SMS gateway for Bangladesh: send SMS from your own Bangladesh number
Published and updated
An Android phone holding a Bangladesh SIM sends the messages, so the API call goes out over that SIM and recipients see the +880 number that sent it. Any Android phone with a Bangladesh SIM that can send SMS runs the textbee app. The BTRC publishes directives on SIM registration and biometric verification of subscribers, so the SIM is registered against an identity before it works. The SIM keeps its own carrier plan, and textbee is $9.99 a month at 5,000 messages on top of it.
How it works with a local SIM
- Put a Bangladesh SIM in an Android phone that stays on and on power, and install the textbee app on it.
- Register the device from the dashboard, which pairs the phone with your API key.
- Call
POST /gateway/send-smswith the recipient in E.164 form. The phone sends it over the SIM and reports the result back.
What it costs at 1K, 5K and 25K messages
| Provider | 1K messages | 5K messages | 25K messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio | $597.35$596.20 messages, $1.15 number | $2,982.15$2,981.00 messages, $1.15 number | $14,906.15$14,905.00 messages, $1.15 number |
| Grameenphone Monthly SMS Pack, 500 SMS | Above the plan500 SMS a month for BDT 93 per 30 days | Above the plan500 SMS a month for BDT 93 per 30 days | Above the plan500 SMS a month for BDT 93 per 30 days |
| Grameenphone 7 day SMS Pack, 210 SMS | Above the plan840 SMS a month for BDT 49 per 7 days | Above the plan840 SMS a month for BDT 49 per 7 days | Above the plan840 SMS a month for BDT 49 per 7 days |
| textbee | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $29.99Scale plan, up to 25,000 messages included |
textbee plans include the messages shown. There is no per message fee, number rental or carrier surcharge.
Provider prices checked on September 4, 2026
The textbee plan is the platform fee and the SIM plan is what the carrier charges for the messages, so a local setup costs the plan price plus the SIM.
Rules for application to person SMS in Bangladesh
- The BTRC directives page lists directives on SIM registration and biometric verification of subscribers, and a directive on the enlistment and service of domestic application to person SMS aggregators. btrc.gov.bd, checked on September 4, 2026
- The BTRC also maintains a public page listing the application to person SMS service providers it has enlisted. btrc.gov.bd, checked on September 4, 2026
Quickstart
curl -X POST https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"recipients": ["+8801812345678"], "message": "Your textbee code is 482913. It expires in 10 minutes."}'On a dual SIM phone, pass simSubscriptionId to pick the SIM the message goes out on, as the send reference describes.
Format and check Bangladesh numbers
The API takes E.164, which for Bangladesh looks like +8801812345678, so strip any local trunk prefix before you send.
Result
Enter a phone number above.
Use E.164 format (e.g. +15551234567) for textbee.dev API recipients.
Count segments
A message over one segment is sent as more than one SMS, so it draws more than once on the SIM plan.
Result
- Characters: 54
- Encoding: GSM-7
- Segments: 1 SMS
- 1 segment = 1 SMS
GSM-7: 160 chars per segment (153 for multi-part). Unicode/emoji: 70 chars per segment (67 for multi-part). Carriers may charge per segment.
Honest limits
One phone sends roughly 10 to 15 messages a minute, so a large blast takes time to drain. Carriers can filter bulk patterns on consumer SIMs. Marketing messages still need consent from the recipient under the local rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official channel for application SMS in Bangladesh?
Yes. The BTRC publishes guidelines for the enlistment of domestic application to person SMS aggregators and maintains a list of the providers it has enlisted. Sending from a phone SIM sits outside that aggregator channel.
Does a Bangladeshi SIM need biometric registration?
The BTRC directives page lists directives on SIM registration and biometric verification and on the biometric verification system itself, so a SIM is registered against the subscriber identity before use.
What does an SMS pack cost on Grameenphone?
The Grameenphone SMS packs page lists a monthly pack of 500 SMS for BDT 93 and a 7 day pack of 210 SMS for BDT 49, both available to prepaid and postpaid users.
Sources
- SMS rules Bangladesh, btrc.gov.bd, checked on September 4, 2026
- SMS rules Bangladesh, btrc.gov.bd, checked on September 4, 2026
- Grameenphone Monthly SMS Pack, 500 SMS, checked on September 4, 2026
- Twilio SMS pricing, Bangladesh, checked on September 4, 2026