Eskayef signs insulin deal with Novo Nordisk

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Eskayef signs insulin deal with Novo Nordisk

Kawsar Khan

The world’s biggest insulin maker Novo Nordisk yesterday signed a major deal with Eskayef to extend its manufacturing base to Bangladesh as the third destination in Asia after China and India.

Eskayef Bangladesh Ltd, a leading pharmaceutical company and exporter, will set up an exclusive formulation, filling, inspection and packaging facility near Dhaka for the Novo Nordisk insulin.

The local company will make insulin from bulk drug (insulin crystals) supplied by Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care based in Denmark, said officials.

The agreement was signed by two top officials of both companies at a ceremony at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, also attended by other dignitaries.

Speaking at the function, Dr Alauddin Ahmed, adviser (education, social development and political affairs) to the prime minister, said the deal was a landmark event for the pharmaceuticals sector.

“It’s a very fortunate thing that such a technologically advanced company would have a manufacturing base here,” he said.

Jan Møller Hansen, deputy head of mission, Danish Embassy in Bangladesh, said: “I hope Novo through its vast experience of more than 85 years of providing high-quality insulin will continue to be an important factor in fighting diabetes in Bangladesh.”

A symposium titled “Diabetes: A Growing Challenge for the Developing Countries” was also held at the ceremony.

Chairman of Eskayef Bangladesh Latifur Rahman said insulin is a sensitive product that requires careful handling.

Rahman also said he was happy over the partnership with the global leader in diabetes care.

The current size of Bangladesh’s insulin market is more than Tk 120 crore, according to officials of Novo Nordisk.

In a keynote speech, Prof Ashok Kumar Das, director and medical superintendent of Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research in India, said diseases such as diabetes are increasing rapidly. Around the world, one person dies from diabetes every 10 seconds while another two develop the disease by the same time, he said.

AM Faruque, managing director of Eskayef Bangladesh, and Melvin Oscar D’souza, head of the Regional Office India of Novo Nordisk, signed yesterday’s agreement.

“We are going to set up a plant in Bangladesh by SKF and by this we will reduce diabetes here,” said Sanjeev Shishoo, vice president of the Regional Office Far East of Novo Nordisk.

Prof AK Azad Khan, president of Bangladesh Endocrine Society and Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, Dr Hajera Mahtab, professor emeritus of Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences, also spoke.

Novo Nordisk employs more than 25,800 people in 79 countries and markets its products in 179 countries.

Eskayef makes and markets a range of therapeutic drugs, bulk pellets and animal health and nutrition products. It has recently received accreditation from UK MHRA, which assures European-standard medicines from its manufacturing plant.

kawsar@thedailystar.net

Hybrid vegetables take hold

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Hybrid vegetables take hold

Sohel Parvez

Bangladesh is slowly coming out of a seasonal barrier in vegetables production mainly, helped by consistent growth in sales and cultivation of hybrid seeds that offer farmers scope to profit from off-season vegetables.

Consumers now get bitter gourd, bottle gourd, carrot, cucumber, eggplant and tomato available almost round the year at retail level. The cultivation of these vegetables had once been only seasonal, stakeholders say.

Other winter vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage are also available for a longer period in recent years, thanks to farmers’ interests to grow hybrid vegetables of early yield varieties to have more margins.

Agriculture ministry officials say hybrid seeds cultivation at an enhanced rate has raised the production of vegetables to 29.17 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2007-08 from 16.87 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2005-06.

“It’s an achievement that has become possible mainly because of hybridisation,” said Anwar Faruque, director general of Seed Wing at the Ministry of Agriculture.

“The off-season vegetables reward farmers a higher price. For consumers, it’s an opportunity to taste vegetables without waiting for the season,” he said.

Vegetables seeds, mainly hybrid, now meet almost 40 percent of the annual demand of over 2,600 tonnes with various imported and locally innovated hybrid varieties capable of growing in off-season.

“Once most vegetables seeds had been meant for one season. But we have developed several seed varieties that can grow beyond season,” said Mahbub Anam, managing director of Lal Teer Seed, the market leader in the hybrid vegetables seed segment.

He said the hybrid vegetables seeds market now grows about 15 percent a year as it offers farmers higher yield, faster growth and better price.

“There is a good demand for a number of vegetables seeds,” Anam said, citing bottle gourd, okra, bitter gourd, radish and cucumber. “Apart from this, demand for eggplant, tomato, cabbage and cauliflower is also high.”

“In the past, farmers were not aware of vegetables economics and they were dependant on rice. Now they have realised about making more profits from vegetables cultivations,” said Anam.

Increased plantation and sales of hybrid seeds, as a result of marketing strategies of seed companies, have also led to a gradual decline in the cultivation of traditional vegetables.

“This is because farmers can get high yield by using hybrid seeds which can also be planted under different weather conditions,” said Sudhir Chandra Nath, programme manager of the agro-marketing division of Brac, which also produces and markets hybrid seeds.

Meanwhile, the Seed Wing top official at the agriculture ministry points his finger at the different taste of the off-season vegetables.

“You may not get the same taste of a winter vegetables as you taste by consuming that during summer.”

sohel@thedailystar.net

A Sylhet industrial hub can boost economy

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A Sylhet industrial hub can boost economy
Visiting UK business team suggests
Unb, Dhaka

The visiting UK business delegation has suggested that the government set up an industrial hub in Sylhet for strengthening Bangladesh’s economy.

The Bangladesh British Chamber of Commerce team met Industries Minister Dilip Barua at his office yesterday.

The minister called upon the British investors and Bangladeshi expatriates in UK to invest in Bangladesh’s potential sectors such as shipbuilding, textiles, leather goods, food processing and real estate.

“We can ensure that all facilities will be provided to the British investors,” he said while exchanging views with a UK business delegation.

The delegation, who arrived here in search of business and investment prospects, called on the minister at his office yesterday.

Referring to the business agreement between Bangladesh and UK signed in 1980, the minister said UK companies can invest in the aforesaid sectors availing of generous facilities offered to foreign investors.

“The government is very much serious about the foreign investors and we will try our level best to ensure security for the foreign investors and their capital in Bangladesh. The UK companies can invest as Bangladesh might be the best location for future production due to very low cost and availability of labour”, he said.

Referring to the country’s emerging and potential ship building sector, Dilip Barua said many countries, including Germany, Sweden and Norway, shown their interest to invest their capital in shipbuilding sector.

Five-star hotel in the making in Ctg

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Five-star hotel in the making in Ctg
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

AK Khan and Company has started construction of a five-star hotel in Chittagong at a cost of nearly Tk 300 crore.

Chairman of the company AK Shamshuddin Khan yesterday laid the foundation stone of International Niketan Hotel at Batali Hills in the port city.

Owners expect the hotel to be opened partially before the ICC World Cup 2011 will provide services to the cricket players and other visitors.

Khan said Chittagong with its natural beauty, the largest seaport and increasing business prospects has become a favourable choice for businesspeople and tourists, both from home and abroad.

He said the hotel with all international amenities would provide resort atmosphere and services to the businesspeople and tourists.

Managing Director of the company Salahuddin Kashem Khan said the aim of the project is to positively change the image of the port city.

Mentioning the two group-stage matches of the ICC 2011 World Cup Cricket in Chittagong, he hoped to complete some segments of the project by the time the world cup cricket comes to Bangladesh.

Earlier, Zia Uddin Khan, deputy managing director of the company and the project director of the hotel, presented different aspects of the hotel and historical and cultural background of Chittagong.

Officials said the eco-sustainable hotel on two hilltops would follow sustainable development system to preserve natural landscape and beauty.

Danish study finds shipbuilding 15pc cheaper in Bangladesh

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Danish study finds shipbuilding 15pc cheaper in Bangladesh

FE Report

The cost of building an ocean-going ship in Bangladesh is around 15 per cent less than in any other competitor countries, thanks to the cheap labour here, a study of the Danish Embassy said Monday.

Though the low labour costs cannot stand alone to lower the manufacturing costs, the study said the country might not compete with the countries like China, South Korea, India, Vietnam etc already dominating the secondary chain-supply industry.

According to the Danish study, the existing average labour wage per hour in Bangladesh is around US dollar 1.5, compared to $ 3.0 in a Chinese shipyard, $ 8 in South Korea, $ 16 in Italy and $ 18 in the US.

Bangladesh can supply only 10 per cent of the components required for building an exportable ship, but its support to the domestic inland and coastal vessel manufacturing is around 40 per cent, most of which is believed to be coming from small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Though the cost of labour in shipbuilding is typically around 20-30 per cent of the total ship manufacturing costs, the study says the value of the local items could easily be raised to 70 per cent.

The productivity rate of Bangladesh is 1.0 with the estimated relative labour rate at 0.5 while the ratio stands at 1: 1.2 in India, 1:1.5 in China, and 6:4 in South Korea.

The Danish Embassy prepared the study on Bangladesh Shipbuilding Sector: Challenges and Business Opportunities prior to the visit of a high profile Danish business delegation, mostly from their shipbuilding industry, to find out joint venture business opportunities in Bangladesh.

The delegation, which arrived here Sunday, met Bangladeshi businesspeople at a meeting, titled “Denmark-Bangladesh Match-making event” Monday.

The study praised the contribution of the private sector to the sale of international oceangoing ships, which fetched half a million US dollars. It said four shipyard companies have already earned the full capacity of building ships of international standard.

Of the 200 shipyards, the study put Ananda Shipyard, Western Marine, Khulna Shipyard, and Karnaphuly Shipyard in the A category. Besides, Highspeed Shipbuilding and Engineering, Dhaka Dockyard, Narayanganj Engineering, Dockyard and Engineering, Chittagong Dry Dock and Fishers Shipyard have all been placed in the B category, which means these will be ready for constructing oceangoing ships in a year or two.

The study putting other shipyard companies in C and D categories said the country has the potential to develop 18 backward linkage industries, which include ship out-fittings, safety accessories, marine lighting, maritime signs, symbols and posters, piston rings, switch gear, furniture, marine cables, anchor and chain, electrical and electronic items, and shipbuilding steel plate.

While inaugurating the event at a city hotel, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan made a clarion call to the investors to take into account the country’s labour class and environment to make the investment fruitful.

He also called upon them to find more and more investment avenues including dredging and said the government has already taken necessary steps to create an investment environment for creating job opportunities for the poor segment of the population.

Danish Ambassdor Einar H Jensen, who led the country’s ship building sector revival by making international standard sea vessels, said Bangladesh’s ocean going ships are now doing well.

He said under the Business2Bussiness programme, 70 Danish companies have joint ventures with Bangladesh, mostly in information and technology.

The function, moderated by the president of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute Farooq Sobhan, was also addressed by Capt ATM Kamal from the local ship

Govt to examine special EPZ for shipbuilding: Faruk

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Govt to examine special EPZ for shipbuilding: Faruk
Star Business Report

The government will examine the possibility of setting up a separate export processing zone (EPZ) for shipbuilding sector of the country, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan said yesterday.

He also said Denmark will invest a huge amount in the shipbuilding sector of Bangladesh in the months to come.

The minister was speaking at a function styled Denmark Bangladesh Matchmaking Event at Westin Dhaka.

A 21-member Danish business delegation within the shipbuilding and fisheries sectors is in the city now to look for local partners and investment potential. Danish embassy has organised the function and the trip for November 8-15.

The minister said the government will also consider tax holiday facility for the potential sector.

He said if the Danish companies invest in the backward linkages of shipbuilding, the sector will be able to save the same amount of money by reducing import of shipping machinery and equipment.

Khan also called upon the delegation members to be careful about environmental and labour issues if they operate business in the country.

He urged the Danish businesspeople to invest in dredging sector also, as presently the country requires many dredgers to maintain its rivers’ navigability.

Danish Ambassador Einar Hebogaard Jensen said investing in Bangladesh has different advantages including cheap labour.

Investment cost is 50 percent lower in Bangladesh compared to other countries in the region including Vietnam, he added.

He also told the function that the first ship exported from Bangladesh to Denmark, Stella Maris, is now plying smoothly there.

Bangladesh Enterprise Institute President Farooq Sobhan and President of Bangladesh Shipbuilders’ Association Mahmudur Rahman also spoke at the function.

UK investments sought in fields of energy, gas, infrastructure

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UK investments sought in fields of energy, gas, infrastructure
FE Report

The country’s apex trade body urged Monday the visiting delegation of the British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce (BBCC) to invest in areas of energy, gas and infrastructure development.

“We need investment in energy, gas and infrastructure development to help the country attain the middle-income status by 2021,” said Annisul Huq, president of the Federation of Bangladesh

Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).

The visiting delegation and FBCCI leaders were exchanging views at the FBCCI office in the city.

The FBCCI chief urged the British businesspeople to set up modern catering and packaging facilities and offer air-cargo service for Bangladeshi products being exported to Britain.

“The demand for catering facilities is rising in the country,” he added.

The FBCCI president said the global recession could not affect Bangladesh economy. “Even Bangladesh can achieve the targeted growth rate this fiscal.”

The FBCCI president said: “You can also invest in transport and other sectors to improve the city’s nagging traffic situation.”

Non-resident British entrepreneurs could work with partners here utilising the vast natural resources and the skilled and semi-skilled workforce available in the country.

On the other hand, the visiting team expressed their interest in the shipbuilding and real estate sectors.

Shahagir Bakth Faruk, president of the BBCC leading the team, said: “Our team members are now interested to invest in shipbuilding and real estate sectors.”

Mr. Shahagir Bakth said Bangladesh is now moving forward with a group of people attaining the capacity to spend on up-market goods.

“The change now taking place in Bangladesh is really significant and inspiring us to explore the investment opportunities.”

Bakth assured that they would consider the proposals of setting up catering facilities and offering cargo service between Dhaka and London.

The meeting also discussed regular exchange of business delegations from both sides.

Kevin Ringham, director of Trade and Investment of the British High Commission, also addressed the meeting.

FBCCI directors M A Rouf Chowdhury, Abdul Matlub Ahmad Obaidur Rahman and Managing Partner of Asian Tiger Ifty Islam also spoke at the function.

NRBs urged to invest in energy, infrastructure sectors

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NRBs urged to invest in energy, infrastructure sectors
STAFF REPORTER

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has assured a visiting delegation from Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce (BBCC) of considering raising the reserved quota for non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) when a company issues primary shares.
Presently, 10 per cent shares of an IPO (initial public offering) are reserved for the NRBs.

“We’ll consider raising the reserved quota if there is a demand,” the Finance Minister said yesterday, in the face of demand by the delegation at a meeting at the Finance Ministry. BBCC chairman Shahagir Bakht Faruk led the delegation.

In response to a query by the delegation, he apprised them of the most liberal investment regime in Bangladesh and informed that the government was also considering giving a separate incentive package for the shipbuilding industry. “The package will be announced soon.”

Muhith also invited the chamber leaders to consider investment in the country’s energy and power sector, transportation like road, rail and waterways, infrastructure, hotels, hospitals and tourism sectors. “The scope for investment in energy and power sector is limitless,” said the Finance Minister, adding that the government had decided to let the private sector develop the infrastructure.

The BBCC delegation recommended that the government set up a Spice Board in the country to ensure quality and certification of the spice products from Bangladesh and facilitate export to the United Kingdom.

“Indian exporters are taking advantage of the lack of the facility,” said a delegation member, adding that the Indians are exporting Bangladeshi spice with Indian brand name.

Investing in people key to success

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Invest in people
Says the Swisscontact chief in an interview with
Md Hasan

Bangladesh should pursue strategies followed by other countries in utilising human resources to become a mid-income country by 2016, says the president of Swisscontact.

In a recent interview with The Daily Star, Peter Grüschow says government policy support to the private sector, along with human resource development, is key to reaching the goal.

“Bangladeshis are resilient and receptive to business opportunities. But a lack of proper information among entrepreneurs remains a hurdle.”

A business friendly environment and policy incentives help people become more informed about what to do for better business, Grüschow says.

“A supportive and stable political system is very important for the development of any country.” In other countries, governments invest in developing human resources by first introducing proper education and policies.

Swisscontact is a Zurich-based organisation founded in 1959 by members of the Swiss private sector and academia for sustainable development cooperation.

The organisation aims to contribute to poverty alleviation by promoting economic and social development in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.

In Bangladesh, Swisscontact has been active since the 1980s and after a hiatus in the 1990s, it has been implementing Katalyst, a market development project funded by governments from Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK. Starting in October 2002, Katalyst is a project under the commerce ministry and GTZ-International Services is Swisscontact’s co-implementer.

Grüschow says Bangladesh has prospect of becoming a mid-income country in about seven years.

“It is a real challenge. But hope is a very powerful driver. I believe it is possible. He says large human resource capital is present in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s private sector is contributing well to economic development. But the ‘informal nature’ of the private sector entrepreneurs remains a crucial issue.

“A lack of information is one of the major reasons behind why Bangladesh’s private sector does not perform in line with how it should,” Grüschow says.

Businesses do not like to register because of a lack of adequate incentives and they are not fully aware of the benefits of doing business under a legal framework.

A lack of skills development for the labour force is another problem here along with infrastructure development.

“And of course, at the heart of all these issues is entrepreneurship development by providing proper policy support,” he says.

However, he says, Bangladesh could be a prime example for other countries for its rapid private sector development in the last few years.

Citing an example, he says the private sector led revolution in mobile telephony is now playing a vital role in economic development.

“Bangladesh is a very important country for us, as we have many projects here and have much more to do,” Grüschow says.

Grüschow, who worked for 40 years in German-based telecom giant Siemens before joining Swisscontact, said Swisscontact is keen to build its current portfolio and work in the long run in Bangladesh with development partners, including the government and the private sector.

He said he found the Bangladeshi government willing to work for poverty alleviation.

In line with the government’s priorities, Swisscontact is working here to further the development goals. “We want to contribute towards unleashing the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to create opportunities for the poor. Sustainable economic development and inclusive growth are what we want to contribute to Bangladesh.”

In addition to Katalyst, Swisscontact is engaged in different projects in Bangladesh. Slum dwellers’ livelihood development, skills development and social compliance among others are the major projects conducted by Swisscontact. Climate change and gender issues are firmly embedded in Swisscontact projects.

Grüschow says Swisscontact is planning to implement more meaningful projects in the areas of skills development, climate change and governance.

Referring to his visits to some parts of Bangladesh in the north and south, Grüschow says Bangladeshis are enterprising, which is crucial to alleviating poverty.

He says climate change is a crucial issue for Bangladesh now. The government has a role to educate the populace about the prospects and effects of climate change and ways to mitigate and adapt the risks. Furthermore, donor agencies, the private sector and civil society, have their roles in helping Bangladesh address this all too important issue.

hasan@dailystar.net

Local milk powder churns high

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Local milk powder churns high

Sohel Parvez

The dairy industry is set for a boom as another processor Pran moves to produce milk powder with a promise to purchase fresh milk from farmers round the year without curtailing procurement even during peak production season.

Pran will be the third in making powdered milk from locally produced liquid milk after Bangladesh Milk Producers’ Cooperatives Union Ltd (BMPCUL) and Brac.

Operators said the entry of Pran would enhance the overall powdered milk producing capacity of the three processors from about 21,000 tonnes a year to about 26,000 tonnes. The targeted quantity will be at least three-fourth of the total annual imports of powdered milk that costs around Tk 700 crore.

Pran now processes liquid milk and has already set up a powdered milk producing plant with an annual production capacity of around 4,800 tonnes. The total cost of the project is estimated at nearly Tk 20 crore, said Kamruzzaman Kamal, director in charge of marketing of Pran-RFL Group.

Industry stakeholders said Pran’s new venture would be helpful for dairy farmers as they will not be forced to sell their produce at lower price due to excess supply of milk during the peak production season — mainly from January to June.

The new plant will help Pran buy more fresh milk from the farmers during the peak season to produce powdered milk.

“We also want to ensure uninterrupted purchase of milk all the time from the farmers without capping supply during peak season,” Kamal said.

Insiders said such purchase will also help Pran process liquid milk in a big quantity during lean season when production slumps by nearly 30 percent.

But availability of fresh milk throughout the year at a price encouraging enough for processors to compete with imported milk powder remains as a concern, the insiders said.

Despite a steady rise in production in the recent years, price of fresh milk remains high because of a low yield and high feed cost.

The situation hurts the competitive edge of the processors who need to spend more than Tk 300 to make a kilogramme of milk powder now.

But the current price of imported milk powder is Tk 225-Tk 240 a kg, Kamal said.

“It will be difficult to compete with imported powdered milk,” he said.

Mohammad Ali, general manager of Brac Dairy and Food Project, said the amount of powdered milk import is only about 15 percent of the total annual production in Bangladesh.

“We can bring down the imports to zero level within the next two-three years if the government offers tariff protection,” said Ali of Brac Dairy, which processes and markets Aarong brand liquid and powdered milk.

Brac, the second biggest processor, has a capacity to produce more than 2,000 tonnes of milk powder a year. The biggest processor, BMPCUL, which markets Milk Vita brand, has a capacity of producing over 19,000 tonnes, officials said.

Brac collects around 100,000 litres of fresh milk from the farmers in 26 districts per day and now uses half of its capacity. The social business venture now sells around 30 tonnes of milk powder per month, Ali said.

“We can increase our production and expand capacity further if government policy support is available,” said Ali.

sohel@thedailystar.net

Dhaka, Thimphu agree on energy cooperation

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Dhaka, Thimphu agree on energy cooperation
Focus on land connectivity, trade
Unb, Dhaka

Bangladesh and Bhutan have agreed to explore the possibility of cooperation in energy sector under Saarc regional collaboration.

The agreement came in the wake of growing demand for energy in Bangladesh and Bhutan’s high potential for production of hydroelectricity, according to a joint press release issued yesterday from Dhaka and Thimphu at the end of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Bhutan.

Both sides agreed to explore the possibility of land connectivity between the two next-door neighbours under the aegis of Saarc transport connectivity to promote intra-regional trade and travel.

Dhaka and Thimphu also agreed to work together in promoting regional tourism recognising the potential of developing tourism packages, offering visits to the Himalayan mountains in Bhutan and with the golden sandy beaches of Cox’s Bazar and the world’s largest mangrove forest of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh.

Responding positively to Bhutanese request, Hasina agreed to raise the yearly reserved seats for Bhutanese students for MBBS courses in Bangladesh’s government medical colleges under Saarc quota.

During the visit, Dhaka and Thimphu signed a trade agreement. The joint release said the trade between the two countries has been steadily increasing over the years and making significant differences to the income of farmers in Bhutan and industries of Bangladesh.

Bhutan has waived all duties on imports from Bangladesh. Hasina has announced that Bangladesh will reduce tariff on 18 commodities imported from Bhutan from the existing rate of 15 percent to zero percent.

The trade agreement would also pave the way for cooperation in other sectors in the future.

Recognising that the full potential of the friendly relations between Bangladesh and Bhutan could not be tapped yet, the leaders of the two countries hoped that Bangladesh PM’s visit, which would remain as a milestone in the Bangladesh and Bhutan relationship, would usher in a new era of cooperation.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh premier returned home yesterday afternoon. She arrived at 1:10pm by Druk Airlines. Earlier, the Bhutanese prime minister and his spouse saw her off at Paro International Airport.

Dhaka takes maritime dispute with Delhi to UN

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/nov/10/front.html#2

Dhaka takes maritime dispute with Delhi to UN
Shahidul Islam Chowdhury

Bangladesh has registered its objection with the United Nations to India’s claim over certain areas in the Bay of Bengal three months after a similar opposition lodged against Myanmar’s claim over sea waters.

‘We have submitted our objection to the maritime commission of the UN on October 29,’ Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the UN, MA Momen told New Age over telephone Monday evening.

India submitted its claim on maritime boundary to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in May 2009, one month ahead of its deadline.

Bangladesh earlier lodged its objection with the CLCS, a UN body to deal with the law of the seas, in July this year against Myanmar’s claim on the sea waters.

Bangladesh and Myanmar sent warships 50 km down Saint Martin’s Island in November last year as the latter allowed a Korean gas exploration company to send survey team and equipment in the Bangladesh waters.

Dhaka has disputes over territorial waters in the Bay with both New Delhi and Yangon in two areas—that of natural prolongation of the continental shelf and the baseline.

India argues that the course of the natural prolongation of continental shelf is from east to west while Bangladesh says it is from north to south.

Bangladesh and India have some overlapping claims on baselines.

According to the United Nations Convention on Law of the Seas, Bangladesh must demarcate its sea boundaries by July 27, 2011, India by June 29, 2009 and Myanmar May 21, 2009.

The three countries are signatories to the UNCLOS.

As per the UN provision, claims submitted by any country would not be taken for final consideration before settling the objection raised by a neighbouring country which might have overlapping claims.

Dhaka opted to go for negotiations as India and Myanmar recently opposed Bangladesh’s offshore block biddings for exploration of oil and gas even within its own territorial waters as Dhaka did not have an internationally accepted exclusive economic zone.

Bangladesh has problems with India and Myanmar on the issue of ‘starting point’ on how to mark the coastlines from the exclusive economic zone that has apparently overlapped claims of the three neighbouring countries due to the funnel-like shape of the Bay of Bengal.

A country is supposed to enjoy its rights to fish and extract and explore other marine resources in its exclusive economic zone, an area of 200 nautical miles into an adjacent sea, according to international maritime law.

BTSS to produce low-cost phone-mobile sets, laptops

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/09/news0007.htm

BTSS to produce low-cost phone-mobile sets, laptops

Rafiqul Islam Azad

The government has decided to produce low-cost land phone and mobile phone sets, laptop and different telephone tools and machinery in the country.

Under the imitative, Bangladesh Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (BTSS) has already floated an international tender to procure necessary technology and equipment from abroad, according to sources in the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.

The state-run company would be the first in Bangladesh to manufacture and market cellular phones early next year and in the process reduce dependence on import in the fast growing telecom sector, a well placed official source said. He said the BTSS mobile phone was expected to be available in the market by February next.

“The price range of the hand-sets will be between Tk 1,500 and Tk 10,000, depending on their options and features,” said the official.

According to the official a tender in this regard has been floated on November 1 and tender documents will be scrutinised on November 15, the source said.

With the implementation of the project, huge foreign exchange will be saved and employment opportunity will be created, he said.

The BTSS would be able to produce modern land phone and mobile phone sets, laptop and different telephone accessories adding more technologies and equipment with the existing one as “There is trained manpower and necessary infrastructure with the BTSS,” the official said.

Earlier, following a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication, Hasanul Haque Inu, chairman of the committee told journalists that the government is also planning to produce low-cost laptop at the BTSS factory in Tongi.

He said the government would try to reduce technological discrimination by providing tele-equipment to the people at affordable prices in line with the government’s Vision 2021 for Digital Bangladesh.

The production of the BTSS was stopped following change over of Ershad government due to mismanagements, lack of planning, indecision and corruption. Earlier, it produced different telecommunication machinery including telephone set, EMD switching, DP, pole, cabinet and joint materials.

Record shows that since establishment the BTSS supplied about 3,00,000 EMD switching, 5,00,000 telephone sets, 655 trunk exchanges, 403 analogue PABX, 7 digital exchanges, installed mobile exchange for important institutions in public and private sectors.

TigerIT ranks first in US competition

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TigerIT ranks first in US competition
Star Business Report

TigerIT Bangladesh Ltd, a local IT firm, ranked first in the minutiae interoperability exchange test by US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The purpose of the Minutiae Interoperability Exchange Test (MINEX) is to determine the feasibility of using minutiae data as an interchange medium for fingerprint information between different fingerprint matching systems.

This is recognition for Bangladesh for developing identity (ID) management, which may help local IT companies to get works from the global market, said Ziaur Rahman, chairman and chief executive officer of TigerIT Bangladesh.

“This recognition means we are the best in some sectors, such as making national ID cards and machine readable passports,” he said.

MINEX is designed to evaluate whether various populations and combinations of encoding schemes, probe templates, gallery templates and fingerprint matchers will produce successful matches.

The recently published NIST test results revealed that a combination of the Tiger’s AFIS (automated fingerprint identification system) enrolment template generator and the matcher showed false non-match rate of 0.06 percent at a fixed false match rate of 0.01 for two fingers.

It outperformed Japanese NEC’s 0.08 percent, US-based Cogent’s 0.11 percent and France’s Sagem 0.12 percent.

TigerIT was earlier ranked second by NIST for developing an automated fingerprint identification system with high accuracy.

Mineral export can fetch Tk 12,000cr: experts

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/nov/09/busi.html#8

Mineral export can fetch Tk 12,000cr: experts
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Cox’s Bazar

Bangladesh has deposits of at least 1.74 million tonnes of minerals worth over Tk 12,000 crore in the beach sand of vast areas stretching from Najirtek of Cox’s Bazar Sadar to Teknaf, experts said.

‘The total amount of mineral deposits in the beach sand is estimated to be 4.4 million tonnes. The actual heavily rich minerals are around 1.75 million tonnes,’ said former chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Anwar Hossain.

He said the price of the mineral deposit could be realized through exports which have high demand in the global market.

The valuable mineral sands mostly zircon, ilmenite, magnetite, garnet and rutile could be extracted on a commercial basis from the vast areas stretching from Najirartek of Cox’s Bazar sadar to Teknaf, he said.

The Australian government has evinced keen interest to invest in the sector as newly appointed Australian ambassador to Bangladesh Justin Lee conveyed his government’s willingness to state minister of forest and environment of Bangladesh Hassan Mahmud.

Taking the Australian government’s zeal in this regard, the ministry of power and energy of Bangladesh already formed a nine-member committee headed by a joint secretary of the ministry to see the matter. Joint secretary Ashraf Ali Khan is the convener of the committee.

Ashraf Ali told the agency that an Australian company named Premier Minerals had offered an initial investment of Tk 400 crore for extracting zircon, an expensive mineral resource. But, he said the government is trying to pursue the Australian company for six resource items.

The company would place a report before the government and it will give necessary permission to extract the mineral resources, he said adding that the government will consider it on the basis of the report. The committee convenor said they would bargain with the company about price fixing.

In an initial survey, Ashraf said it was found that each ton zircon is worth about Tk 60,000 and others on an average Tk 6,000.

The mineral resources were first found in Cox’s Bazar in 1960s and later Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission started diverse researches.

During early 1970s, a study conducted by the Australian government suggested the Bangladesh government set up a pilot plant in Bangladesh.

Probable extraction saw some development as a pilot plant with the support of the Australian government was set up in Cox’s Bazar in 1975 for segregation of mineral resources from sea beach.

BAEC scientists recommended the government set up another plant on a commercial basis but no progress was made so far.

Talking to the agency, scientific officer M Moshruzzaman of Sea Beach Extraction Centre in Cox’s Bazar said the mineral resources are now being extracted on an experimental basis and these resources are being sold too on a small scale as per the demand of various organisations in Bangladesh.

Locals expressed their opinions in favour of extraction of the valuable mineral resources saying that a number of new industries would be set up in the sea-resource areas generating jobs if the government take any step to extract the resources on a commercial basis.

On the contrary, the department of environment of the ministry of forest and environment termed the anticipated extraction of mineral sands as not environment-friendly and said it might jeopardise the environment.

But, said the DoE sources, there is still hope that the rich mineral resources would be extracted keeping the environment safe and secure.