Bangladesh’s mobile telecommunications sector is reportedly facing the risk of a large-scale shutdown as a severe fuel shortage—triggered by conflict in West Asia—continues to strain the country’s energy-dependent infrastructure. Industry stakeholders have warned that uninterrupted operations are becoming increasingly unsustainable without urgent government support. With data centres running on critical diesel reserves and the Strait of Hormuz blocked, AMTOB warns of a potential total digital blackout, according to a WIONews report dated April 20, 2026.
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Telecom Industry Warns of Systemic Failure
On Monday, the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) cautioned that the sector could face systemic failure if fuel supplies are not stabilized immediately. The association stated that continued operations are "no longer sustainable" without immediate government intervention, according to the report.
Bangladesh, a country of approximately 170 million people, imports nearly 95 percent of its oil and gas, predominantly from the Middle East. Disruptions in maritime transit through strategic chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz, have significantly impacted supply chains, leading to acute domestic shortages. The effects are being felt nationwide, with long queues reported at fuel stations and waiting times extending up to 12 hours. In response, authorities recently raised diesel prices by 15 percent in an effort to manage dwindling reserves.
Diesel Dependency Threatens Digital Infrastructure
The fuel crisis has now extended beyond transport and industrial sectors, directly threatening the country’s digital economy. Telecom operators rely heavily on diesel generators to power data centres and mobile base transceiver stations (BTS) during frequent electricity outages, which currently last between five and eight hours daily across several regions.
According to AMTOB, data centres alone consume an estimated 500 to 600 litres of diesel per hour to maintain continuous network operations. “The data center is the brain of the operator. If it goes down, the entire network goes down,” AMTOB said, according to the report.
Risk of Nationwide Digital Blackout
"A partial or complete network blackout would bring calls, internet, SMS, and banking services to a standstill," said Mohammad Zulfikar, Secretary-General of AMTOB, in comments to news agency AFP.
