Bangladesh SIM card from the UAE: Grameenphone, roaming or eSIM
A Bangladesh SIM card from 
Grameenphone (GP) comes free as the Tourist SIM, but GP sells it “using valid passport and visa”, so it is built for visitors to Bangladesh, not for Bangladeshis flying home (our reading, 16 Oct 2026). Its packs cost BDT 1,499 for 15 days and BDT 1,999 for 30 days. On your UAE line, a week in Bangladesh costs AED 100.00 on e& prepaid, Virgin Mobile UAE or du postpaid (15 Oct 2026). A data-only Bangladesh eSIM on Grameenphone starts at AED 14.99 for 1GB and 7 days.
At a glance
- Purchase QR code by e-mail · after payment
- Installation profile on your phone · up to 365 days
- Activation first network on the trip · the clock starts
About 0.85 million Bangladeshis live in the UAE (Global Media Insight, an estimate). Of the roughly 1.13 million Bangladeshi workers who left for jobs abroad in 2025, 13,713 came to the UAE (BMET, via bdmonitor.com); that counts new workers, not trips home. We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here; eSIM Go is not affiliated with e&, du, Virgin Mobile UAE or Grameenphone.
Four ways to get data on a trip home to Bangladesh
Visiting family gives you four ways to get a Bangladesh SIM card or its alternative: a Bangladeshi SIM you already hold, GP’s Tourist SIM if you are a visitor with a visa, a roaming pack on your UAE line, or a data eSIM installed before you fly. Virgin Mobile UAE’s free One Country pass is not an option, because Bangladesh is not among its 34 countries (15 Oct 2026).
| Option | Price | What you need | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| e& (Etisalat), du or Virgin Mobile roaming pack | AED 35.00 to AED 1,200.00 a pack from about AED 15.00 per GB | Roaming switched on and a pack bought before you fly | Costs more per GB than the eSIM |
| Pocket Wi-Fi router | Not verified | Collect it, keep it charged and return it | One connection for the group, only while you stay together |
| Local SIM bought on arrival | Not verified | A free SIM slot and a shop after landing | On a one-slot phone it replaces your UAE SIM |
| Travel eSIM from this site | from AED 14.99 by card; from AED 5.25 per GB | An eSIM phone that is not locked to one operator | Data only: no calls or SMS on your UAE number |
Pack prices as listed by e&, du and Virgin Mobile on 15 Oct 2026; AED per GB is our derivation (price ÷ GB). eSIM prices are in AED at the day’s rate: your card is charged exactly that amount.
Your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line won’t use mobile data abroad unless you add a roaming pack (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS). All three sell their standard roaming packs for Bangladesh. If you keep a Bangladeshi number, ask its operator whether the line is still active; we found no rule on idle lines.
eSIM for Bangladesh: most chosen plans
Your card is charged exactly AED 14.99; the charge is in UAE dirhams. The seller is registered outside the UAE, so some banks may still add a foreign-merchant fee — how card payment works.
What it costs per day
Plan price in AED ÷ days, at the rate of 17 Oct. A longer plan usually costs less per day: pick by your trip length, not by the lowest daily price.
Grameenphone’s Tourist SIM: for visitors with a visa
Grameenphone (GP) gives the Tourist SIM away free of charge, and its packs cost BDT 1,499 for 15 days or BDT 1,999 for 30 days (16 Oct 2026). A buyer needs a visa, which a Bangladeshi citizen going home does not hold.
| Tourist SIM pack | Validity | Data | Local minutes | SMS | BDT | about BDT per GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Bundle | 15 days | 30GB | 250 | 100 | 1,499 | 50.0 |
| Premium Bundle | 30 days | 40GB | 400 | 150 | 1,999 | 50.0 |
Sources: GP roaming information and GP’s offers page (16 Oct 2026), where bundle prices are “Inclusive VAT/TAX”. The per-GB column is our arithmetic, and we do not convert taka to AED.
GP sells the SIM “for both regular and eSIM from 40+ GPCs and GP Experience Centers covering tourist hub”; the page names no airport, so we cannot confirm an airport SIM counter. In GP’s words, the SIM is “deactivated just after the visa expiry date” if the visa ends first, it is “automatically recycled after 30 days from SIM Activation date”, and “migration to any other SIM is currently unavailable”.
The offers page also lists a 7-day Basic Bundle at BDT 999 with no data or minutes shown, so ask a GP centre. Banglalink’s tourist-SIM page showed no offer content and we found no Robi tourist page, so we give no prices or rules for either; we did not check Teletalk. We have no price for a regular new Grameenphone SIM.
e&, du and Virgin Mobile packs for Bangladesh
A week in Bangladesh costs AED 100.00 on e& prepaid (4GB until 10 Jan 2027, normally 2GB), on Virgin Mobile UAE (2GB) and on du postpaid (10GB); a single day is AED 35.00 (15 Oct 2026). Per gigabyte that is AED 10.00 on du postpaid, AED 25.00 on e& while the 4GB promo runs and AED 50.00 on Virgin (our arithmetic). The same 10GB bundle is AED 200.00 on du prepaid.
Virgin’s free pass covers one country from its list, on plans of 20GB and up; Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka are not on it. A day pack holds 500MB on e& (then 64 kbps) and du, and 750MB on Virgin.
The days start differently. e&’s packs are “Charged upon purchase but validity starts upon first eligible usage”, Virgin’s validity “will begin once the first call is received or made”, and du’s data-only bundles “will only be activated during your travel”. For postpaid du bundles du’s API and FAQ disagree, so buy shortly before you fly and check the activation note in the du app.
du also sells its own travel eSIM, priced in US dollars: Bangladesh 10GB for 30 days is US$34.50, about AED 126.70 (15 Oct 2026).
Sources: e& (15 Oct 2026); du postpaid and prepaid (15 Oct 2026); Virgin Mobile UAE (15 Oct 2026). More: e& roaming, du roaming, Virgin Mobile roaming.
A week in Bangladesh: roaming pack vs eSIM
2.6× cheaper than prepaid packs5.6 GB for 7 days (0.8 GB a day, social media and photos): the cheapest prepaid way to get it, and postpaid where it is lower.
On roaming your UAE number also takes calls and SMS; the eSIM is data only. Packs at the operator’s AED price, as listed on 15 Oct 2026; the eSIM at its AED price on 17 Oct, charged in AED by card. Work out your own trip.
A month at home: data that lasts
For 30 days at home, Virgin’s 20GB pack is AED 300.00, e&’s Economy Class Pack AED 350.00 and du’s 30GB bundle AED 500.00 for 60 days (15 Oct 2026). Our Bangladesh plans reach 20GB for 30 days, and unlimited runs up to 30 days at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps.
| Option | Data · days | AED | about AED per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin 20GB pack | 20GB · 30 days | 300 | 10.0 |
| e& Economy Class Pack | 6GB + 60 minutes (until 10 Jan 2027, normally 2GB) · 30 days | 350 | 11.7 |
| du 30GB 60-day bundle | 30GB · 60 days | 500 | 8.3 over 60 days |
| Our Bangladesh eSIM | 20GB · 30 days | AED 104.99 | AED 3.50 |
| Our Bangladesh eSIM | unlimited (full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps) · 30 days | AED 274.99 | AED 9.17 |
The 3GB-a-day cap allows at most 90GB at full speed over 30 days (our arithmetic). Top-ups are possible; for a lighter month see how much data do I need. Charged in AED by JET SHARING (USA). Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee; see how to pay.
Our Bangladesh eSIMs run on Grameenphone’s 4G network only, and the Asia regional plan lists the same one. We have no coverage data for areas outside Dhaka and promise none; ask your family which network gets a full signal where they live.
Our eSIMs for Bangladesh are data-only: keep your UAE number on your main SIM for calls and SMS. e& charges AED 4.25 a minute to receive a call outside the Gulf (15 Oct 2026). Setup: keep your UAE number.
Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE; they do not provide service in the UAE. Install before you fly; it connects when you land in Bangladesh, and the days count from then. iPhone and Android set the APN automatically. If the eSIM has not connected to any network, you can get a refund within 30 days of purchase.
Check before you fly
What if the eSIM doesn’t work when you land in Bangladesh?
Check four settings, in this order, before you write to us.
The first is the line for mobile data. On iPhone it is Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data; on Android, the SIM manager. Pick the travel line there; your UAE line stays on for calls and SMS, with its mobile data off.
The second is data roaming, for the eSIM line only. The eSIM is a foreign profile, so the phone treats Bangladesh as roaming for it.
The third is the APN. On this plan it sets itself, so leave it alone; you don’t need to type one.
The fourth is a restart. Restart the phone or switch airplane mode on and off, and let it find GrameenPhone; this can take a few minutes after you leave the plane.
Still no data? Write to us on WhatsApp or at support@esimgo.ae with your order number, or go through the no-signal checklist. Do not delete the eSIM to “try again”: a deleted profile usually cannot be installed twice from the same code. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.
What I’d choose (and when NOT to buy the eSIM)
For a week of maps, rides and messaging I’d take 1 GB for 7 days, AED 14.99. For two weeks or more, with photos and social media, I’d go for 5 GB for 30 days, AED 32.99. If you video-call and stream every day, take the unlimited plan for 7 days, AED 104.99, with 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps.
I would not recommend the eSIM in three cases. If you need calls or SMS on your UAE number every day, roaming on your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line keeps them, and some packs include minutes (compare the packs). If your phone has no eSIM or is locked to one operator, it cannot take the plan: check your model first. And if your group travels together all day and shares one connection, a pocket Wi-Fi can cover everyone.
FAQ
Can I buy GP’s Tourist SIM with a Bangladeshi passport?
GP says you buy it “using valid passport and visa”. A Bangladeshi citizen holds no visa for Bangladesh, so we read it as a visitor product; GP states no nationality rule (16 Oct 2026). Ask a GP Experience Centre first.
Is Bangladesh in Virgin One Country?
No. Virgin Mobile UAE’s One Country list has 34 countries and Bangladesh is not one of them (15 Oct 2026). Virgin’s paid week pack is AED 100.00 for 2GB.
Bangladesh SIM vs eSIM for a family visit?
A Tourist SIM gives a Bangladeshi number with minutes and SMS, but only to a visitor with a visa. A data eSIM installs before you fly and we do not ask for ID, but it has no number, calls or SMS; keep your UAE SIM for those.
Which network does the Bangladesh eSIM use?
Grameenphone, on 4G. Our plans run from 1GB to 20GB, plus unlimited for 3 to 30 days at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps. We promise no coverage or speed.
Will my UAE number get SMS in Bangladesh?
Keep your UAE SIM switched on for SMS; e& and Virgin Mobile don’t charge for SMS you receive abroad; calls you receive are charged per minute. du doesn’t publish a price for SMS you receive abroad — check with du. No operator page we read promises that bank SMS codes arrive, so ask your bank.
Sources checked: Grameenphone, Tourist SIM and roaming information: roaming.grameenphone.com, grameenphone.com (16 Oct 2026) · Banglalink, tourist SIM page: banglalink.net (16 Oct 2026) · e&, weekly data pack and roaming rates: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026); du, roaming bundles and Travel eSIM: du.ae (15 Oct 2026, 15 Oct 2026) · Virgin Mobile UAE, roaming packs and One Country: virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026) · Global Media Insight, UAE population estimate: globalmediainsight.com; BMET 2025 figures, via bdmonitor.com (15 Oct 2026).
Get an eSIM for Bangladesh, from AED 14.99 Pay by card in AED. The seller is registered outside the UAE, so some banks may still add a foreign-merchant fee. Install the profile at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The QR code arrives by e-mail after payment. See plans