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GP-BCB bond extended

Sports Reporter
Grameenphone has been retained as official sponsors of the national cricket team for a further two years after they increased their amount from their offered price in the bidding. However the sponsorship deal this time will also cover the national women’s team.
The leading mobile phone operators got the prestigious
rights by providing Tk 9 crore as total royalty fee and they will provide Tk 1 crore more as other fees for travel bags, coffins, travel attires and blazers. In addition Grameenphone will also provide the team bus during any home series or practice sessions of the men and women s teams.
The previous contract expired in October but was extended till November 15 to cover the Zimbabwe cricket team's tour of Bangladesh and the sponsorship amount was
Tk 6 crore and 15 lakh for the period of2007-2009.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials expressed their satisfaction over the increased amount on the new contract while talking at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
BCB had invited tenders setting the floor price at Tk 12 crore where Grameenphone was the lone bidder at a lower price, but the successful negotiation between the two parties led to increasing the
amount.
"As per our view we have got a very handsome amount this time which came through a very amicable negotiation and we feel it's justified. We always set a higher floor price as the previous experience showed that there has been a tendency to offer low price than the floor price," said Aziz Al Kaiser Tito, BCB's marketing and commercial committeechairman.
"If we considered the current economical situation I must say the amount is quite high. This time we also added the women's team but you must understand that we have got minimal amount for the women's team," added Jalal Yunus, BCB's media committeechairman.
Question was raised whether the board lacked professionals who could drive for more and needed a proactive and dynamic chief executive officer, a post that has been lying vacant for more than two and a half years, who could attract more companies to gain more money.
"There are paid staff in die commercial committee and they prepared the papers and on the other hand it's not the platform to discuss about the CEO issue today," responded Tito.
"We view our relationship with GP as a friendly one. By coming forward to sponsor the national team once again GP has given a shining example of its passion and commitment towards Bangladesh cricket. This is also a positive statement for the growing value of the national team and with a partner like GP I am
GP-BCB bond
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sure we can dream of successes ahead," he said.
"We have incorporated the sponsorship of the women's national team also under this deal and this also is a unique development and augers well for the women cricketers of the country." Tito added.
Grameenphone's chief communication officer Kazi Monirul Kabir termed it a 'fanatic sponsor' because of their passion towards the game, which was also the driving force behind continuing the patronisation of the national team.
"The Bangladesh cricket team is a symbol of national pride and it is our privilege to be a part of that national passion. Our association is partly commercial and partly emotional," said Monirul.
Grameenphone head of PR Syed Talat Kamal was also present at the media briefing.