‘Mobile-phone was a strange thing’

"Mobile-phone was a strange thing at that time. People would wonder how it could be possible to talk to one staying so far."

This was how Grameenphone’s first subscriber, Laily Begum, described people’s astonishment when mobile-phone services were introduced more than 17 years ago.

Grameenphone brought Laily Begum and the service’s 50 millionth subscriber, Arifin Siddique Arif, on the same podium on Tuesday at a function in Dhaka to celebrate its reaching the 50 million-user mark.

Handing over special mementos to them, Grameenphone Chief Executive Officer Vivek Sood said the company would always be with the subscribers.

Laily, a residence of Dhaka’s Khilkhet, had purchased a GP mobile-phone package on Mar 18, 1997 for Tk 12,000 under its Palli Phone project and started phone-call business.

“When I purchased the phone, no one else in my locality had a mobile-phone. Everyone used to come to see the phone. I’m still using the number 01711****00,” she said, recalling those early days.

Laily said a man in her area, who used to talk to a relative in Saudi Arabia on her phone, alone would pay her over Tk 10,000 as charges.

“At the beginning, people would not want to believe that overseas call could be made over this phone. But they would not stop after they started talking.”

Laily now uses smart-phones having internet connection.

Arif said he came to know after purchasing a SIM card from a shop in Narayanganj that he was GP’s 50 millionth subscriber.

“Grameenphone contacted and told me that I am their 50 millionth subscriber. I’m feeling lucky for that,” he added.

Grameenphone, which officially launched its services on Mar 26, 1997, the Independence Day of Bangladesh, is now the country’s largest mobile-phone operator.

Its subscribers constitute around 42 percent of mobile-phone users in Bangladesh.