Banglalink has won two awards at The Fast Mode Awards 2025, with its Chief Executive Officer Johan Buse named "CEO of the Year" for the Asia Pacific region and the company receiving the "Customer Experience (CX) Champion" award.
The awards were announced at The Fast Mode Awards 2025, organised by The Fast Mode, a telecommunications media and research platform based in Malaysia. The 2025 edition received more than 300 submissions across several categories, which were assessed by an international panel of experts.
Johan Buse received the CEO of the Year award for his leadership during Banglalink's RESET 2.0 programme. Under his leadership, the company streamlined operations, strengthened its customer-first approach, reduced internal layers to speed up decision-making and empowered frontline teams.
He also led Banglalink's return to growth after five consecutive quarters of revenue decline. The company has since accelerated its shift towards a broader digital ecosystem, aligned with parent company VEON's DO1440 ambition.
Banglalink's CX Champion award recognises its progress in customer service through technology-driven initiatives. The company introduced AI-powered services, expanded self-service options through the MyBL app and strengthened its customer feedback system. These efforts resulted in a 94% First Contact Resolution rate and a 35% reduction in call centre volume. The company has also introduced Bangladesh's first GenAI-powered service chatbot.
The MyBL app, the country's highest-rated telecom app, offers more than 20 services and supports issue identification and complaint registration. It also uses generative artificial intelligence to assist millions of customers.
Receiving the award, Johan Buse said, "These awards belong to everyone at Banglalink. From the start, we have been listening to our customers with care, understanding their needs, and responding with empathy. The consistent improvement in customer satisfaction is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our teams. This recognition will inspire us to continue raising the bar and building a company that serves not just with technology, but with heart."
In the CX Champion category, Banglalink was recognised for its performance in delivering customer experience outcomes. From Bangladesh, Grameenphone and Robi Axiata also received awards in the Operational Excellence and Emerging Telco Brand categories.