Airtel-Warid deal is transparent: Bangladesh telecom regulator

The Bangladesh telecom regulator today dismissed allegations of loss of revenue to the government in the Bharti Airtel-Warid Telecom deal, valued at $300 million, saying "everything was transparent".

According to the Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BRTC), Zia Ahmed, the allegation was just a question raised in Parliament.

There were allegations that the Bangla government lost millions of dollars in transfer fees as BRTC allowed Warid, which invested more than $600 million in the country, to hand over 70 per cent of its stake to Airtel.

"That is a dead issue now. Everything was transparent. The query has been addressed. We are trying to create investment friendly atmosphere in our country. They (Airtel) are coming with money to invest," Ahmed, who was in the city to attend the World Telecom Development Conference being held here, told PTI.

The BRTC chairman said the Indian telecom major invested $300 million as initial investment to extend mobile services and is willing to invest more from time to time.

He said Indian companies can enter into the Bangladesh market once the government decides to go for international bidding for mobile services. "Now the environment is in favour of investment in the telecom sector. Any big operator can come and join us," Ahmed said.

Bangladesh Telecom Minister Rajjiuddin Ahmed, later addressing a gathering at the World Telecom Development Conference, said that the 3G services in that country will be rolled out by the end of this year.