GP celebrating silver jubilee

Mobile operator Grameenphone is celebrating its 25th anniversary, now aiming to contribute beyond connectivity.

Founded in March 26, 1997, GP started off in a small one-floor office in Dhaka's Mohakhali to support women and connect them in the remote areas in 1997.

It has since become the country's most dominant player in the telecommunication sector. It presently serves more than 8.3 crore customers.

The company said to have invested Tk 41,000 crore to build a network infrastructure that covers more than 95 per cent of the population.

"At first our goal was to connect the rural villages through voice services and we have achieved it in the last 25 years," Yasir Azman, CEO of Grameenphone, said at a press meet in InterContinental Dhaka marking its silver jubilee.

"Now we will provide digital services to citizens that will help build a tech-oriented modern Bangladesh," he said.

Appointed to the post in early 2020, Azman said the operator's current priority was to strengthen its 4G network and conduct tests and trials on the use of 5G.

He urged the regulator to create a better way for sharing and expanding the optical fibre network and ease regulations so that the operators can provide numerous digital services that empower people.

According to him, technology would completely transform education, agriculture and health services systems in the coming years.

Mustafa Jabbar, posts and telecommunications minister and Shyam Sunder Sikder, chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, congratulated Grameenphone through video messages.

Chief Marketing Officer Sajjad Hasib, Chief Technology Officer Rade Kovacevic and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (acting) Hossain Sadat were present at the press meet.