Rubber industry gets a lift

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/apr/06/busi.html#1

Rubber industry gets a lift
Entrepreneurs want more supports to help cut imports
Shakhawat Hossain

A local entrepreneur is producing liquid rubber and marketing the item in a remarkable feat giving a lift to the country’s five decades old rubber industry.

The Chokoria based HR latex successfully developed 60 grade rubber, popularly known as liquid rubber after an effort of four years overcoming odds including the financial problems.

The production of liquid rubber- an intermediate material used to make costly products like divers outfits, surgical gloves, automobile parts, condoms, swimming caps, high quality elastic and water and oil seals- lifts the local rubbers businessmen position from a mere rubber-sheet makers, added the experts.

Local rubber developers led by state owned Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Cooperation used to produce rubber-sheet, a low-end product mainly used for footwear.

Before the commercial marketing of the home grown liquid rubber by HR Latex until last year the country used to depend fully on import to meet the annual demand of liquid rubber amounting to about 14,000 tonnes.

Presently, HR Latex supplies 2000 tonnes and helps the country to save foreign currency worth at least Tk 200 crore by substituting the import of the item, said vice president of the rubber garden association Motaher Billah. The market price of per kg liquid rubber is Tk 150.

HR Latex had to work hard to develop the formula as liquid rubber producers in the countries like Thailand and Malaysia are very conservative in technology transfer, he said.

It is not only in the rubber industry but also in other technology oriented industries that technology transfer is restricted. Even HR Latex also maintains secrecy about its formula, he added.

The commercial production of liquid rubber, however, was not started until last year as the company failed to import machinery to set up the factory due to fund crisis.

A Swedish company offered financial assistance as HR Latex did not look back.

It sets up a factory at a cost of several crores of taka and produces the item for the first time in the country, said S.M. Haroon-ur-Rashid, owner of the HR latex.

‘Our liquid rubber is 98 per cent perfect compared to imported liquid rubber,’ he said.

At present the HR Latex that nurses 12 rubber gardens on 300 acres of land in Chokoria, some 25 kilometres away from Cox’s Bazaar can produce one seventh of the country’s demand.

Rashid said he has an aim to substitute the entire liquid rubber import by next five years providing the fact that the government offers encouragements to this sector.

The encouragement includes action against the adulteration of the liquid rubber to sell it at low price and cheat the customers.

Besides, arrangement of bank loan at low interest rate to the rubber gardeners will help the local rubber industry develop further, he said.

His company is progressing fast as two export oriented footwear factory in Savar Export Processing Zone are procuring the HR latex’s liquid rubber while Bata Shoe Company expressed interest in signing a contract, he added.

IBBL holds leading position in private sector banking

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IBBL holds leading position in private sector banking
Economic Reporter

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) has been able to hold the leading position in deposit, investment and handling foreign exchange business in private sector banking.

The total Deposit reached Tk.20,651 crore on March 31, 2009; showing the growth rate of 19 per cent against the same period of the last year. The total Investment reached Tk.20,200 crore showing the growth rate of 15 per cent against the same period of the last year. The Bank handles foreign exchange business amounting to Tk.10,533 crore including imported of Tk. 3,504 crore, exported of Tk.2,571 crore and collected remittance of Tk 4,458 crore. Islami Bank has kept its supremacy also in this sector.

The information was disclosed in a Performance Review Meeting of the top executives of Head office and Zonal heads of the Bank on April 4 at the Board Room of Islami Bank Tower. Prof. Abu Nasser Muhammad Abduz Zaher, Chairman, Board of Directors of the Bank was present at the meeting as the chief guest while Mominul Islam Patwary, Chairman, Executive Committee of the Bank was present as special guest. Presided over by M. Fariduddin Ahmad, Managing Director of the Bank, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Mohd Shamsul Haque, Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Md. Habibur Rahman and Md. Setaur Rahman, Deputy Managing Directors, Zonal Heads and top executives of the Head Office of the Bank, says a press release.

The meeting disclosed that IBBL has been discharging banking service through its own largest online network across the country. 111 branches out of 196 branches and 10 SME Service centres have already been brought under online service. The Bank has been providing modern banking service through ATM, Spot Cash, SMS Banking, e-IBS, SWIFT, Locker service and payment of utility bills. The Bank has taken initiative to enhance ATM service by setting up 200 more own ATM booths side by side existing 26 ATM booths.

Bashundhara to set up oil refinery

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/04/05/63066.html

Bashundhara to set up oil refinery

Bashundhara Group, a leading business conglomerate of the country, has undertaken a project to establish a oil refinery in the country, says a press release.

Chairman of the Group Ahmed Akbar said the country would need not to import crude oil after the establishment of the refinery, having a refining capacity of 3.7 million tonnes of crude oil a year.

It will help the country save foreign exchange worth Tk 25 billion annually.

The group also thinking of building a seaport to facilitate smooth export and import related activities. It will start work on the project once the government endorses it, added Akbar.

Bashundhara Group is working on the new ventures to offset the negative image of the group arising out of the recent devastating fire that damaged four floors of Bashundhara City, country’s largest shopping mall owned by the group.

Seoul set to extend manpower export agreement with Dhaka

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/04/05/63113.html

Seoul set to extend manpower export agreement with Dhaka

A Z M Anas

Bangladesh is set to renew this week a manpower-export deal with South Korea as the East Asian industrial giant scours low-wage labours to keep its factories humming, officials said Saturday.

Dhaka signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Seoul in 2007, allowing it to send nearly 2000 Bangladeshi workers to the world’s 11th largest economy through official channel.

The two-year accord expires this June and officials said South Korea is interested to renew it, as its factories are struggling to stay afloat amid the worst global recession in decades.

“It offers us a ray of hope, especially at a time when the demand for Bangladeshi workers has slumped in traditional markets,” Amirul Islam, a general manger of BOESEL, said.

He said, Seoul has already sent a proposal to extend the man-power deal for another two years. “This is a proof that South Korea needs more workers for its factories, even though the country is hit by global recession.”

He noted that nearly 8000 workers would find jobs in South Korea by June.

The good tidings come as overseas jobs for Bangladeshis plunged by 38 per cent in the first quarter of the 2009, signaling a steep decline in remittance in the coming months.

More than 875,000 Bangladeshi found jobs abroad last year, mainly in the oil-rich Middle East nations and South East Asia, but officials said that figure might halve due to the global meltdown.

Officials said already manpower exports to South Korea hit bumps as the East-Asian nation recruited only 20 workers in March.

But officials are hopeful that recruitment is set to pick up in the coming months as the Korean government has backed the move to hire more manpower from Bangladesh.

Seoul opened its job market to Bangladeshi job-seekers in 1994, employing more than 1500 workers through private recruiters to work in its booming manufacturing sector.

Last year, Bangladesh Overseas Employment Services Ltd (BOESEL), the official agency responsible for overseas job, sent around 1800 Bangladeshi workers to South Korea.

But that number came down to more than one-third in 1997 when the nearly trillion dollar economy was hit by the Asian financial crisis and was bailed out by US$40 billion IMF assistance.

So far, the country has signed memorandum of understandings (MoUs) with seven countries to speed up workers’ hiring by foreign companies and combat irregular migration.

Under the accord, South Korea is supposed to recruit 50,000 skilled manpower in different phases from 14 countries including Bangladesh to plug the labor force shortfall in its industrial sector.

The deal protects the rights of Bangladeshi workers in South Korea, where an estimated 19,000 Bangladeshis are employed legally and another 100,000 work without any permits.

Bangladesh’s 6.3 million-plus overseas workers and millions other who live abroad sent home US$9 billion in remittances last year, propping up the balance of payment and boosting foreign exchange reserves.

Bangladesh to be made ceramic hub, says Dilip

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Bangladesh to be made ceramic hub, says Dilip
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka

Industries minister Dilip Barua Thursday said Bangladesh would be made the hub of ceramic goods production in the world.

‘The government would extend all sorts of cooperation to flourish the potentials ceramic industries in the country,’ he said.

The minister said this when leaders of Bangladesh Ceramic Ware Manufacturers Association (BCWMA) called on him at his office here on Thursday, an official handout said.

The industries minister advised the BCWMA leaders to produce quality ceramic products utilising low labour cost and export those to the developed countries by using the opportunity of world economic meltdown.

The leaders highlighted the contributions of ceramic industries to the national economy as well as employment generation. If the government extends its help, the country’s ceramic industry could capture world’s top place within shortest possible time by producing quality ceramic products, the leaders said.

During the meeting, they also drew attention of the minister for providing easy utility services like electricity, gas and better communication for the growth of ceramic industries in the country.

The leaders said Bangladeshi ceramic products have a great demand in the developed countries including neighbouring India.

The association leaders also urged the minister to issue health certificate from BSTI to help enter Bangladeshi ceramic products to European markets.

Dilip Barua said the government has given top priority to the growth of local industries for achieving economic prosperity and creation of job opportunities. In this connection, he said, ship building, ceramic, light engineering and small and medium enterprises are in the priority list of the government.

BSTI director general M Azmal Hossain, vice-president and BCWMA general secretary Iftekhar Uddin Farhad and Moinul Islam respectively were present on the occasion.

Indian company to invest $9.5m in KEPZ

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Indian company to invest $9.5m in KEPZ
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka

An Indian company named Geebee Garments Industries Limited will set up a garments manufacturing industry by investing 9.5 million US dollar in the Karnaphuli Export Processing Zone.

The fully foreign owned company will produce shirt, t- shirt, blouse, jackets, trousers and shorts and create employment opportunity for 2,278 Bangladeshi and 22 foreign nationals, a press release said.

An agreement was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and Geebee Garments Industries Limited in the BEPZA Complex here today.

Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA Prasanta Bhushan Barua and General Manager of Geebee Garments Industries Limited Shankaranarayanan Guruswami inked the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

Executive Chairman of BEPZA Brig Gen Jamil Ahmed Khan and other officials from the respective organizations were present on the occasion.

Wireless lab launched at BUET

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Wireless lab launched at BUET
Staff Reporter

A state of the art wireless communication laboratory became operational at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

The facility aiming to carry out training, research and development for telecoms engineers, was formally inaugurated by Prof Dr AMM Safiullah, Vice Chancellor of BUET recently at the seminar room of BUET Council Bhaban. The facility is entirely financed by Huawei Technologies, a world-leading telecom solutions provider, to ensure local talents pursue career in thriving telecom sector of Bang1adesh, says a press release.

Huawei provided modern wireless equipment worth around $3 million for creation of the lab under its corporate social responsibility programme. Earlier, in June, 2008 Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh) Ltd and the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at BUET signed an agreement in this regard.

The VC in his speech thanked Huawei for its support to build the lab which would be very helpful for the students. “We are honoured to partner with BUET”, said Wonder Wang, Deputy Chief Representative of Huawei Bangladesh.

Among others, Liu Sanzhen, Asif Zaman, Prof Dr Aminul Hoque, Dr Saty Prasad Majumdder, and Touhidul Hassan also spoke on the occasion.

Thailand to provide help for agri uplift

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Thailand to provide help for agri uplift

BANGKOK, Apr 2: Thailand will provide technical assistance to Bangladesh for agricultural development, especially for increasing production of rice, vegetable and livestock, sea fishing and food processing improvement, reports BSS.

The Thai Agriculture and Cooperative Minister Theera Wongsamut said this at a meeting with the visiting Bangladesh Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzak Tuesday.

Dr Razzak said that though Bangladesh achieved significant development in agriculture sector, there was much scope to further improve the sector.

He said it was possible to achieve further advancement in the agriculture sector through exchange of technology and programmes for training agro experts between the two countries.

The Thai Minister accepted his suggestion for signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Between Bangladesh and Thailand in this regard.

Dr Razzak also met with Food and Agriculture Minister of Pakistan Nazar Mohammad Godal. They discussed issues related to cooperation for agricultural development.
Dr Razzak is in Thailand to attend the 29th conference of UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for Asia and the Pacific, which began on March 26.

Brand furniture on strong footing

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/apr/02/busi.html#1

Brand furniture on strong footing

A Navana show room in city showcases the brand furniture. — New Age Photo

Staff Correspondent

Brand furniture has curved out a niche among the people as some manufacturers led by Otobi are holding more than 50 per cent of the country’s furniture market worth about Tk 1,500 crore.

Following the footsteps of Otobi, pioneer in establishing brand name in furniture, Navana, Partex and Hatil are following same type of strategy and have already established their brand names.

Besides, the state-owned Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation, and Akhtar and Legacy are the other major brand names in the local furniture market.

In all, there are 5,000 registered furniture houses in the country, according to the Bangladesh Furniture Association. Almost 99 per cent of them are categorised as non-brand operators.

Although these non-brand operators hold almost half of the market their share is diminishing day by day, thanks to aggressive marketing campaign by the branded companies.

‘Local consumers are feeling comfortable with the brand items’ Otobi chief executive officer Sabbir Hasan Nasir told New Age.

Starting in a tiny tin-shed factory in the city’s Topkhana area in mid 1970s with the annual turnover of only Tk 60,000 Otobi’s recent years’ turnover crossed Tk 500 crore.

‘We hold 70 per cent share in the branded segment,’ he said.

Establishing 13 show rooms in the capital and employing 300 dealers across the country in less than one decade Otobi has proved that organised marketing campaign was the secret of it success.

Sector experts, however, said the main reason behind the phenomenal rise of Otobi is to deliver attractive furniture through wood substitutes like particle, plastic and laminated boards.

China and Malaysia started manufacturing furniture through such wood substitutes in 1990s. Those products were brought in the local market by the importers.

Otobi was quick in action to conceive the idea of manufacturing furniture items by wood substitutes and became successful for its aggressive and coordinate marketing strategy.

‘There was no other option but to rely on wood substitute as price of timber skyrocketed worldwide,’ said the Otobi CEO who has been steering the company since 2005.

There is also wood scarcity as many countries including Bangladesh that imposed ban on tree felling, he added.

However, Otobi introduced its wood-based furniture in the last year to challenge the traditional players like Akthar, Hatil and Legacy whose main concentration is on wood-based furniture.

The inception of Navana Group in the country’s new generation furniture (wood substitute furniture) market occurred almost four years ago.

Having four show rooms in Dhaka and one in Chittagong, and more than 74 dealers across the country it is moving vary fast, said its assistant marketing manager Abu Saleh Arifuzzman.

Akthar, Hatil and Legacy which have strong holds in higher segment also started to produce furniture through wood substitutes to increase their market shares.

These higher segmented players have been joined by Partex Group since early 2000s. Partex gallery manager Arifin claimed that his company topped the solid wood based furniture sales in the country in 2008.

Dhaka seeks to build two 1,000MW plants

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Nuclear Power Talks With Moscow
Dhaka seeks to build two 1,000MW plants
M Abul Kalam Azad

The government is likely to submit a proposal to the visiting Russian delegation today for setting up of two 1,000MW nuclear power plants in the country.

Dhaka and Moscow also hope to reach an understanding regarding this today, the last day of the three-day talks with the two-member Russian delegation led by Vladimir Averkiev, head of international cooperation of Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation.

“We will discuss some important issues with the Russian delegation today, including estimated cost of a nuclear power unit,” said MM Neazuddin, joint secretary to the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technology.

Neazuddin is leading the Bangladesh side at the talks. Terming today’s meeting very crucial, he told The Daily Star that everything would be settled within the next few days.

With little hope for quick improvement of the existing severe power crisis, the government aims to sign primary agreements in this regard this month with Russia, which has shown enthusiasm to help Bangladesh with nuclear power technology.

France, China and South Korea have also shown interest in helping Bangladesh develop nuclear power plant while Bangladesh has bilateral agreements on nuclear cooperation with the United States, France and China.

Bangladesh and Russia kicked off the talks on an agreement for constructing nuclear power plants and peaceful use of nuclear energy. The Russian team, which arrived earlier this week, presented an overview of the Russian nuclear technology on Tuesday.

Yesterday’s talks focused on Bangladesh’s current energy situation. “We discussed the existing infrastructure, transmission capacity, manpower and possible sites for setting up nuclear power units,” said Neazuddin.

The science and ICT ministry will prepare a report on the talks and submit it to the prime minister.

A memorandum of understanding might be signed between the two sides if the negotiation succeeds, paving the way for reaching a final deal.

The Russian team also includes Nikolay Poznyakov, head of external affairs of Russian International Relations Department, who visited the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission in Savar yesterday afternoon.

Bangladesh has long been nursing a nuclear power plant site at Rooppur, feasibility studies for which certified the project as technically and economically viable. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) representatives, who visited the site in November 2008, also gave Bangladesh the go-ahead with the project.

The IAEA, which gave Bangladesh technical support, also suggested completing certain regulatory and safety tasks besides infrastructure development at Rooppur.

In line the 19-point suggestion of the IAEA, the government prepared a draft improving the existing nuclear law. Once the draft is finalised, it will be sent to Geneva for comments before being approved, said officials.

Earlier in 1980, Bangladesh’s National Economic Council approved the proposal for installation of the Rooppur nuclear power plant.

The project had been originally taken up in 1961.

In recent negotiations, Dhaka has sought assistance from South Korea in setting up nuclear plants in Bangladesh.

A total of 431 nuclear power plants operating worldwide at present provide about 16 percent of the global electricity.

ROK offers setting up nuclear plant

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ROK offers setting up nuclear plant
News Report

South Korea is willing to extend cooperation to Bangladesh in the improvement of energy sector that requires massive investment to meet growing demands.

South Korean Ambassador in Dhaka Suk-Bum Park expressed this view while talking to a group of journalists at his office in the city recently.

Park said that South Korea is particularly interested in energy development projects of Bangladesh like Rooppur nuclear power plant project, coal development and coal-based power plants construction.

During his recent meting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he briefed her about the expertise of the Korean companies in developing nuclear plants across the world.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government would take initiative to implement the Ruppur nuclear power plant and forge a regional cooperation with neighbouring countries to resolve the power crisis.

Park claimed after the USA, Russia, France and Japan, South Korea is the leader in constructing nuclear power plants in the world.

He informed the journalists that usually 8-10 years are required with an investment of one billion US dollars to set up a 1000-megawatt nuclear plant in a country.

He said that large-scale Korean investment has become uncertain because poor power situation in Bangladesh.

He laid emphasis on exploration of coal-based power generation in Bangladesh as the load-shedding in summer season seriously hampers industrial production.

He said some Korean conglomerates are interested in power sector, but a proposal to develop the coal mine at Dighipara to generate power of 1000 megawatt by using the extracted coal has been still pending since 2005.

He said South Korea also sent a proposal to Bangladesh to develop the nuclear energy to improve energy situation as ROK has a vast experience in this sector.

He said Korean companies are also interested in exploring offshore natural gas as he said Daewoo has successfully explored natural gas in the coastal areas of Myanmar.

Asked about the Korean EPZ in Chittagong, the Ambassador said though authorities issued the licence, lack of gas connection in the EPZ has delayed the  construction of infrastructures at KEPZ.

He said KEPZ will be a major industrial hub in South Asia and some 1,50,000 jobs are likely to be generated in the KEPZ with an annual turnover worth around US$ one billion.

Meanwhile, economic recession in South Korea is expected to affect new employment opportunities of Bangladeshi workers in the Asian giant country, said Park.

Last year some 1500 Bangladeshis got employment in South Korea after going through different examination procedures.

Sources said that Bangladesh has set a target of sending some 5,000 workers to Korea.

Nearly 500,000 foreign workers are employed in different sectors in Korea with half of them are Chinese.

South Korea recruits Bangladeshi workers under government agencies of both countries to minimize migration cost and stop cheating by unscrupulous manpower agencies here.

South Korea resumed recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in 2008 after successfully diplomatic negotiations between Dhaka and Seoul during tenure of the last caretaker government.

South Korea is one of the most lucrative working places where minimum wage is 900 US dollars in the industrial sector.

The bilateral trade between the two countries crossed over one billion US dollars in 2008 with Korea enjoying handsome trade surplus over Bangladesh. In 2008, Bangladesh’s export to South Korea was only US$169 million against its import of US$1095 million dollars.

Park mentioned that that South Korea in late 70s trained Bangladeshis workers in the readymade garment sector that helps Bangladesh attain major success in this sector. Even some leading Korea companies including Youngone are employing several thousand Bangladeshis at their local enterprises.

South Korean entrepreneurs are unlikely to come up with new investment projects on a large scale in Bangladesh unless economic recession starts recovering.

“South Korean entrepreneurs are observing the investment situation, and will decide on new investment projects in Bangladesh as soon as global economy starts recovering,” Park mentioned.

Investors and analysts are painting a bleaker picture of South Korea’s sagging economy, which is posing a tough challenge to the country’s newly formed economic team desperate to keep Asia’s fourth-largest economy from going into free fall.

The central bank of Korea said recently that South Korea’s export-dependent economy experienced its biggest contraction in nearly 11 years in the fourth quarter of last year, as the global economic slump cooled demand at home and abroad.

In a gloomier outlook, Fitch Ratings said South Korea’s economy would shrink 2.4 per cent in 2009, the first growth contraction in more than a decade, due to fallout from the global economic slowdown.

“Over the past year, economic growth forecasts for Asia have fallen steadily under the impact of the global slowdown,” it said in a statement released on Wednesday. The Switzerland-based UBS and Merrily Lynch forecast that the South Korean economy would post its first minus growth since the Asian financial crisis.

CNPC eyes oil-gas deal

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CNPC eyes oil-gas deal
Unb, Dhaka

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has showed keen interest in cooperating with Bangladesh in its energy sector, particularly in oil and gas explorations in the country’s sea and land sites by striking a deal.

A delegation from the premier Chinese business house said yesterday they are interested to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh.

The CNPC team, led by its President Jiang Jiemin, expressed the willingness when they met with Prime Minister’s Adviser Towfiq-e-Elahi at his secretariat office. Chinese Ambassador in Bangladesh Xhang Xian Li was also present.

During the meeting, the adviser briefed the delegation on the government’s determination for “energy security” and resolving problems in this sector.

He mentioned that the government was taking short- and long-term plans to implement its determination and also sought CNPC’s support.

The corporation chief informed the adviser that the annual income of CNPC, which explores and develops natural gas and oil and refines crude oil at home and abroad, is $20 billion.

The adviser asked the delegation to submit a draft of the proposed MOU on behalf of its organisation.

Thailand keen to invest in ‘halal food’ production

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Thailand keen to invest in ‘halal food’ production
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka

Thailand has showed keen interest to invest in Bangladesh for developing ‘halal food’ production technologies.

‘Thailand will provide training and technical assistance on the agro-based industries in producing halal foods,’ the industries minister, Dilip Barua, said on Wednesday.

The minister informed the news to reporters after a meeting with a Thailand business delegation at his office in the afternoon.

Thai ambassador Chalermpol Thachitt who was with the delegation told the news agency that his country sought scope to boost bilateral relation with Bangladesh through developing sugar industry.

‘We have the desire to extend our services and expertise to the government in overcoming the problems of the sugar industry by introducing some new technologies and processes.’

Asked about time frame, the ambassador said, ‘After feasibility test and discussions with sugar industry related officials, we will advance further for installation of sugar-production technology.’

Thailand has already built four sugar refineries in the private sector in Bangladesh.

Bumper boro production likely in Chuadanga

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=4&id=25676&date=2009-04-01

Bumper boro production likely in Chuadanga

CHUADANGA, Bangladesh, April 1 (BSS) – The cultivation target of the boro paddy has exceeded by 6,320 hectares of land in all four upazilas of the district in this season.

During this season, a total of 41,750 hectares of land have been brought under the boro paddy cultivation in the district against the target at 35,430 hectares.

According to an official source, of the total land 9,500 hectares have been brought under the boro cultivation in Chuadanga sadar upazila, 15,000 hectares in Alamdanga upazila, 10,550 hectares in Damurhuda upazila and 6,700 hectares in Jibannagar upazila.

The source further said if weather is favourable, the farmers of the district are expecting a bumper production of the boro paddy. During this season, the production target of the boro paddy in the four upazilas of the district has been fixed at 252,300 tonnes.

A total of 57,000 tonnes of the boro paddy are likely to be produced in Chuadanga sadar upazila, 90,900 tonnes in Alamdanga upazila, 63,900 tonnes in Damurhuda upazila and 40,500 tonnes in Jibannagar upazila.

The local agriculture extension department source said there is no any crisis of fertilizer, fuel and insecticide in the district.

Huawei sets up $3m telecom lab at Buet

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Huawei sets up $3m telecom lab at Buet
Star Business Report

Chinese telecom equipment vendor Huawei has set up a wireless communication laboratory at a cost of $3 million at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) to help local telecom talents carry out training and research.

Buet Vice Chancellor AMM Safiullah yesterday inaugurated the laboratory established at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at the university.

The Buet authorities felt the urge to set up such a laboratory for its students last year and sought financial assistance from telecom industry stakeholders. Later, only Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh) Ltd came forward and signed a deal with the Department of EEE in June last year.

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), Huawei supplied required equipment and trained some faculty members to run the laboratory.

Local graduates who earlier used to go to Malaysia and China to have practical experience about wireless telephony will be benefited from the facility.

“The tendency of going abroad for taking training will be minimised,” said the Buet vice chancellor at the inauguration.

“Buet is one of the leading engineering universities in South Asia. So it’s the responsibility of the university to provide students with global standard facilities,” he said.

“The laboratory will serve the pressing needs for training and development of our local talents and will contribute greatly towards the development of telecom sector in the country,” said Safiullah.

“We are honoured to partner with Buet,” said Wonder Wang, deputy chief representative of Huawei Bangladesh. “This initiative is certainly a milestone to create technical expert in Bangladesh,” Wang added.

Around 120 electrical and electronic engineers pass from EEE department each year.

Liu Sanzhen, cultural councillor of Chinese embassy to Bangladesh, Asif Zaman, director (HR and Administration) for Huawei, and Dr Aminul Hoque, head of EEE department, among others, were present at the programme.