---
title: Robi Axiata drops Airtel youth brand, renames it 'Cirkle' - Developing Telecoms
description: Bangladesh telco Robi Axiata officially retired the Airtel name – which has served as its youth brand for the past ten years – on Monday with the launch of a new digital-focused youth brand called Cirkle.
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date: 2026-08-19T05:03:01Z
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Bangladesh telco Robi Axiata officially retired the Airtel name – which has served as its youth brand for the past ten years – on Monday with the launch of a new digital-focused youth brand called Cirkle.

When Robi Axiata [merged with Airtel Bangladesh in 2016](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/operator-news/6642-robi-airtel-merger-gets-prime-minister-s-approval-in-bangladesh.html), it kept the Airtel name as a sub-brand for the youth market. While the name has now been changed to Cirkle, subscribers under the Airtel brand will retain their existing 016 numbers, services, packages and balances, as well as their mobile financial services (MFS) accounts, wallets, transactions and customer information will also remain unchanged.

Robi Axiata said Cirkle will build on Airtel’s strong youth legacy – which has been cultivated since Airtel launched its services in Bangladesh in 2010 – with more affordable, modern and digital-first services, including “future-ready propositions” powered by emerging technologies such as AI.

“As connectivity enters a new phase, the focus is no longer only on connecting more people, but on making those connections more meaningful,” said Robi Axiata’s MD and CEO Ziad Shatara at Cirkle’s launch event in Dhaka on Monday. “Cirkle is the next evolution of Airtel’s journey, built for how Bangladesh’s young-at-heart generation will connect in the future.”

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