Booming BPO and Beyond: Bangladesh's ICT Sector Shows Steady Surge
Bangladesh’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has grown into a vibrant $2.4 billion market, with a domestic share of $1.5 billion and an additional $1.2 billion generated through Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). The industry currently engages around 350,000 professionals, including nearly 50,000 freelancers working directly with international clients—many of whom are now aspiring entrepreneurs.
Despite these impressive figures, around 26,000 IT companies continue to operate actively across the country. These companies provide services using local talent to renowned global brands including Apple, Amazon, BT, Uber, Temu, Standard Chartered Bank, Unilever, Wipro, Telenor, IMO, Vigo, and Likee.
Interestingly, images posted on platforms like IMO, Vigo, and Likee are moderated and approved from Nikunja, Dhaka—from the headquarters of Genex Infosys. According to Shahjalal Uddin, Managing Director of Genex Infosys, "Even users in the Middle East are supported by our operations in Bangladesh. We offer graphic design, accounting software development, and SaaS solutions to several small and mid-sized companies across the region."
This insight was shared during a conversation with Mir Sharukh Islam, co-founder of Bondstein Technologies, a transport tracking and monitoring company, during a session of the Bangladesh Investment Summit held on Thursday.
Shahjalal highlighted a common misconception: “Most people still equate BPO with call centers. But in reality, only a fraction of our operations involves that.” He revealed that 30% of Bangladesh’s BPO services are focused on data processing and AI automation, 10% on medical transcription, and 5% on finance and accounting services.
He further noted that while the average age of the country’s workforce is 27, in the BPO sector it is even younger—just 19—with 35% being women, indicating strong youth and gender representation in the field.
Speaking during the investment summit, Sharukh Islam praised the resilience and capability of Bangladesh’s tech workforce. “This proves that Bangladeshis are creative and competent. They can recover and adapt in any situation, with a strong work ethic that drives 20% annual growth in ICT exports.”
He concluded by stating that Bangladesh’s ICT export revenue stands at $900 million, with 27% from the US, 25% from the UK, 8% from Japan, 7% from Australia, and the remainder from other regions.
