Indian mobile operator Bharti Airtel has sought the regulator's approval to buy a 70 percent stake in Bangladeshi mobile operator Warid, Zia Ahmed, chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission told the Daily Star. The value of the contract could reach USD 900 million, the Daily Star reports, citing Warid officials. The company has also submitted a USD 300 million initial investment plan to BTRC, which will be implemented after signing the contract. The officials of the company said that partnership is crucial to Warid as its investment cost is higher than other operators because of discrimination in frequency allocations. Several companies, such as SingTel, Vodafone and Etisalat, had also approached Warid to form a partnership in Bangladesh. Warid officials declined to give further details of the possible tie-up.
