A2I signs deal with Telenor to drive development in Bangladesh

The government yesterday struck an agreement with Telenor Digital to use the Norway-based company's digital and mobile technology in driving social, economic and human development in Bangladesh. 

The memorandum of understanding between the Access to Information (A2I) programme of the Prime Minister's Office and Telenor Digital was signed on the sidelines of Digital Investment Summit at Radisson hotel in Dhaka. 

Kabir Bin Anwar, project director of the A2I, and Matthew Guildford, global head of health at Telenor Digital, signed the deal on behalf of their respective organisations. 

Under the agreement, Telenor Digital, which works to shape the digital future of Norway-based telecommunications company Telenor Group, will work closely with the A2I to develop social initiatives across digital platforms to address socio-economic needs of the people in Bangladesh.

It will also enable public and private services to become more accessible for people in remote and difficult to reach areas, said Grameenphone, majority of whom is owned by Telenor Group, in a statement. 

Anir Chowdhury, policy adviser of the A2I, said the agreement is another step forward towards a Digital Bangladesh. 

"While we have made strong advances over the years, our new partnership with organisations like Telenor Digital means that we can tap into their vast digital experience and collaborate on social empowerment initiatives." 

Henrik Clausen, acting chief executive officer of Telenor Digital, said they are pleased to be working with the government in Bangladesh to develop digital and mobile technologies that can contribute to the further enhancement of Bangladesh society. 

The initiative aims to create digital and mobile tools that provide citizens with information, content and support and help them make better choices in daily lives.

Under the agreement, projects will also be initiated to leverage data and insights to identify key social requirements, unmet citizen needs and gaps in service delivery, said the GP statement. The MoU will be effective from May 7, 2015 to May 6, 2018 in the initial phase.

As the home of Telenor's high-tech development house, Telenor Digital creates globally scalable solutions within next-generation communication services.