsening fuel shortages push telecom infrastructure towards breakdown.
The warning came in an April 18 letter to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), where the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh described the situation as a “critical and escalating crisis,” the industry said.
Severe electricity shortages and unreliable fuel supply for backup generators, compounded by recent storms, have intensified outages across the country, operators said.
According to them, in many regions of the country, power cuts now last between five and eight hours daily, leaving data centres, switching systems and transmission hubs without stable grid electricity.
Operators are therefore relying heavily on diesel-powered generators to keep networks running.
Base transceiver stations consume more than 52,000 litres of diesel and nearly 20,000 litres of octane daily, with Grameenphone using over 28,000 litres of diesel, and Robi and Banglalink more than 13,000 litres and 11,000 litres respectively.
Octane use exceeds 9,000 litres daily for Grameenphone and several thousand litres for the other operators.
Fuel demand is significantly higher at data centres and switching facilities, which are now almost entirely generator-dependent.
Each data centre requires between 500 and 600 litres of diesel per hour, or roughly 4,000 litres per day, taking combined daily consumption at such facilities beyond 27,000 litres across operators.
Fuel supply chains are failing to meet the demand, with local stations unable to provide sufficient volumes and inter-district transportation disrupted by reported law enforcement-related issues.
Several strategically important telecom facilities are operating on critically low fuel reserves, heightening the risk of imminent service disruptions.
Operator data show the scale and spread of the crisis, with Robi running major data centres in Gazipur, Sylhet, Cumilla, Chattogram, Narayanganj and Bogura, consuming between 25 and 320 litres of diesel per hour depending on load.
Grameenphone operates high-capacity infrastructure including its Savar data centre, which uses around 550 litres per hour, alongside switching centres in Jessore, Bogura, Sylhet and Chattogram.
Banglalink’s network shows similar dependence, with its Gazipur data centre consuming about 400 litres per hour and additional facilities in Cumilla, Khulna, Dhaka and Mymensingh adding to the load.
Operators warned a shutdown would disrupt emergency services, disaster response, financial transactions, law enforcement coordination and digital governance systems, risking widespread economic and administrative paralysis.
Grameenphone Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Tanveer Mohammad said the fuel crisis is already affecting network operations.
“With the ongoing global fuel crisis, mobile network operators in Bangladesh are experiencing challenges in electricity and fuel availability,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
“While we appreciate the government’s persistent support, the evolving situation calls for timely and targeted measures to sustain uninterrupted telecom services nationwide,” he added.
He said operators are seeking uninterrupted power supply to critical telecom infrastructure, priority electricity access for data centres, switching facilities and base stations, and streamlined fuel supply arrangements.
He also called for facilitation of fuel transportation for emergency operations to avoid disruptions to essential services for millions.
Operators have requested direct fuel distribution from depots to telecom sites and clear directives to law enforcement agencies to ensure smooth inter-district transportation.
They have also prepared a database of fuel stations, zonal contacts and authorised personnel to support rapid response.
An emergency coordination meeting involving the Power Division, Energy Division, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation and law enforcement agencies has been proposed.
Without swift intervention, operators warned Bangladesh risks a communication breakdown with severe and potentially irreversible national consequences.
