 Later it obtained nationwide 15-year GSM license in November 1996 to extend its business to cellular mobile, radio telephone services.It launched operation in the last quarter of 1997 as a Bangladesh-Malaysia joint venture.In July 2004, it was reported that Egypt based Orascom Telecom is set to purchase the Malaysian stakes in Sheba Telecom through a hush-hush deal, as Sheba had failed to tap the business potentials in Bangladesh mainly due to a chronic feud between its Malaysian and Bangladeshi partners.