According to the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Importers’ Association (BMPIA), around 35 million mobile phone sets are sold annually in the country, with an average life cycle of two to four years. As a result, nearly 30 million mobile phones turn into e-waste each year. Saidur Rahman Shahin, managing director of Azizu Recycling and E-Waste Company Ltd, said formal recyclers receive less than 20 percent of obsolete mobile phones discarded each year. He explained that mobile phones are dismantled into plastics, metals, and ICs. “This is the picture of Bangladesh’s e-waste governance—where policy exists largely on paper while enforcement remains weak,” he said.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 05, 2026 20:58 UTC