Common Reasons Your Internet Is Slow in Bangladesh (And How to Fix Them)
Slow internet is more than annoying. It wastes time, breaks online classes, ruins meetings, and makes simple browsing painful.
By the end of this guide, you will clearly understand why internet speed in Bangladesh often becomes slow and exactly how to fix each problem step by step.
This is written for real users in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Rangpur, and all over Bangladesh.
No technical jargon. Only practical solutions.
Why Internet Speed Problems Are So Common in Bangladesh
Bangladesh now has over 130 million internet users. Most rely on shared bandwidth.
In many areas, 1 fiber line is shared by 30–80 homes. During peak hours, everyone fights for the same speed.
That is why a 20 Mbps package may feel like 3–5 Mbps at night.
Understanding the real causes helps you fix the problem permanently.
1. Peak Hour Congestion Is the Biggest Reason the Internet Is Slow in Bangladesh
This is the number one reason the internet is slow in Bangladesh.
What happens during peak hours?
Peak hours in Bangladesh are:
8:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Friday afternoon and night
During live cricket matches and big events
During these times:
Netflix
YouTube
Facebook
Online gaming
All spike together.
Your ISP sells 100 Mbps to 20 users on a 300 Mbps line.
If 10 users stream HD video, speed drops by 60–80% instantly.
How to fix peak hour slow internet
Do speed tests at 3 AM and 10 PM.
If speed drops more than 50% at night, your ISP is overselling.
Ask for a contention ratio below 1:8.
Upgrade to a business or corporate package.
Switch to an ISP with a dedicated backbone.
Check the best ISP for stable internet in Bangladesh.
2. Weak WiFi Router Causes Slow Internet in Bangladesh Homes
Many users blame the ISP when the real problem is the router.
Most homes still use BDT 1,200–1,800 routers. These cannot handle modern traffic.
Signs your router is the bottleneck
Speed is fast on cable, slow on WiFi.
WiFi drops in the next room.
Speed falls when 3+ devices connect.
The router feels hot.
Cheap routers handle only 20–30 Mbps real speed, even if your line is 50 Mbps.
How to fix router-related slow internet
Upgrade to:
Dual-band router (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz)
Minimum AC1200 standard
4 external antennas
Gigabit WAN port
Good router specs:
Feature | Minimum |
|---|---|
WiFi Standard | 802.11ac |
Speed | AC1200 |
RAM | 128 MB |
Antennas | 4 |
Place router:
Centre of home
5 feet above the floor
Away from microwaves and metal objects
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3. Old or Damaged Fiber Cable in Your Area
In many areas, fiber cables are:
Hung on electric poles
Tied with plastic rope
Exposed to sun and rain
Over time, fiber joints become weak.
This creates micro packet loss, which causes:
Slow loading
Buffering
High ping
Even 2% packet loss can reduce speed by 40%.
How to check fiber line quality
Run a continuous ping:
ping google.com -tIf you see:
Request timeout
Time spikes above 100 ms
Your line quality is poor.
How to fix fiber-related slow internet
Ask ISP for a fresh fiber drop cable
Replace all old joints
Request direct splice, not connector join
Avoid multiple splitters
Choosing the Best Fibre Internet in Bangladesh
4. ISP Using Cheap International Bandwidth
Many ISPs buy low-cost bandwidth from congested upstream providers.
Local speed looks fine.
International sites load slowly.
This is common in Bangladesh.
Symptoms
Facebook fast
BDIX sites are fast.
Google, Zoom, and AWS are slow.
Foreign servers buffer
This happens when an ISP depends too much on BDIX only.
How to fix international slow speed
Test international servers on Speedtest.
Ask ISP:
How much international bandwidth per user?
Which upstream providers?
Choose ISPs connected to:
SEA-ME-WE-4 & 5
Multiple Tier-1 providers
5. DNS Problems Make Internet Feel Slow
DNS converts website names into IP addresses.
Slow DNS = slow website opening.
Many Bangladeshi ISPs use overloaded DNS servers.
A 300 ms DNS delay on every site adds 5–10 seconds per page.
How to fix DNS slowness
Change DNS to:
Provider | Primary | Secondary |
8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 | |
Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 |
Steps:
Open Network Settings.
Edit adapter
Set manual DNS.
Restart router.
6. Too Many Connected Devices Share Your Speed
A 20 Mbps line shared by:
2 smartphones
1 smart TV
1 laptop
1 IP camera
Each device may get only 3–4 Mbps.
Background usage:
Cloud sync: 2–5 Mbps
Auto updates: 1–3 Mbps
CCTV upload: 1–2 Mbps
How to fix device overload
Check router device list
Remove unknown users
Change WiFi password
Enable QoS and prioritize:
Work laptop
Online class device
7. Malware and Background Apps Consume Bandwidth
Many PCs and Android phones in Bangladesh are infected with adware.
These silently use internet.
Signs of background bandwidth drain
Data usage high with no browsing
Speed drops even when idle
Random pop-ups
A single infected PC can consume 2–4 Mbps continuously.
How to fix this
Run a full malware scan.
Remove cracked software.
Disable startup apps.
Check the Windows Update schedule.
8. Wrong WiFi Channel Causes Interference in Apartments
In Dhaka and Chattogram apartments, 20+ routers use the same channel.
This creates signal collision.
Result
Even with full signal bars, speed drops by 30–60%.
How to fix WiFi interference
Install the WiFi Analyser app.
Check crowded channels.
Switch router to:
Channel 1, 6, or 11 (2.4 GHz)
Any free channel (5 GHz)
9. Low Upload Speed Affects Video Calls and Browsing
Many packages advertise high download but give only 5–10% upload.
Example:
50 Mbps download
3 Mbps upload
Modern usage needs higher upload.
Problems caused by low upload
Zoom freezing
Slow Google Drive
Website not loading fully
How to fix upload bottleneck
Choose symmetrical plans if possible.
Minimum recommended:
50 Mbps down
20 Mbps up
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10. ISP Traffic Shaping and Fair Usage Policy
Some ISPs secretly slow heavy users after crossing limits.
This is called traffic shaping.
Signs
Speed was fine at the start of the month.
Very slow after heavy downloads
Improves next month
How to fix this
Ask for no FUP package.
Check contract terms.
Use ISPs with transparent policies.
How to Accurately Test Your Internet Speed in Bangladesh
Wrong testing gives wrong conclusions.
Follow this method:
Use a wired connection.
Test 3 servers:
Local BDIX
Singapore
Europe
Test at:
10 AM
4 PM
10 PM
If night speed drops more than 40%, it is congestion.
When You Should Change Your ISP
Change ISP if:
Night speed < 50% of package
Packet loss > 2%
Frequent disconnections
No technical support response
Good ISPs invest in:
Redundant fiber routes
Multiple upstream links
Proper customer support
Quick Fix Checklist
Problem | Fast Solution |
Slow at night | Change ISP |
Slow WiFi | Upgrade router |
International slow | Better upstream ISP |
Random drops | Replace fiber cable |
Buffering calls | Increase upload speed |
FAQ
Why is my internet slow at night in Bangladesh?
Because most ISPs oversell bandwidth. Peak hour congestion reduces speed by 40–80%.
Why is WiFi slow but cable fast?
Your router is weak or facing interference. Cheap routers cannot handle high speeds.
Does BDIX make the internet faster?
BDIX speeds up local content only. It does not improve international browsing.
How much speed is enough for a Bangladeshi family?
Usage | Recommended Speed |
Browsing + YouTube | 20 Mbps |
Online class + TV | 30 Mbps |
Work from home | 40–50 Mbps |
Heavy streaming | 60+ Mbps |
Can changing DNS really improve speed?
Yes. Faster DNS can reduce page load time by 10–30%.
Why is my ping high in online games?
Reasons:
International routing issues
Congested ISP backbone
Poor fibre quality
Final Thoughts
Slow internet in Bangladesh is not random.
It comes from specific technical and business reasons.
Once you identify the real cause:
Congestion
Router
Fiber quality
ISP bandwidth
You can fix it permanently.
A stable connection is not luxury anymore.
It is a basic need for work, study, and business in Bangladesh.
