Former employees of Grameenphone, the country’s leading mobile phone operator, staged a protest outside its headquarters on Tuesday, demanding unpaid dues and protesting alleged unlawful dismissals. The demonstration took place in front of the GP House in Bashundhara Residential Area, where law enforcement officials were present. The protest resulted in a virtual lockdown for current employees inside the building.
By 12:30 a.m., the protesters released the employees following a discussion between Grameenphone management, military officer Captain Sadman, and Vatara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mazhar. It was decided that law enforcement officials would meet with GP management to determine a date for discussions with the protesters by the following Sunday.
Grameenphone Employees Union (GPEU) Acting President Fazlul Haque told DigiBangla, “Nearly 1,300 of us were trapped inside GP House from 8:00 a.m. We were able to leave after the meeting with management. We also demand the five percent share, but since the matter is in court, we are unable to take action at the moment. If necessary, we will also protest.”

On the other hand, protest representatives Zakir Hossain and Rana Farazi warned that “If GP management does not meet with us by Sunday, we will escalate our protest from the next day. Law enforcement officials will stand with us, just as they have in the past.”
Earlier, at midnight, the protesters were chanting slogans such as “Exemplary punishment for guilty GP management,” “One demand, one solution—give us five percent profit,” and “Beware, Grameenphone agents and management lackeys!”
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner (Badda Zone) H.M. Shafiqul Rahman, who was present at the scene, stated, “The former employees want Grameenphone management to negotiate with them. However, GP argues that since the matter is in court, it should be resolved legally. That is the root of the dispute. Because of the sit-in protest, employees who came to work in the morning were unable to leave the office until midnight.”
A statement issued by the Grameenphone Workers’ Unity Council on Tuesday claimed that from 2010 to 2022, a total of 3,360 employees were “illegally dismissed” by the company. The statement further warned that if the management does not engage in discussions, the protesters will “escalate their movement with larger demonstrations.”
In response, Grameenphone issued a statement saying, “A group of former employees has been gathering outside GP House in recent days regarding employment-related demands. To our knowledge, most of them left the company several years ago and received their legal entitlements at that time. Furthermore, their claims are currently pending in court. Grameenphone respects the judicial process, and the matter will be settled in court. As a company committed to providing uninterrupted telecom services nationwide, Grameenphone also respects the right to peaceful assembly. However, these individuals have unlawfully blocked access to and from GP premises, disrupting the free movement of our employees and customers.”
The statement further added, “Grameenphone upholds the laws of the country and prioritizes the safety of its employees and customers. Law enforcement agencies have been stationed around GP House to ensure the security of individuals and property.”