Sponsored by GrameenPhone at Sonargaon Hotel, the two-day fair is showcasing the world's latest cellular telephone technologies.

Handsets and accessories of different price ranges offered by different companies have been put on display in the fair to attract cellphone users.

"Mobile phone has become an integral part of daily life and the growth of cellphone got a lighting speed in the country," Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Syed Marghub Murshed said inaugurating the fair.

He lauded the role of Grameen-Phone (GP) in increasing tele-reach and tele-density in Bangladesh and hoped the company would extend better service to customers.

Speaking at the function, GP Deputy Managing Director Frank Fodstad said GP will continue to provide its subscribers with better service.

"I firmly believe that the subscribers will benefit from this fair," Fodstad said.

Describing the aim of the exposition, GP's Sales and Marketing Director Mehboob Chowdhury said, "We want to give a glimpse of global technology to our existing customers and prospective cellphone users."

He said about 1.30 crore people in the country having a month income of Tk 5,000 can afford mobile phone if the start-up cost of connection is reduced further.

Chowdhury said high import duty on mobile handsets and telecoms equipment has been hindering growth of cellular telephony in the country.

Quoting a report of UN telecoms watchdog International Tele-communications Union (ITU), he said every mobile connection adds US$2,500 to the GDP.

He said GP has been working relentlessly to expand its network to 460 upazila by the end of 2006 from 280 upazila covered under the present network. The company will invest $170 million or more in the network expansion.

Some 13 handset vendors including global brand leaders and two accessories vendors are displaying their latest handsets and accessories in the show.

The participants include Nokia, Siemens, SonyEricsson, Motorolla, Panasonic, Alcatel, Samsung, DBTel, Vtech, Sagem, Rangs Bird, Haier, Telit and Limo.

Standard Chartered Bank opened a booth in the fair to facilitate purchase of mobile phone sets, with or without connection, by the visitors.

The fair will remain open from 10am to 8pm today. The entry fee is Tk 10 for each visitor. Proceeds from the entry fees will be donated to children education activities run by Grameen Shikhya, a non-governmental organisation.

GrameenPhone is the country's largest cellphone operator having 1.67 million out of the total 2.75 million subscribers of four operators.