Erik Aas Bids Farewell to Bangladesh After 9 Years at Banglalink
After serving for a total of 13 years, Erik Aas, the CEO of Banglalink, is set to leave Bangladesh. Although his tenure officially extends until the end of this month, he will be departing the country on Wednesday following the arrival of his successor. He plans to spend time with his family in Thailand agter eventually returning to his home country, Norway. While he looks forward to being with his loved ones, he admitted that he has developed a deep fondness for Bangladesh. The politics, economy, love and emotions of this country have all become very dear to him during his time there. He said, the ups and downs, struggles and successes of Bangladesh are all visible to the eyes.
During a farewell interaction with technology and telecom journalists at Hotel Intercontinental on Sunday, Erik Aas became emotional while delivering his speech.
In his brief address, he praised the productivity of the people of Bangladesh and their dedication to progress. "The people here and their efforts are incredibly productive. Their support and love are truly commendable. They are the driving force behind the nation's advancement. Bangladesh will continue to grow both economically and socially in the future," he stated. Aas also expressed his gratitude to the media for its contributions to the growth of the country's mobile industry, acknowledging them as key stakeholders in the sector’s success.
"Economically, this country will move forward. The people of this country, whose extraordinary productivity we stand for, are the ones who will move this country forward in all aspects of life, not just economically. This trend will continue and this is where the future of this country lies," added Eric As.
Although optimistic about Bangladesh, Eric is somewhat disappointed with the growth of the telecommunications sector here, saying, "This sector is 'over-regulated' in Bangladesh. Because of this, the desired growth of this sector has not occurred."
The farewell event was attended by Banglalink's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Taimur Rahman. As a token of appreciation, Samir Kumar Dey, President of the Telecom and Technology Reporters’ Network Bangladesh (TRNB), and General Secretary S.M. Masuduzzaman Robin presented Aas with a commemorative plaque. Additionally, TMGB President Kawsar Uddin and General Secretary Morsalin Zunaid presented him with a farewell gift.
The President of the Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum (BIJF), Hitler A. Halim, and General Secretary Sabbir Hasan also extended their best wishes to the outgoing CEO. A farewell letter was read by Head of Communication Towhid Ahmed, Other notable attendees included Chief Digital Officer Golam Kibria, Banglalink Chief Human Resources and Administration Officer, Monzula Morshed, and Chief Legal Officer & Company Secretary Jahrat Adib Chowdhury.
During his career in Bangladesh, Erik Aas served four years at Grameenphone before joining Banglalink, where he led for nine years. Although he is leaving the country now, he is expected to return on April 6 to formally hand over responsibilities to the new CEO.
Earlier, the operator's parent company, Vion, announced the name of Johann Buss as the new CEO of Banglalink on March 17. The new CEO will take charge on April 6.
Eric said in a statement that he is returning to his family for now. He will spend time with his two teenage children there. He will spend this summer in his home country of Norway and return to Thailand in the winter, where his beloved family lives.
When asked where he will work next, he said, "I haven't decided anything yet. I'm going to spend some time with my family on vacation."
