Bangladesh SIM or eSIM for Indians (2026): does Jio or Airtel work?

Bangladesh is next door, and your Indian SIM can work there on roaming, but Jio and Airtel price it very differently. Here is what a roaming pack and a travel eSIM each cost, what changes when you cross by land, and what we could not confirm about local SIMs.

Prices side by side

Other sizes: 1 GB for 7 days is ₹149 for a short visit, and 20 GB is ₹2,299 for 30 days. Unlimited plans give 1 GB a day at full speed, then 512 Kbps: ₹399 for 3 days, ₹649 for 5, ₹899 for 7, ₹1,199 for 10, ₹1,799 for 15 and ₹3,299 for 30. Pick the 30-day size for a week-long trip: 10 GB for 30 days is ₹1,299, while 10 GB for 7 days is ₹1,899. All our plans are on the Bangladesh plans page.

For frequent visitors, Jio's 132-country list also has ₹2,799 for 365 days (3 GB, 100 minutes) and ₹2,899 for 30 days (5 GB). If your trip goes on to other countries, the Asia plan covers Bangladesh at the same ₹699 for 5 GB over 30 days, across 14 countries.

How much data you need

Networks and coverage in Bangladesh

eSIMKite's Bangladesh plans connect to Grameenphone, Robi and Banglalink. Opensignal's January 2026 report, based on data from October to December 2025, also covers Teletalk. Grameenphone had the best Coverage Experience, 9.1 out of 10, ahead of Robi at 8.6, Banglalink at 6.9 and Teletalk at 2.7. Average download speeds were close: Banglalink 25.4 Mbps, Grameenphone 25.3, Robi 20.6 and Teletalk 15.6.

Only Grameenphone and Robi had measurable 5G, with average 5G downloads of 140.7 Mbps and 169.0 Mbps. Ookla's Speedtest Global Index for September 2026 puts Bangladesh's median mobile download at 58.85 Mbps, with 15.79 Mbps upload and 27 ms latency, 90th in the world. These are national figures: we have no results for border towns or particular cities.

Before you go, by air or by land

If you cross by land, your Indian SIM starts roaming once your phone joins a Bangladeshi network, and we have no data on where that happens along the border. Without a pack, Jio charges about ₹5 per MB, ₹5 a minute for calls, incoming included, and ₹5 per SMS. Switch data roaming off on the Indian SIM before you reach the border, and buy any pack while you still have a home signal.

With an eSIMKite plan, install it at home on Wi-Fi and turn the eSIM line on once you have crossed. On most plans the validity starts when the eSIM first connects at your destination, so installing early does not cost you days. Your Indian SIM stays in for calls and SMS.

This guide does not cover visas or arrival paperwork, so check the current rules with Bangladesh's official missions before you travel.

Bank OTPs, WhatsApp and UPI

eSIMKite plans are data only. Your Indian SIM stays in the phone as the second line, so your number, WhatsApp account and bank SMS stay with it. More in keeping WhatsApp and bank OTPs working abroad.

• Jio: the ₹1,499 pack includes 100 SMS. The ₹589 and ₹951 packs do not work in Bangladesh, so do not buy them for this trip. Without a pack, check in MyJio that your plan receives SMS abroad.
• Airtel prepaid: Bangladesh is on Airtel's covered-countries list. The 5- and 10-day packs include 20 SMS and the 1-day pack 10, and the IR activation pack is ₹118 for 28 days at standard charges.
• Airtel postpaid: new plans from ₹499 a month include one free 5-day roaming trip a year from 8 Oct 2026, with free incoming SMS. Airtel has not listed the countries, so check the app.
• Vi: we did not check Vi's Bangladesh rates. Look in the Vi app before you go.
• UPI and cards: UPI merchant payments were not live in Bangladesh on 31 August 2026. We did not check which Indian debit or credit cards work there, so ask your bank before you go.

WhatsApp and internet restrictions

Freedom House's 2025 report, covering June 2024 to May 2025, rates Bangladesh 'Partly Free' (45 out of 100). For that period it records network restrictions and blocks on social media, communication apps and websites, including an 11-day restriction on mobile internet during the July 2024 student uprising. It also notes that the telecom regulator's new chair, appointed by the interim government in September 2024, pursued policy changes to prevent internet shutdowns.

WhatsApp messages and calls run over the eSIM's data and keep your Indian number. A travel eSIM uses the same local networks, though, so do not count on it to get round a restriction. Keep your Indian SIM on for normal calls and SMS, and keep offline maps on your phone.

Set it up at home

1. Check your phone takes an eSIM: iPhone XS or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, and recent Samsung Galaxy S and Z models. Dial *#06#: if an EID shows, it does.
2. Buy the Bangladesh plan and scan the QR code on Wi-Fi before you leave India.
3. On most plans the validity starts when the eSIM first connects at your destination, not when you buy or install it.
4. On landing, or once you have crossed the border, turn the eSIM line on, switch on data roaming for it, and set it as the mobile data line.

Step-by-step pictures for iPhone and Android are in how to install a travel eSIM.

When a local SIM or roaming is the better choice

Airtel users who call a lot: the ₹1,298 10-day pack gives 6 GB, 200 minutes and 20 SMS for about the price of our 10 GB plan at ₹1,299, so roaming is the better buy if you call home every day. For a shorter trip, the ₹998 5-day pack gives 4 GB and 150 minutes.

Jio users: Bangladesh is only on Jio's dearer lists, so ₹1,499 buys 2 GB and 100 minutes over 14 days, against ₹449 for our 3 GB plan with no calls. If you cross several times a year and mostly need calls, Jio's ₹2,799 pack lasts 365 days with 3 GB and 100 minutes. Jio's Wi-Fi calling packs, ₹121 for 100 minutes or ₹521 for 500, cover calls to India over Wi-Fi if your phone supports Wi-Fi calling.

A Bangladeshi SIM: a local number helps on a long stay. We could not confirm the current rules for foreigners buying one, so check with Grameenphone, Robi or Banglalink directly before you rely on it. The travel eSIM is simplest when you want data from the moment you land or cross, with your Indian SIM kept for OTPs. More in Jio vs Airtel vs Vi roaming packs.

Questions

More guides

• Nepal SIM or eSIM for Indians
• Bhutan SIM or eSIM for Indians
• Sri Lanka SIM or eSIM for Indians
• How much data you need
• Jio, Airtel and Vi packs compared

Get your Bangladesh eSIMQR code on screen and by emailQR code by email after a document check · 4G · from $1.99

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Written by the eSIMKite team and checked by Vicky Pathak. Prices checked on 21 October 2026. We sell travel eSIMs, so every outside figure links to where we found it.