Md. Sahidul Islam (Sumon) : Bangladesh’s next phase of development will depend not only on how fast the economy grows, but also on how effectively its geographically disadvantaged regions are integrated into the national economy. Few places illustrate this challenge—and the opportunity it presents—better than the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

Comprising Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban, the CHT covers roughly 13,000 square kilometres and is home to more than 1.84 million people, according to the 2022 Population and Housing Census. Yet the region remains significantly behind the national average in several indicators of human and digital development. Its literacy rate among people aged seven and above was 69.6 percent. More strikingly, only 21.17 percent of people aged 15 and above were internet users, while 70.45 percent had a mobile phone for personal use and 37.65 percent had a mobile banking account.

These numbers point to an important policy lesson: mobile connectivity alone does not constitute digital inclusion. A person may own a mobile phone and still remain excluded from online education, digital finance, e-commerce, telemedicine and government services. The challenge for the CHT, therefore, is to move from basic connectivity to meaningful digital participation.

This gap becomes even more apparent when compared with the national picture. The World Bank estimates that 53 percent of Bangladesh’s population used the internet in 2024. The disparity suggests that a uniform national digital policy will not automatically produce equal outcomes in the hills. The CHT needs a place-based digital strategy that recognizes its difficult terrain, scattered settlements, infrastructure constraints and social and cultural diversity.

The first priority should be reliable digital infrastructure. Fiber-optic networks should be extended wherever economically feasible, while mobile broadband, satellite connectivity and other appropriate technologies should complement the network in remote areas. Solar-powered community internet centers could serve settlements where grid electricity remains unreliable. Public institutions such as schools, health centers and local government offices should become anchor points for digital connectivity.

This is also consistent with the direction of current international development thinking. The Asian Development Bank’s proposed “Advancing a Future Ready Digital Economy for Bangladesh” initiative focuses on broadband connectivity, digital infrastructure, digital government, digital skills, data governance and cyber security. The CHT should be explicitly incorporated into such national digital transformation programmes rather than treated as an afterthought.

Tourism could provide one of the fastest economic returns from this investment. The region already has strong evidence of tourism demand. During Eid in 2025, around 2,500 tourists visited Alutila in Khagrachari on a single day, while nearly 2,000 visited the Khagrachhari Horticulture Park. In Rangamati, hotel and motel occupancy reached around 80 percent during the Eid period, while all 98 resort-cottages in Sajek were reportedly booked.

The policy question is how to convert this seasonal visitor flow into a larger and more inclusive local economy.

A unified Smart Hill Tourism Platform could bring hotels, resorts, registered guides, transport operators, restaurants, attractions, weather information, road conditions, emergency contacts and digital payments under one system. Tourists could book accommodation and guides before travelling, while local entrepreneurs could advertise their services directly. Such a platform would also create a digital record of tourism activity, helping policymakers understand visitor flows and infrastructure requirements.

More importantly, tourism should not be viewed simply as a hotel-and-transport business. Its value chain includes farmers, food suppliers, artisans, boat operators, women entrepreneurs, local guides and small retailers. Digital platforms can help ensure that a greater share of tourism expenditure remains within local communities.

Agriculture offers another major opportunity. Farmers in the hills produce pineapple, banana, mango, ginger, turmeric, coffee, cashew nuts, spices and other high-value crops. But distance from markets, inadequate storage and limited access to price information often weaken their bargaining position.

A Digital Hill Agriculture Platform could provide farmers with market prices, weather alerts, crop-management advice and information on pests and diseases in simple Bangla and, where appropriate, local languages. An integrated marketplace could connect producers directly with wholesalers, supermarkets, hotels, processors and online retailers. Digital traceability could also help build premium markets for selected hill products.

Financial inclusion must accompany this transformation. Bangladesh Bank has continued to strengthen digital customer identification and e-KYC arrangements; its relevant directive came into force on September 1, 2026. For hill communities, this can reduce dependence on cash and make formal financial services more accessible—provided that connectivity, digital literacy and consumer protection improve at the same time.

The largest long-term return, however, will come from human capital.

Each upazila could have a Digital Learning Hub equipped with broadband, smart classrooms, digital libraries and trained facilitators. Students in remote communities could access quality lessons, while young people could receive training in hospitality, digital marketing, e-commerce, freelancing, coding and entrepreneurship. Digital education should also respect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the CHT. Digitizing local history, language and cultural materials could simultaneously support education and cultural preservation.

Healthcare presents an equally compelling case. Telemedicine networks connecting upazila health complexes and union-level facilities with district hospitals and national specialists could reduce the burden of travelling long distances. Digital patient records, Teleconsultations, e-prescriptions and maternal-health monitoring could improve continuity of care. In emergencies—including landslides, accidents and snake bites—better digital communication could save valuable time.

Technology can also transform disaster management. The CHT is highly vulnerable to landslides, particularly during intense rainfall. GIS-based risk maps, satellite imagery, rainfall sensors and mobile alerts could form the backbone of a Hill Disaster Early Warning System. Instead of responding only after a disaster, authorities could identify high-risk areas and communicate warnings before extreme weather becomes a catastrophe.

But digitalization also creates new governance risks. Land records, cadastral information, maps and administrative data are particularly sensitive in the CHT. Digitization must therefore be accompanied by clear data-governance rules, cyber security safeguards, privacy protections and transparent procedures. Technology should improve administrative efficiency without weakening legitimate legal, customary and community rights.

The government could bring these initiatives together under a Digital CHT Mission 2030, built around five pillars: universal connectivity; digital tourism and local commerce; digital agriculture and financial inclusion; smart education and telemedicine; and GIS-based land and disaster management.

Success should be measured not by the number of towers installed or apps launched, but by economic and social outcomes: how many farmers gain better prices, how many young people acquire marketable skills, how many patients receive remote consultations, how many businesses accept digital payments, and how much additional income remains within local communities.

Implementation will require coordination among the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, the three Hill District Councils, local administrations, Bangladesh Bank, telecommunications operators, Bangladesh Tourism Board, universities and community representatives. Public-private partnerships will also be necessary because the government alone cannot finance or operate every component of a modern digital ecosystem.

The CHT does not need a separate digital future. It needs equal access to Bangladesh’s digital future, adapted to its own geography and social realities.

The real test of digital transformation will be whether a farmer in a remote hill village can access a better market, whether a student can access quality education without leaving home, whether a patient can consult a specialist without travelling for hours, and whether a young person can earn from the global digital economy while remaining in the hills.

If connectivity can be converted into capability, and capability into enterprise, the CHT can move from being viewed primarily as a geographically remote region to becoming a new frontier of inclusive growth. That should be the central ambition of Digital CHT 2030.

Md. Sahidul Islam (Sumon) is an economic analyst, columnist, and CHT Affairs Researcher. Email: [msislam.sumon@gmail.com]