Bangladesh IT exports up 8.7% to $684Mn as AI squeezes BPO work
- Bangladesh’s computer services exports rose 8.68% to $684.15 million in FY2025-26.
- IT-enabled services earned $604.97 million, missing their $705 million target.
- Computer consultancy exports fell 28.66% to $25.19 million.
- The KOW Company’s workforce has fallen from more than 600 to fewer than 400.
DHAKA, BANGLADESH — Bangladesh’s computer services exports rose 8.68% to $684.15 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year, but industry leaders warn that artificial intelligence is taking over work the country has long supplied to developed economies. IT-enabled services, which include business process outsourcing (BPO), grew 11.28% yet still missed their target.
Growth, but targets missed
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data show computer services exports climbed from $629.51 million in the previous fiscal year, according to The Daily Star, which reported the figures on Oct. 25.
IT-enabled services, including computer data processing, BPO and hosting, accounted for nearly 88% of the total. The segment earned $604.97 million, but missed its $705 million target by 14.19%. Computer consultancy exports fell 28.66% to $25.19 million.
Fewer people per client
Industry leaders say the growth masks mounting pressure as AI changes client expectations. Raisul Kabir, co-founder and chief executive of Brain Station 23, said demand for traditional staff augmentation is declining, and foreign companies that previously hired five external professionals may now need only three.
“Our exports have increased in the last fiscal year, which is a very hopeful sign, and there is growth. But continuing this growth will be very difficult,” said Rashad Kabir, chief executive of Dream71 Bangladesh.
A BPO firm’s shrinking workforce
Kowser Ahmed Nirob, co-founder and chief executive of The KOW Company, a Dhaka-based content post-production and BPO firm, said its workforce, which once exceeded 600, has fallen to fewer than 400. The company now hires only people who can work with AI-assisted workflows.
“In my opinion and personal experience, AI has already done damage to us. The sad part is that we still do not understand how much,” he said.
Still short of $5 billion
Syed Almas Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), said the growth was not enough to reach the industry’s long-standing ambition of $5 billion in IT exports. “The growth is there, but this 8 or 10 percent should have been a bit higher,” he said.
He said freelancers and outsourcing firms are losing assignments that can now be completed using AI, and that the country’s large volume of two-dimensional graphics work has largely dried up.
What it means for buyers
Raisul described the change as a shift in demand rather than a straightforward rise or fall in business. For companies using Bangladesh for offshore outsourcing, that can mean smaller teams for the same work.
Buyers comparing business process outsourcing (BPO) partners can ask how AI changes a provider’s team sizes and pricing, and can start with the top BPO companies worldwide list.
Related news
- AI splits Bangladesh’s workforce as HR faces job-security fears · 25 Sep 2026
- BPO powers India’s $221.4Bn software export haul · 22 Sep 2026
- Bangladesh BPO chooses AI augmentation over workforce replacement · 11 Jun 2026
Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
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