Telenor supports relief operations in Bangladesh

Sidr, the worst storm to hit the country since 1991, made landfall in Bangladesh in the late evening of November 15 and is known to have killed a high number of people. According to Bangladesh’s Red Crescent society there are fears that the final toll may exceed 10,000. Millions of people in the coastal areas have been affected and are in desperate need of shelter, food, water and medicines.

A woman in front of her shattered house

Complementing local efforts

To complement local efforts and provide further aid, Telenor has decided to make a contribution of NOK 2 million (approximately Bangladesh Taka 25 million).

Grameenphone has already made a contribution of NOK 850,000 (Bangladesh Taka 10 million) and taken an active role in the relief work collaborating with volunteer organizations and central authorities in providing clothes, medicine and food to the victims.

Telenor has a 62 per cent ownership interest in Grameenphone, the largest provider of mobile telecommunications services in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh cyclone

Sidr, a Category 4 storm with a 500-kilometre radius and a 74-kilometer-wide eye, made landfall in Bangladesh in the late evening of November 15. Originating in the Bay of Bengal, the cyclone hit the entire south and southwest coast of the country from Cox’s Bazaar to Satkhira district.

With wind speeds up to 220-240 kilometres per hour and torrential rains, Sidr has brought significant damage to the country. With 153 million people confined to a surface of 144,000 square kilometres, the number of affected people is likely to be high, UN reports.

For more information, please contact:

Esben Tuman, Communications Director, Telenor Asia
Phone: +66 85 918 4111, e-mail: esben@telenor.com

Yamin Bahkt, Communications Director, Grameenphone,
Phone: +880 171500577, e-mail: yamin@grameenphone.com