(Dhaka 23.11.2010) In a meeting with representatives of the Bangladeshi electronic and print media in Dhaka today, Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor Group, stated that GPHouse represents a new significant milestone in the proud history of Grameenphone.

Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor Group is visiting Dhaka this week to join the inauguration program of GPHouse, the new head office of Grameenphone. Before the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Baksaas met with representatives of the local media, where he shared Telenor’s view about different issues ranging from the unique characteristics of GPHouse to license renewal of the mobile operators in Bangladesh.
“I am impressed with the new building that Grameenphone is inaugurating today. GPHouse aims to be a workplace that nurtures creativity, flexibility, innovation, and transparency in its design. The building architecture aims to inspire and empower employees through open spaces and open desk sitting arrangement for all, including the CEO and management teams”, said Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor Group.  “GPHouse and the work environment it represents is an important tool for Grameenphone in their continued efforts to develop new products and services for the Bangladeshi people.”
In the meeting, Mr. Baksaas also stressed the need of a stable investor friendly regulatory regime for the development of telecom sector in Bangladesh, as a predictable and transparent regulatory regime will unlock industry potential, investments into Bangladesh and consumer value for Bangladeshis.
He expressed that the government of Bangladesh should re-consider the concerns raised by the ICT industry about some clauses of the amended Bangladesh Telecom Act which are perceived to be detrimental to investment friendly business environment. He also emphasized the need for consultation with the renewing operators while preparing the renewal framework.
“With the ambition of connecting the whole of Bangladesh, the Telenor Group expects that the Bangladeshi authorities will establish clear and fair rules for license renewal and for the upcoming 3G license process, and that the regulatory framework should encourage operators to build quality services, and secure good coverage in rural areas of Bangladesh to benefit all Bangladeshi citizens”, said Fredrik Baksaas.
Telenor Group is an international provider of tele, data and media communication services. Telenor Group has mobile operations in 11 markets in the Nordic region, Central and Eastern Europe and in Asia, as well as a stake of close to 40 per cent in VimpelCom Ltd., operating in 10 markets. Headquartered in Norway, Telenor Group is one of the world’s major mobile operators with 195 million mobile subscriptions, revenues in 2009 of NOK 91 billion, and a workforce of approximately 34,000 employees. Telenor Group is the largest shareholder in Grameenphone.

Corporate Communications Department
Grameenphone Ltd.
Phone: 9882990