Photo : Collected

By Mazharul Anwar Khan 
 
DHAKA, June 02, 2026 (BSS) – The digital marketplace is steadily reshaping consumer habits in Bangladesh, with Dhaka division standing out as the country’s frontrunner in online shopping.
 
A recent survey shows that more than one in five internet users in Dhaka are now purchasing goods and services online, while Barishal lags behind with the lowest participation.
 
Fashion dominates the virtual carts, as clothing, footwear and sporting goods account for the lion’s share of purchases. Groceries and food items are also gaining traction, alongside medicine, cosmetics, household essentials and electronics, reflecting the widening scope of e-commerce in everyday life.
 
Despite the growing variety of products, shoppers remain firmly attached to traditional payment habits. Cash on delivery continues to reign supreme, while mobile money platforms such as bKash and Nagad are carving out a modest but rising share. Debit and credit cards, along with internet banking, still play only a minor role in the online transaction landscape.
 
The findings highlight Dhaka’s lead in embracing digital commerce, underscoring both the promise and the challenges of Bangladesh’s evolving consumer economy.
 
The survey, dubbed as “ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals Survey 2024-25” carried out by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) showed that a total of 14.4 percent of individuals in Bangladesh used the internet to purchase goods or services online, with Dhaka division recording the highest participation rate at 21.3 percent and Barishal the lowest at 8.7 percent, according to a survey report.
 
Clothing, footwear and sporting goods were the most purchased online items at 70.3 percent followed by food or groceries at 34.6 percent, medicine 21.0 percent, cosmetics 17.9 percent, household goods including furniture and appliances 10.9 percent and IT or electronics products 8.7 percent.
 
Cash on delivery remained the dominant payment method, used by 86.8 percent of online shoppers. Mobile money services such as bKash and Nagad accounted for 13.9 percent, while debit or credit cards accounted for 3.1 percent and internet banking 1.1 percent.
 
According to the statistics of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), mobile phone connections in the country currently stood at 18.60 crore while internet subscribers reached 12.96 crore.
 
It showed that online shopping is more prevalent among males at 17.5 percent than females at 11.4 percent, while urban residents at 20.0 percent are nearly twice as likely to shop online as rural residents at 11.8 percent.
 
Among divisions, Chattogram recorded 16.2 percent participation in online shopping followed by Khulna 14.2 percent, Rajshahi 11.7 percent, Sylhet 10.9 percent, Mymensingh 9.3 percent and Rangpur 9.2 percent.
 
The age group of 25-34 years emerged as the most active online shopping demographic with 24.7 percent participation, followed by 15-24 years at 19.4 percent, while individuals aged 65 years and above recorded the lowest participation at 2.6 percent.
 
The survey found that tertiary education holders are the most active online shoppers with 41.4 percent participation compared to 19.5 percent among secondary education holders, 8.3 percent among primary education holders and 3.7 percent among individuals with no education.
 
By labour force status, unemployed individuals recorded the highest online shopping rate at 23.9 percent followed by employed individuals at 18.9 percent and persons outside the labour force at 10.5 percent.
 
According to the survey, 11.4 percent of online shoppers reported facing problems while purchasing online. The rate was nearly identical for males at 11.4 percent and females at 11.5 percent, while rural residents at 11.6 percent slightly exceeded urban residents at 11.3 percent.
 
Among divisions, Rangpur and Chattogram recorded the highest problem rates at 17.2 percent each, while Dhaka recorded the lowest at 6.8 percent.
 
Individuals aged 65 years and above faced the highest rate of online shopping problems at 16.6 percent. The rate stood at 12.3 percent for the 35-44 years age group, 12.1 percent for the 45-54 years age group and 10.9 percent for the 15-24 years age group.
 
By education attainment, individuals with primary education recorded the highest problem rate at 15.5 percent, while those with no education recorded the lowest at 8.8 percent. The rate among tertiary education holders was 10.8 percent.
 
The survey showed that clothing, footwear and sporting goods were the most purchased online items at 70.3 percent followed by food or groceries at 34.6 percent, medicine 21.0 percent, cosmetics 17.9 percent, household goods including furniture and appliances 10.9 percent and IT or electronics products 8.7 percent.
 
Among females, 75.3 percent purchased clothing, footwear and sporting goods online compared to 66.8 percent males. Food or groceries were purchased online by 36.3 percent males and 32.2 percent females, while medicine was purchased by 24.3 percent males and 16.2 percent females.
 
Cash on delivery remained the dominant payment method, used by 86.8 percent of online shoppers. Mobile money services such as bKash and Nagad accounted for 13.9 percent, while debit or credit cards accounted for 3.1 percent and internet banking 1.1 percent.
 
The report identified receiving goods or services not delivered as ordered as the most frequent problem faced by online consumers, cited by 50.7 percent respondents. The rate was 49.3 percent among males and 52.6 percent among females.
 
Poor product quality was reported by 44.8 percent respondents including 44.7 percent males and 45.0 percent females, while delayed delivery was reported by 19.3 percent respondents, including 20.3 percent males and 17.8 percent females. Higher prices than quoted were reported by 9.7 percent respondents.
 
Poor quality complaints were more common in urban areas at 48.0 percent compared to 40.7 percent in rural areas, while complaints regarding wrong goods delivered were nearly identical in urban and rural areas at 50.6 percent and 50.7 percent respectively.
Regarding delivery methods, 55.6 percent respondents received goods or services through collection points or post offices, while 30.6 percent received home delivery through commercial or postal services.
 
The survey found that 75.8 percent of individuals who did not purchase goods or services online preferred shopping in person to see or touch products. Another 35.8 percent reported having no need for online shopping, while 12.0 percent cited lack of skills or knowledge and 3.3 percent expressed privacy or security concerns.