NTT DoCoMo to fight Vodafone for AKTEL stake?Japanese cellco NTT DoCoMo has placed an offer for a 30% stake in GSM operator Telecom Malaysia International Bangladesh (AKTEL) currently owned by Bangladeshi conglomerate AK Khan & Co, reports local newspaper the Daily Star. The stake, valued at around USD300 million, has also been targeted by UK-based Vodafone Group, which has previously sent representatives to negotiate with AK Khan & Co. ‘It is true that we have tendered a bid for the AKTEL stake,’ an official of NTT DoCoMo confirmed to the Star, whilst an AKTEL official told the paper, ‘We are still in the dark about our new partner. But something is going on. NTT DoCoMo is on the priority list.’ AKTEL is 70%-owned by Telekom Malaysia, and is currently in third place in Bangladesh’s mobile market. According to regulator the BTRC, the Malaysian-owned firm’s subscriber base rose by 90,000 in the first three months of 2008 to 7.45 million users, but it fell behind Orascom Telecom subsidiary Banglalink’s customer base, which grew by 430,000 to 8.31 million in the same period.
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