Grameenphone Clears 170 % Final Cash Dividend for 2024 as Data Push Lifts Earnings
Grameenphone Ltd’s 28th Annual General Meeting, held virtually on Wednesday in compliance with Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission rules, approved a final cash dividend equal to 170 percent of paid‑up capital for 2024—equivalent to Tk 17 per Tk 10 share and representing a 122.73 percent payout ratio on after‑tax profit.
According to the audited report presented, the country’s largest mobile operator added 2.3 million subscribers last year, bringing its base to 84.3 million. Mobile‑internet users climbed to 48 million, or 57 percent of all customers; 42 million are now active 4G users—up 11.7 percent year‑on‑year.
Board chair Håkon Bruaset Kjøll told shareholders that 2024 was devoted to “customer‑centric innovation” despite macro‑economic headwinds. He stressed the company’s role in Bangladesh’s digital transformation and its drive to evolve from a telecom to a “tech‑co,” while expanding programmes that build digital skills and online safety for marginalised communities.
Chief executive Yasir Azman described 2024 as “a year of transformation,” citing network modernisation and AI‑driven analytics that lifted efficiency and supported new products. Data, digital services and content packs contributed 28 percent of mobile service revenue, he said.
Grameenphone invested Tk 39 billion in its network, including refarming 2600 MHz spectrum, upgrading 30 percent of macro sites and deploying more than 1,758 new 4G sites, taking 4G population coverage to 97.9 percent. The company paid Tk 123 billion to the national exchequer.
Azman added that innovations such as App City, AI‑enabled network features, IoT solutions and the Flexi Plan platform strengthened operational resilience, while an “integrated licensing regime” helped market share rise 1.7 percentage points. Programmes like GP Academy and Future Nation Skill Hub empowered youth, and ESG‑aligned initiatives—from low‑carbon supply‑chain partnerships to affordable smartphone campaigns—aim to narrow the digital divide and support an inclusive, sustainable Bangladesh.
The AGM was attended by CFO Atte Magne Risbak, company secretary S M Emdadul Haque and other board members and senior executives.
