Bangladesh plans post office modernization with Chinese investment

Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Fakir Mahbub Anam, announced plans to modernize Bangladesh's post offices. A Chinese company has proposed investing its own funds to upgrade the system in exchange for utilizing the existing infrastructure, personnel, and office spaces of the postal department.

The government aims to transform the country's more than 9,000 post offices into multi-purpose hubs. These locations may eventually provide essential government services, including family cards, farmer cards, birth and death registration, and passport applications.

Separately, the Minister addressed the economic damage caused by internet shutdowns in 2024. He stated that service disruptions between July 18–23 and on August 5 severely impacted e-commerce, online banking, mobile financial services, and small entrepreneurs, particularly women. The shutdowns also hindered communication for over one million expatriates using OTT platforms. Legal proceedings regarding the orders for these shutdowns are currently underway at the International Crimes Tribunal.