{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"116739","rtpr_id":"nGNE2cyBj1","ticker":"VEON","exchange":"NASDAQ","all_tickers":["VEON"],"title":"VEON's Banglalink Receives Bangladesh Bank Approval to Launch Digital Payment Service Mukto Pay","author":"Globe Newswire","published_at":"2026-08-12T12:30:28.119Z","article_body":"Banglalink targets September 2026 commercial launch as new licence advances\nVEON's digital financial services ambitions\n\nDubai, Dhaka, and New York, August 12, 2026: VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON) today\nannounced that its Bangladesh operating company Banglalink has received a\nPayment Service Provider (PSP) licence from Bangladesh Bank, the central bank\nof Bangladesh, paving the way for its entry into the country's digital\npayments market. Banglalink will launch its digital payment services under the\nbrand Mukto Pay, a fully owned Banglalink service designed to provide\ncustomers with simple, secure and accessible digital payment solutions. The\nname \"Mukto,\" meaning \"freedom\" in Bengali, reflects Banglalink's vision of\nbroadening access to financial services.\n\nThis licence reflects continued progress under the framework VEON outlined in\nJune 2026 for launching \"Invest in Bangladesh NOW,\" a proposed public-private\npartnership with the Government of Bangladesh. VEON's initial USD 250 million\ninvestment, committed over the coming years, forms part of that framework,\nwhich aims to attract a total of USD 1 billion in foreign direct investment to\nadvance connectivity, digital infrastructure, digital financial services, and\nAI in Bangladesh.\n\nKaan Terzioglu, CEO of VEON Group, said: \"Mukto Pay is a clear example of how\nour operating companies are moving beyond connectivity to build the digital\nand financial infrastructure their markets need. Bangladesh has enormous\npotential, and by giving individuals, micro-merchants and small businesses who\nremain unbanked or underserved a simple way into the formal financial system,\nBanglalink is helping more people participate in the country's growth. This\nreflects a pattern we are building across VEON: connectivity as the\nfoundation, digital financial services as the next layer of value.\"\n\nJohan Buse, Chief Executive Officer of Banglalink, said: \"Banglalink's\noperating momentum, with revenue up 4.1% YoY in BDT terms and underlying\nEBITDA rising 13.6% in the second quarter of 2026, gives us a strong\nfoundation to invest further in digital and financial services. By combining\nBanglalink's nationwide reach and deep understanding of local customers with\nVEON's global digital expertise, we aim to make digital payments simpler, more\naccessible and more relevant to people's everyday lives. This licence marks\nthe next step in that ambition, contributing to a more inclusive, cashless and\ndigitally empowered Bangladesh, making a better life for all.\"\n\nVEON's digital services continue to gain momentum, with financial services a\nkey and growing contributor. In Q2 2026, digital revenue rose 53.6% YoY to USD\n342 million, or 26.9% of total Group revenue, with financial services alone\ncontributing USD 151 million, approximately 44% of that total. VEON's\nfinancial services platforms served approximately 59 million active customers\nacross Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan during Q2 2026. Bangladesh is now\nset to join this growing footprint, with Banglalink targeting a full\ncommercial launch of Mukto Pay in September 2026, subject to completion of\nremaining regulatory and technical requirements.\n\nOnce launched, Mukto Pay will facilitate a range of digital transactions,\nincluding money transfers, merchant and e-commerce payments, utility and\ngovernment bill payments, salary and other disbursements, as well as other\napproved payment services. Alongside this expansion into digital payments,\nVEON is also pursuing opportunities in digital banking in Bangladesh and has\napplied for a Digital Bank licence.\n\nAbout VEON\nVEON is a digital operator that provides connectivity and digital services to\nover 151 million connectivity customers and more than 227 million digital\nusers. Operating across five countries that are home to more than 6% of the\nworld's population, VEON is transforming lives through technology driven\nservices that empower individuals and drive economic growth. VEON is listed on\nNasdaq. For more information, visit: https://www.veon.com.\n\nAbout Banglalink\nBanglalink, the country's leading digital operator, places people at the heart\nof everything it does. Guided by a people first approach rooted in care,\nBanglalink works to make digital and financial services more accessible and\nmeaningful in everyday life, ultimately making a better life for all. The\ncompany offers a range of digital solutions, including the MyBL super app, the\ncountry's largest entertainment platform Toffee, and RYZE, the country's first\nAI powered digital lifestyle brand for youth. Banglalink is a fully owned\nsubsidiary of VEON, a Nasdaq listed global digital operator headquartered in\nDubai.\n\nForward Looking Statements Disclaimer\nThis release contains “forward-looking statements,” as the phrase is\ndefined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and\nSection 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including\nin relation to VEON’s investment plans in Bangladesh.\n\nContact Information\n\nVEON\npr@veon.com","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nGNE2cyBj1","title":"VEON's Banglalink Receives Bangladesh Bank Approval to Launch Digital Payment Service Mukto Pay","author":"Globe Newswire","ticker":"VEON","created":"2026-08-12T12:30:28.119Z","tickers":["VEON"],"exchange":"NASDAQ","article_body":"Banglalink targets September 2026 commercial launch as new licence advances\nVEON's digital financial services ambitions\n\nDubai, Dhaka, and New York, August 12, 2026: VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON) today\nannounced that its Bangladesh operating company Banglalink has received a\nPayment Service Provider (PSP) licence from Bangladesh Bank, the central bank\nof Bangladesh, paving the way for its entry into the country's digital\npayments market. Banglalink will launch its digital payment services under the\nbrand Mukto Pay, a fully owned Banglalink service designed to provide\ncustomers with simple, secure and accessible digital payment solutions. The\nname \"Mukto,\" meaning \"freedom\" in Bengali, reflects Banglalink's vision of\nbroadening access to financial services.\n\nThis licence reflects continued progress under the framework VEON outlined in\nJune 2026 for launching \"Invest in Bangladesh NOW,\" a proposed public-private\npartnership with the Government of Bangladesh. VEON's initial USD 250 million\ninvestment, committed over the coming years, forms part of that framework,\nwhich aims to attract a total of USD 1 billion in foreign direct investment to\nadvance connectivity, digital infrastructure, digital financial services, and\nAI in Bangladesh.\n\nKaan Terzioglu, CEO of VEON Group, said: \"Mukto Pay is a clear example of how\nour operating companies are moving beyond connectivity to build the digital\nand financial infrastructure their markets need. Bangladesh has enormous\npotential, and by giving individuals, micro-merchants and small businesses who\nremain unbanked or underserved a simple way into the formal financial system,\nBanglalink is helping more people participate in the country's growth. This\nreflects a pattern we are building across VEON: connectivity as the\nfoundation, digital financial services as the next layer of value.\"\n\nJohan Buse, Chief Executive Officer of Banglalink, said: \"Banglalink's\noperating momentum, with revenue up 4.1% YoY in BDT terms and underlying\nEBITDA rising 13.6% in the second quarter of 2026, gives us a strong\nfoundation to invest further in digital and financial services. By combining\nBanglalink's nationwide reach and deep understanding of local customers with\nVEON's global digital expertise, we aim to make digital payments simpler, more\naccessible and more relevant to people's everyday lives. This licence marks\nthe next step in that ambition, contributing to a more inclusive, cashless and\ndigitally empowered Bangladesh, making a better life for all.\"\n\nVEON's digital services continue to gain momentum, with financial services a\nkey and growing contributor. In Q2 2026, digital revenue rose 53.6% YoY to USD\n342 million, or 26.9% of total Group revenue, with financial services alone\ncontributing USD 151 million, approximately 44% of that total. VEON's\nfinancial services platforms served approximately 59 million active customers\nacross Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan during Q2 2026. Bangladesh is now\nset to join this growing footprint, with Banglalink targeting a full\ncommercial launch of Mukto Pay in September 2026, subject to completion of\nremaining regulatory and technical requirements.\n\nOnce launched, Mukto Pay will facilitate a range of digital transactions,\nincluding money transfers, merchant and e-commerce payments, utility and\ngovernment bill payments, salary and other disbursements, as well as other\napproved payment services. Alongside this expansion into digital payments,\nVEON is also pursuing opportunities in digital banking in Bangladesh and has\napplied for a Digital Bank licence.\n\nAbout VEON\nVEON is a digital operator that provides connectivity and digital services to\nover 151 million connectivity customers and more than 227 million digital\nusers. Operating across five countries that are home to more than 6% of the\nworld's population, VEON is transforming lives through technology driven\nservices that empower individuals and drive economic growth. VEON is listed on\nNasdaq. For more information, visit: https://www.veon.com.\n\nAbout Banglalink\nBanglalink, the country's leading digital operator, places people at the heart\nof everything it does. Guided by a people first approach rooted in care,\nBanglalink works to make digital and financial services more accessible and\nmeaningful in everyday life, ultimately making a better life for all. The\ncompany offers a range of digital solutions, including the MyBL super app, the\ncountry's largest entertainment platform Toffee, and RYZE, the country's first\nAI powered digital lifestyle brand for youth. Banglalink is a fully owned\nsubsidiary of VEON, a Nasdaq listed global digital operator headquartered in\nDubai.\n\nForward Looking Statements Disclaimer\nThis release contains “forward-looking statements,” as the phrase is\ndefined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and\nSection 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including\nin relation to VEON’s investment plans in Bangladesh.\n\nContact Information\n\nVEON\npr@veon.com"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-08-12T12:30:28.215299005Z","server_sent_at_ms":1786537828215},"received_at":"2026-08-12T12:30:28.266Z","source_url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/08/12/3343651/0/en/veon-s-banglalink-receives-bangladesh-bank-approval-to-launch-digital-payment-service-mukto-pay.html"},"analysis":{"id":"105734","press_release_id":"116739","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Telecommunication Services","sector":"Communication 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