Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) signed Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Bangladesh Association for Social Advancement (BASA) on Monday 15th February, 2016 at 185th Social Business Design Lab, held at Grameen Bank Auditorium.  The ceremony was presided over by Chairman of Grameen Telecom Trust, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. Ms. Parveen Mahmud (Managing Director, GTT) & Mr. A.K.M. Shirajul Islam (Executive Director, BASA) signed the agreement on behalf of GTT and BASA.

Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) in collaboration with BASA has agreed to introduce new social business initiative “Honey Processing Social Business”, which is related to quality production and market linkage of pure local honey. The aim of this project is to locally produce hygienic honey which would be sold all over Bangladesh and globally in future.

The target would be to capture the market already dominated by foreign brands, improve bee-culture & quality honey collection method. Also there would be awareness campaign on local honey, awareness campaign on agricultural & horticultural farmers for the impact of Bees & Beekeeping in respect to pollination & training of bee-keeping communities. The project will also assist in employment generation of marginal community & Bee pollination will help the farmers to get enhanced crops, fruits and vegetable production.

The project was initially presented on the 6th Design Lab in 6th July, 2013, however after redesigning the project it was approved in the 154th Open Design Lab in 21st December, 2015. This is the 10th Social Business project of GTT.