India's Bharti eyes Bangladesh deal after MTN fails

Repeats story issued late on Wednesday) * Bharti to buy 70 pct in Bangladesh's Warid Telecom * Plans initial investment $300 mln - Bangladesh regulator * Deal to close mid-January; total value reportedly $900 mln * Indian firm looks to replicate home success in Bangladesh * Bharti declines to comment; shares rise 2.8 pct (Adds confirmation, comments from Abu Dhabi Group; background) By Ruma Paul and Pratish Narayanan DHAKA/MUMBAI, Dec 16 (Reuters) - 

Leading Indian telecom Bharti Airtel (BRTI.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to buy Bangladesh's Warid Telecom for a reported $900 million from Abu Dhabi Group, indicating a shift in focus to smaller targets after its planned $24 billion merger with South Africa's MTN (MTNJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research) failed. Bharti will buy a 70 percent stake in Warid, Bangladesh's fourth-biggest telecom company, while Abu Dhabi Group will retain the rest, an official with the selling firm said. Source:/in.reuters.com/