Dhaka, Sept. 2 -- Robi Axiata PLC on Monday became the first mobile operator in Bangladesh to officially launch commercial 5G services, marking a landmark milestone in the nation's digital transformation.

The formal launch ceremony was held at Robi's corporate headquarters in Dhaka, where senior government officials and telecom regulators welcomed the move as a "new chapter" in Bangladesh's connectivity journey.

However, the celebratory moment was quickly overshadowed when its rival Grameenphone (GP) made a surprise announcement just hours later, declaring the rollout of its own 5G services across all divisional cities -- an unplanned move that drew criticism as 'reactionary rather than visionary'.

At its launching event, Robi confirme...