Grameenphone in collaboration with BRAC will provide 21-lakh hour of free internet for school children from this month.
The decision, inspired by 21st February, Language Movement Day, was announced at a ceremony at Ali Hossain Girls High School in Dhanmondi on Monday.
Grameenphone, Bangladesh’s largest mobile phone operator, will provide the free hours to 250 schools around the country under its “Internet for All” initiative, it said in a press release.
Students of these schools will be able to use free internet in the ‘Gonokendras’, multi-purpose community learning centres managed by BRAC at school premises.
BRAC, the largest NGO in the world, currently has 2,500 ‘Gonokendras’ across Bangladesh. These centres offer a number of services for adults, children and students.
They also preserve local historical items, operate mobile libraries for women and the elderly besides running a Children’s Corner.
Sigve Brekke, Chairman of Grameenphone Board and Head of Telenor Asia discussed with students the benefit of using internet and emphasized on the importance of using it safely.
Grameenphone and BRAC recently signed an agreement under which BRAC will help Grameenphone to implement the programme at field level.
BRAC’s Senior Director of Strategy, Communications and Capacity Asif Saleh was present at the event and thanked Grameenphone for the initiative.
He said the programme will increase school children’s access to the world of ICT, especially those living in rural Bangladesh.
