The fourth edition of Banglalink Ennovators, a digital ideation competition for innovative youngsters, ended on Thursday with the announcement of the top three teams. 

The announcement came at the grand finale of the program, which was held virtually. 

Around 16,000 youngsters participated in this year's competition. 

Five teams presented their ideas at the grand finale, and the jury board picked the top three from them.

Team Decode clinched the top spot for its innovative idea on a skill development platform.

And Team White Collar Crew became the first-runner up and Team Blink the second runner-up for their ideas on gaming platforms. 

Banglalink Chief Executive Officer Erik Aas said, "If such innovative youngsters are given the right opportunities, they can unleash their true potentials and come up with innovative digital strategies to tackle many socio-economic challenges."

All the top three teams will get a direct entry to Banglalink's "Assessment Center of the Strategic Assistant Program" along with attractive prizes. 

Also, the top five teams will qualify for Banglalink's "Advanced Internship Program" and will participate in "Learn from Startups" and "Campus to Corporate."

Banglalink's Chief Human Resources and Administration Officer Monzula Morshed said, "Our digital mindset, innovation, and collaborative efforts enabled us to organize Ennovators under challenging circumstances during the pandemic."

The telecom operator has been organizing Ennovators since 2017. 

Banglalink is a subsidiary of VEON Limited – a Nasdaq and Euronext listed connectivity provider headquartered in the Netherlands.

Read Also: Registration opens for Banglalink’s innovators 4.0

The country's second-largest mobile operator Robi ended the third quarter of this year with Tk38.9 crore in profit after taxes, on the back of a 9.7% revenue growth.

The operator posted Tk1,934 crore in revenue for the quarter, it said on Thursday.

The company's profit after taxes stood at Tk116 crore in the first nine months of the current year, up 1.9% year-on-year.

However, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Robi's managing director and chief executive officer, said: "The excessively high taxation regime continues to undermine our performance, with a minimum 2% turnover tax casting the darkest spell on our business."

During the third quarter, Robi's active subscriber base grew 4.5% to 5.1 crore – 30% of the market share.

And nearly 3.5 crore of these subscribers are internet users, who brought Tk684 crore in revenue for the company, up 22% year-on-year.

Robi's voice revenue saw double-digit growth of 12.1% compared to the previous quarter, reaching Tk972 crore in the July-September quarter. However, it dropped 8.2% year-on-year.

The company paid Tk875.1 crore to the government exchequer in the third quarter this year – 45.3% of its total revenue for the period.

Mahtab said: "On the backdrop of our imminent entry into the country's stock markets, we are very happy to maintain profitability in Q3'20 supported by enviable revenue growth."

Read Also: Robi reaches 5 cr subscribers milestone

Three customers in Dhaka and Brahmanbaria got 500 percent cash vouchers after purchasing Walton fridges under its nationwide ongoing ‘Digital Campaign Season-8.

They winners are Kabir Ahmed of Brahmanbaria’s Sadar Upazila, Akram Uddin Siddique and Faisal Kabir of the capital’s Khilgaon and Maghbazar areas respectively, said a press release.

From October 1 this year, customer are enjoying either cash vouchers or free appliances such as refrigerator, air conditioner, television etc. upon the purchase of a Walton refrigerator, washing machine or microwave oven from any Walton Plaza or distributor outlet under the nationwide ongoing Digital Campaign Season-8,

On November 2, Akram Uddin Siddique, sales manager of a private company, purchased a Tk 64,900 worth digital display’s side by side door model of non-frost refrigerator from Walton Plaza Kilgaon branch.

On the same day, a government’s official named Faisal Kabir purchased a refrigerator at cost of Tk 28,900 from Walton Plaza Bangla Motor Branch in the capital on the same date.

Last month, Kabir Ahmed purchased a Walton brand refrigerator at cost of Tk 26,500 from M/S Amin Electronics, a distributors’ showrooms of Walton at Budhal Bazar in Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila.

Each of them was awarded 500 percent cash vouchers upon their respective purchases of Walton fridge under the campaigns Season -8 benefits.

On November 19 last, Walton authorities officially handed over the 500 percent cash vouchers to both Akram Uddin Siddique and Faisal Kabir at two seperate programmes held at Walton Plaza Khilgaon and Bangla Motor branches in the capital respectively.

At present, Walton is manufacturing and marketing more than 100 models of fridge, including frost and non-frost refrigerator, freezer and beverage cooler. Prices of these Walton fridge are between Tk 10,990 and Tk 80,900. Walton is giving one-year replacement guaranty as well as 12 years compressor’s guaranty.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Mohammad Zahurul Haque on Tuesday visited Symphony's handset manufacturing plant at Jirabo in Ashulia.

“He expressed his satisfaction with the overall environment of the factory”, according to a press release.

Jakaria Shahid, Managing Director, Symphony Mobile, welcomed the BTRC Chairman and other BTRC delegates.

Symphony has been producing mobile phones in its own factory in Bangladesh since 2018 where more than 1000 workers in this factory are working tirelessly to get the right product to the customer at the right time.

After visiting Symphony Factory, BTRC Chairman Mohammad Zahurul Haque said “I have visited many mobile phone factories in Bangladesh before, but Symphony Mobile's quality control system is unique that passed a hard quality inspection which is much improved than others and I learned many new technologies which I did not see in other factories."

He also praised the technical knowledge, skills, and cleanliness of the factory premises of the Symphony workers.

Jakaria Shahid, Managing Director of Symphony Mobile, said “We are inspired by the visit of the BTRC Chairman, including the other delegations, to the factory.”

Also read: Symphony smartphone export to begin by 2022

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited inaugurated its Kaligonj Bazar Sub-Branch under Palash Branch at Kaligonj Pourashova of Gazipur recently. Meher Afroze Chumki, Member of Parliament for Gazipur-5 constituency inaugurated the Sub-Branch as chief guest. Mohammod Ullah, Senior Executive Vice President & Head of Dhaka East Zone of the Bank presided over the program. Md. Moazzem Hossen, Chairman of Kaligonj Upazila Parishad, Md. Lutfar Rahman, Mayor of Kaligonj Pourashova, Azad Faruk Uddin Ahmed, Former Chairman of Kaligong Union Parishad and SM Robin Hossen, Social Organizer addressed the program as special guest.

Mohammad Abul Quasem Bhuiyan, Head of Palash Branch of the bank addressed welcome speech while Md. Reajul Karim Bhuiyan, In charge of the sub-branch thanked the audience. Businesspersons, Professionals and Social elites were present on the occasion.