Dhaka — Bangladesh's largest telecom operator the Grameenphone has signed partnership agreements with the top three startup ecosystem providers in the country to roll out its  GP Accelerator 3.0 program.

To take the company's annual accelerator program to the next level, Grameenphone is roping in Better Stories Limited, Lightcastle Partners, and Upskill said the company.

As part of the agreements, these three firms will work on GP Accelerator 3.0 program to identifies the best startups in the country and help startups invest in building a strong foundation for the country's startup ecosystem.

The program which is being run since 2015 promises to help successful startups in expanding their market range and business network activities outside the country. So far it has helped the growth of 44 startups.

The company said, that the redesigned program will help startups benefit from Grameenphone's distribution channel, which seeks to grow ten-fold per month during the program and to add talent, and accelerate regional market acquisitions at significant rates.

Abul Qasim Mohiuddin Al-Amin, Chief Procurement Officer of Grameenphone, signed the agreement on behalf of the company. Chief Business Officer Kazi Mahbub Hasan and Head of Innovation Farhana Islam were present at the occasion.

Besides, Mostafizur Rahman Khan, founder, and chief executive of Upskill signed on behalf of the consortium. The consortium was represented by Minhaj Anwar, Chief Storyteller of Better Stories Limited, and Ivdad Ahmed Khan Majlis, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lightcastle Partners.

Solaiman Alam, Grameenphone's Chief Digital and Strategy Officer, said: “GP Accelerator has always been an important contributor to innovation and digital ecosystem in Bangladesh and we are thrilled to see its growth by our partners and other organizations in the country.”