{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"153728","rtpr_id":"nGNX3Ps7zg-20260928","ticker":"VEON","exchange":"NASDAQ","all_tickers":["VEON"],"title":"VEON and Banglalink Convene Global Investors in New York to Advance “Invest in Bangladesh NOW!”","author":"Globe Newswire","published_at":"2026-09-28T09:00:00.308Z","article_body":"Symposium builds momentum for initiative targeting USD 1 billion in foreign\ndirect investment in Bangladesh's digital economy, anchored by VEON's USD 250\nmillion commitment\n\nDubai, United Arab Emirates and New York, September 28, 2026 - VEON Ltd.\n(Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator, and its operating subsidiary in\nBangladesh, Banglalink, on Thursday hosted the inaugural investor symposium\nfor the “Invest in Bangladesh NOW!” initiative in New York City, on the\nsidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The closed-door roundtable\nbrought together global investors, development finance institutions and\nBangladeshi government officials to discuss investment opportunities in\nBangladesh’s digital economy.\n\nVEON’s “Invest in Bangladesh NOW!” initiative, launched earlier this\nyear, is a proposed public-private partnership with the Government of\nBangladesh and is anchored by VEON’s initial USD 250 million capital\ncommitment, with the broader ambition of mobilizing USD 1 billion in total\nforeign direct investment into the country’s digital economy. This week’s\nsymposium marks the first major international event under the initiative,\nbringing the investment case for Bangladesh directly to the global capital\ncommunity in New York.\n\nThe event was attended by Bangladesh's Honorable Finance Minister Amir Khosru\nMahmud Chowdhury, alongside senior officials from the Government of\nBangladesh. Also in attendance were senior representatives from the Government\nof the UAE, the US Department of State, and leading global investors and\ndevelopment finance institutions including BlackRock, Rothschild, the IFC and\nthe World Bank.\n\n“Bangladesh’s digital transformation creates a compelling opportunity for\nlong-term investment,” said Kaan Terzioglu, Chief Executive Officer of VEON.\n“We are backing that opportunity with a USD 250 million commitment and\nbringing international partners together to help mobilize USD 1 billion into\nthe country’s digital economy. Through Banglalink, we are expanding from\nconnectivity into digital services that help people make payments, access\nopportunities and participate more fully in the economy. Our ambition is to\nturn investment into a better life for all.”\n\n“VEON invests in markets whose digital potential is still underappreciated\nby global capital,” said Augie K Fabela II, Chairman and Founder of VEON.\n“Bangladesh is home to more than 170 million people, a young and ambitious\npopulation, and a digital economy that is accelerating quickly. Putting our\nown capital in first, ahead of other investors, reflects our long-term\nconfidence in what this country is building.”\n\nThe event also spotlighted recent milestones in Banglalink's digital\nexpansion. The company has received approval from the Bangladesh\nTelecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to launch Starlink\nDirect-to-Cell satellite-to-mobile service, which will let compatible phones\nconnect directly to satellites in areas without conventional coverage. This\nwill make Bangladesh the first country in South Asia to introduce the\ntechnology. The Finance Minister also announced approval of a new digital bank\nlicense backed by VEON, Banglalink and Square Group, and this week Banglalink\nseparately launched Mukto Pay, its new digital payments platform for\ntransfers, merchant and bill payments, and disbursements.\n\n“Today marks a defining moment in Banglalink’s evolution as a digital\noperator,” said Johan Buse, Chief Executive Officer of Banglalink. “By\nbringing together the world’s leading investors and development finance\ninstitutions in New York, VEON has created a platform for Bangladesh that we\nbelieve will generate real, sustained investment in our country’s digital\nfuture, and we are proud to be at the center of that story.”\n\nAbout VEON\n\nVEON is a digital operator that provides connectivity and digital services to\nmore than 150 million connectivity customers and more than 228 million digital\ncustomers. Operating across five countries that are home to 550 million\nconsumers, more than 6% of the world's population, VEON is transforming lives\nthrough technology-driven services that empower individuals and drive economic\ngrowth. VEON is listed on NASDAQ. For more information, visit:\nhttps://www.veon.com/.\n\nAbout Banglalink\n\nBanglalink, the country’s leading digital operator, places people at the\nheart of 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\nfirst AI powered digital lifestyle brand for youth. Banglalink is a fully\nowned subsidiary of VEON, a Nasdaq listed global digital operator\nheadquartered in Dubai.\n\nForward-Looking Statements\n\nThis press 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. Such\nforward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements\nrelating to, among other things, VEON’s planned investment program in\nBangladesh, the commercial development of Mukto Pay and Banglalink’s digital\nfinancial services, and the potential for additional investments and\npartnerships in Bangladesh. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that\ncould cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those\nexpressed by such statements, including risks relating to VEON’s operations\nin Bangladesh, regulatory approvals, macroeconomic and political conditions,\nand other factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in\nVEON’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities\nand Exchange Commission, as amended and supplemented from time to time, and in\nany subsequent filings with the SEC by VEON. The forward-looking statements\ncontained herein speak only as of the date of this release and VEON disclaims\nany obligation to update or revise them, other than to the extent required by\napplicable law.\n\nContact Information\n\nVEON\npr@veon.com\n\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3a431b22-b647-4855-ab72-b3a8aa08a08f)\n\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nGNX3Ps7zg-20260928","title":"VEON and Banglalink Convene Global Investors in New York to Advance “Invest in Bangladesh NOW!”","author":"Globe Newswire","ticker":"VEON","created":"2026-09-28T09:00:00.308Z","tickers":["VEON"],"exchange":"NASDAQ","article_body":"Symposium builds momentum for initiative targeting USD 1 billion in foreign\ndirect investment in Bangladesh's digital economy, anchored by VEON's USD 250\nmillion commitment\n\nDubai, United Arab Emirates and New York, September 28, 2026 - VEON Ltd.\n(Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator, and its operating subsidiary in\nBangladesh, Banglalink, on Thursday hosted the inaugural investor symposium\nfor the “Invest in Bangladesh NOW!” initiative in New York City, on the\nsidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The closed-door roundtable\nbrought together global investors, development finance institutions and\nBangladeshi government officials to discuss investment opportunities in\nBangladesh’s digital economy.\n\nVEON’s “Invest in Bangladesh NOW!” initiative, launched earlier this\nyear, is a proposed public-private partnership with the Government of\nBangladesh and is anchored by VEON’s initial USD 250 million capital\ncommitment, with the broader ambition of mobilizing USD 1 billion in total\nforeign direct investment into the country’s digital economy. This week’s\nsymposium marks the first major international event under the initiative,\nbringing the investment case for Bangladesh directly to the global capital\ncommunity in New York.\n\nThe event was attended by Bangladesh's Honorable Finance Minister Amir Khosru\nMahmud Chowdhury, alongside senior officials from the Government of\nBangladesh. Also in attendance were senior representatives from the Government\nof the UAE, the US Department of State, and leading global investors and\ndevelopment finance institutions including BlackRock, Rothschild, the IFC and\nthe World Bank.\n\n“Bangladesh’s digital transformation creates a compelling opportunity for\nlong-term investment,” said Kaan Terzioglu, Chief Executive Officer of VEON.\n“We are backing that opportunity with a USD 250 million commitment and\nbringing international partners together to help mobilize USD 1 billion into\nthe country’s digital economy. Through Banglalink, we are expanding from\nconnectivity into digital services that help people make payments, access\nopportunities and participate more fully in the economy. Our ambition is to\nturn investment into a better life for all.”\n\n“VEON invests in markets whose digital potential is still underappreciated\nby global capital,” said Augie K Fabela II, Chairman and Founder of VEON.\n“Bangladesh is home to more than 170 million people, a young and ambitious\npopulation, and a digital economy that is accelerating quickly. Putting our\nown capital in first, ahead of other investors, reflects our long-term\nconfidence in what this country is building.”\n\nThe event also spotlighted recent milestones in Banglalink's digital\nexpansion. The company has received approval from the Bangladesh\nTelecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to launch Starlink\nDirect-to-Cell satellite-to-mobile service, which will let compatible phones\nconnect directly to satellites in areas without conventional coverage. This\nwill make Bangladesh the first country in South Asia to introduce the\ntechnology. The Finance Minister also announced approval of a new digital bank\nlicense backed by VEON, Banglalink and Square Group, and this week Banglalink\nseparately launched Mukto Pay, its new digital payments platform for\ntransfers, merchant and bill payments, and disbursements.\n\n“Today marks a defining moment in Banglalink’s evolution as a digital\noperator,” said Johan Buse, Chief Executive Officer of Banglalink. “By\nbringing together the world’s leading investors and development finance\ninstitutions in New York, VEON has created a platform for Bangladesh that we\nbelieve will generate real, sustained investment in our country’s digital\nfuture, and we are proud to be at the center of that story.”\n\nAbout VEON\n\nVEON is a digital operator that provides connectivity and digital services to\nmore than 150 million connectivity customers and more than 228 million digital\ncustomers. Operating across five countries that are home to 550 million\nconsumers, more than 6% of the world's population, VEON is transforming lives\nthrough technology-driven services that empower individuals and drive economic\ngrowth. VEON is listed on NASDAQ. For more information, visit:\nhttps://www.veon.com/.\n\nAbout Banglalink\n\nBanglalink, the country’s leading digital operator, places people at the\nheart of 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\nfirst AI powered digital lifestyle brand for youth. Banglalink is a fully\nowned subsidiary of VEON, a Nasdaq listed global digital operator\nheadquartered in Dubai.\n\nForward-Looking Statements\n\nThis press 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. Such\nforward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements\nrelating to, among other things, VEON’s planned investment program in\nBangladesh, the commercial development of Mukto Pay and Banglalink’s digital\nfinancial services, and the potential for additional investments and\npartnerships in Bangladesh. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that\ncould cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those\nexpressed by such statements, including risks relating to VEON’s operations\nin Bangladesh, regulatory approvals, macroeconomic and political conditions,\nand other factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in\nVEON’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities\nand Exchange Commission, as amended and supplemented from time to time, and in\nany subsequent filings with the SEC by VEON. The forward-looking statements\ncontained herein speak only as of the date of this release and VEON disclaims\nany obligation to update or revise them, other than to the extent required by\napplicable law.\n\nContact Information\n\nVEON\npr@veon.com\n\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3a431b22-b647-4855-ab72-b3a8aa08a08f)\n\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-09-28T09:00:00.44554927Z","server_sent_at_ms":1790586000445},"received_at":"2026-09-28T09:00:00.543Z","source_url":null},"analysis":null,"durationMs":null,"modelName":null}}