‘Ambitious’ power generation plan within days

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/31/74835.html

‘Ambitious’ power generation plan within days

FE Report

The government is embarking on an ‘ambitious’ plan to more than double power generation to 10,000 megawatt by 2013 under a new energy policy to be unveiled within a few days, energy advisor Taufiq-e-Elahi said Thursday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would formally unveil the plan worth billions of dollars through a press conference in two to three days, paving the way for the end of power crunch in the next five years, Taufiq said.

“Under the new initiative, 7,800 mw of power will be produced by government and the rest through the private sector,” he told a luncheon of the France-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the city.

The present government in its election manifesto set a target of producing 5000 mw by 2011 and 7000 mw by 2013 to end crippling load-shedding and boosting supply to factories and millions of new consumers in the next five years.

Taufiq said the government, however, would revise the previous target and are now ready to meet the ever-increasing demand for power and energy in the country over the next few years,

The advisor also said that an additional Tk 100 billion would be channeled to the energy sector from various sources apart from Tk 20 billion allotted in the public private partnership (PPP) fund.

“In addition, the government is planning to build two 500mw coal power plants as coal can be an effective option to mitigate the current energy crisis,” the energy advisor said.

“If required, we would import coal from overseas to meet the demand”.

The advisor also ruled out any fund shortage to finance the ambitious power generation plan.

“Financing won’t be a problem for us as we would use both our domestic resources as well as overseas funds for building these infrastructures,” he added.

Taufiq-e-Elahi also stressed exploring renewable energy options, and said the government would promote manufacturing solar panels and other necessary energy related equipment locally.

“Under our solar energy initiative, the government is aiming to bring all community schools and clinincs under solar power facilities,” Taufiq said.

He said the newly introduced “Day light Saving (DST)” was a success as an estimated 100 mw of electricity is saved during the peak hour as a result.

Taufiq also said that the government would finalize its coal policy by the end of this year and it has as plan to chalk out a startegy for generating nuclear energy.

The energy advisor stressed building effective power distribution network around the country to ensure t adequate supply of electricity to all segments of the society.

Earlier, speakers attending the event laid the emphasis on more private sector participation in the the country’s energy sector to boost power generation.

President of France-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFB) Rifat Rashid also spoke on the occasion.

$1.22m Dutch investment in Comilla EPZ

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=99425

$1.22m Dutch investment in Comilla EPZ
Unb, Dhaka

The Netherlands company, Golden Moon Bangladesh Ltd, will set up a shoe-upper manufacturing industry in the Comilla Export Processing Zone (CEPZ).

This fully foreign-owned company will invest US$ 1.22 million to set up its plant, said a press release.

To this effect, an agreement between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) and the Netherlands Company was signed in the Bepza complex yesterday.

Bepza Member Prasanta Bhushan Barua and Operation Manager of Golden Moon Bangladesh Ltd Campaci Giorgio singed the deal on behalf of their respective organisations.

The company will produce upper for women footwear, creating employment for 300 Bangladeshi people, including five foreigners.

Policy to protect country’s intellectual properties soon

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/30/74765.html

Policy to protect country’s intellectual properties soon
Draft law on ‘geographical indications’ ready

FE Report

Industries Minister Dilip Barua Wednesday said the government is planning to introduce an intellectual property policy to protect the country’s intellectual properties and encourage people to build a knowledge-based society.

“We are proceeding towards introducing an intellectual property policy to protect our innovations and other merit-based works as well as to encourage others in such works,” he said.

The Industries Minister was addressing a press conference at his office on the meeting on ‘High Level Forum on the Strategic Use of Intellectual Property for Prosperity and Development’, held in Geneva on July 23-24. Some 78 representatives from 33 countries attended the meeting and announced a joint declaration.

Barua chaired the sessions in the two-day meeting as the chairman of the 49 least developed countries (LDCs) in the Forum.

He said currently there is no law in the country to protect various local intellectual properties.

Barua also said the government has drafted a new law relating to ‘geographical indications’, under which, the country’s unique things like Hilsha, Neem, Jute and cultural assets etc will be patented.

It will also take steps to protect the common assets in the region, he said, adding that some natural and cultural assets belong to many counties, and the goverment wants to resolve such issues with the help of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). The minister said he has requested the WIPO for promoting public private partnership (PPP) to ensure development-friendly intellectual property utilisation in the LDCs.

“We have already submitted to the ministry a draft law regarding ‘geographical indications’ that will be sent to the law ministry for vetting,” said Enamul Hoque, director general of Patent, Design and Trademark Directorate.

Square Pharma to build new unit

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=99274

Square Pharma to build new unit
Star Business Report

Square Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh, plans to set up its third new production unit, to meet local and export demand for medicine.

The new unit will be built in two phases in the next seven years to manufacture three types of products — solid doses form, large volume parenteral (LVP) and special products, such as anticancer drugs.

The cost of the project has been estimated at Tk 514 crore — Tk 360 crore for the first phase which targets the completion by December 2012, and Tk 154 crore for the second phase to be completed by June 2016 — according to the company’s disclosure, posted on the Dhaka Stock Exchange website yesterday.

Square Pharma, which is listed on both the Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges, expects to produce 5 billion tablets, 1.5 billion capsules, 60 million injections and 11 million pieces LVP in the first phase.

In the second phase, the company targets production of 4.5 billion pieces tablets, 1.2 billion capsules, 10 million injections and 9 million LVP.

The board of directors of Square Pharma has also decided to purchase capital machinery and building for an insulin project from Square Biotechs Ltd at a cost of Tk 81.23 crore, on a cost price basis.

The board has also approved Tk 50 crore for BMRE (balancing, modernisation, renovation and expansion) purpose and the purchase of land to extend existing projects and future expansion.

The company’s FY2007-08 annual report shows that its exports increased by 10 percent to Tk 21.24 crore against Tk 19.29 crore a year ago. The report also forecasted rising exports in coming years.

Presently, the company exports to more than 30 countries.

Square Pharma recorded net profits of Tk 189 crore with earnings per share of Tk 156.56 as of March 31 this year, compared to Tk 138.18 crore net profits and Tk 114.47 (restated) earnings per share in the same period last year.

The company declared 40 percent cash dividend and 25 percent stock dividend for the year ended March 31, 2009.

Software developed for crop specific fertiliser advice

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/28/74544.html

Software developed for crop specific fertiliser advice

Agriculture secretary CQK Mustaq Ahmed formally inaugurating the Digital Fertiliser Recommendation System. SRDI director Md Hamidul Haque is seen, among others.

FE Report

Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) Monday introduced newly developed software known as Digital Fertiliser Recommendation System.

In cooperation with reputed market development project ‘Katalyst’ it (SRDI) has developed the software, capable to generate crop specific fertiliser recommendation distinctively for unions across the country.

The system was formally introduced ‘on an experimental basis’ at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) auditorium in the capital.

Chaired by SRDI director Md Hamidul Haque, secretary of agriculture ministry CQK Mustaq Ahmed formally inaugurated the system as chief guest.

Farmers from anywhere in the country would get access to this latest software through two leading mobile phone operators Grameenphone and Banglalink, SRDI director Md Hamidul Haque said while explaining the system.

“To obtain the service, farmers need only to provide five basic information, such as, name of crop, type of land, names of district, upazila and union,” he added.

Appreciating the idea of the system, the agriculture secretary said this system will benefit farmers by mitigating unnecessary use of fertiliser and reducing production cost.

“A large amount of fertiliser goes waste for excessive use. This is bad for the farmer as well as harmful to the environment,” Mr Ahmed added.

Speakers on the occasion cited a research finding conducted by SRDI that identified utilisation of fertiliser according to this new system can enhance production of rice crops by 20 to 25 per cent. This will also enable farmers to earn 10 to 15 per cent more from other crops.

To provide effective information, the Digital Fertiliser Recommendation System has developed a comprehensive database combining data from 459 upazila across the country. Initially, this programme will cover some 30 upazila as part of a pilot programme, SRDI official said.

After closely monitoring the effects in these 30 upazila, SRDI and Katalyst will finalise a policy to bring the entire country under this system, SRDI official added.

$110m local Naptha refinery to produce high octane

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/27/74460.html

$110m local Naptha refinery to produce high octane

Jasim Uddin Haroon

A local company Sunday said it is setting up a refinery by investing US$ 110 million in Chittagong, which will use locally available raw material Naptha to produce high octane.

After implementation of the project by 2011, it will meet the country’s total demand for high octane and save foreign currency worth more than Tk 350 billion per annum. The country’s annual demand for the high octane is approximately 100,000 tonnes.

“We have already finished land development works recently at Patenga in Chittagong and we expect to go into operation sometime in 2011,” Azam J Chowdhury, a leading entrepreneur and chairman of East Coast Group told the FE Sunday.

The fuel refinery company, which got the government’s approval three years back, has been named Mobil Jamuna Fuels Ltd (MJFL).

Apart from East Coast Group, Jamuna Oil Company will hold a 25 per cent stake of the MJFL while IFC, a subsidiary of the World

Bank and the DG of Germany and the FMO of the Netherlands will also hold equities of the project.

The fuel plant will use Naptha, a by product of the state-owned Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) and produce high octane or octane 95.

The ERL, the country’s lone oil refinery generally exports its by-product of around 100,000 tonnes of Naptha a year, as there is no scope for refining it within the country.

“We approached the government with the offer to pay more than the price reporting agency Platts quotes per barrel

and the government agreed to our proposal,” Azam, who is also managing director of the fuel refinery plant-MJFL- told the FE.

Mr Azam, holding a large stake of MJFL, said he is implementing the project with the technical assistance of the UOP LLC, a US based company, and it will be able to produce up to 150,000 tonnes a year initially with an option for future expansion.

“It has huge export market, I will export the surplus,” Azam added.

Asif Malik, chief operating officer of the MJFL told the FE: “We will also produce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the plant by using the same raw material.”

The plant however will require 1.0 megawatt power plant.

Mr Azam said it will also set up a 5.0 megawatt power plant by using left over of the plant adding: “It will meet our power need and the extra power will be added to the national grid.”

The country’s annual demand for the fuel is around 3.8 million tonnes including 1.2 million tonnes of crude oil.

Ananda to set up $300m shipyard in Chittagong to build big ships

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/26/74361.html

Ananda to set up $300m shipyard in Chittagong to build big ships

FHM Humayan Kabir

Leading shipbuilder Ananda Shipyard and Slipways said Saturday it would set up the country’s largest shipyard to make jumbo-sized ocean-going vessels weighing over 100,000 dead-weight-tonnes.

The country’s ship-making pioneer would invest over US$300 million over the next three years in a new facility in Chittagong to grab a major slice of the $400 billion global shipbuilding market, its chairman Abdullahel Bari told the FE.

“We have already acquired some land in Chittagong to set up the state-of-the-art shipyard. We want to start construction of the shipyard by end of this year,” Bari, a Britain-train naval architect, said.

“We want to be a major ship-builder in the region so that we can compete with companies in South Korea, China, India and Vietnam for big and medium-sized vessels,” he added.

Top South Korean conglomerates, namely Daewoo, Samsung and Hyundai dominate the global super ships market — some of them costing more than one billion dollars a piece.

Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese companies have also invested heavily in new and upgraded facilities to break into the top manufacturers’ club.

Ananda, which in 2007 put the country firmly in the global shipbuilding map, can build small ships weighing around 5,000-15,000 dwt at its existing Meghna-ghat shipyard, at a cutthroat price determined by their buyers.

Bari said the proposed new facility — scheduled to be opened by 2012 — would make his company capable of building 20 big container ships or tankers a year that would cost more than $100 million dollars apiece.

“At present, we compete in the small ship category. The prices of these ships fluctuate between five and 15 million dollars. You can’t make much money by manufacturing smaller ships,” he said.

“In case of big ships, the profit margin is far higher and you need the same amount of people required for building smaller vessels,” he added.

Since 2007, Ananda has successfully bagged orders to make 28 ships at a total order price of over $350 million from European, African and Asian countries.

Bari said the proposed facility on the bank of the river Karnaphuli would enable the company to win orders worth a billion dollars, making shipbuilding a major export industry of the country.

“Many top ship owners in Europe have expressed their readiness to place orders for medium to large ships to us, as we offer cheaper prices than our competitors, thanks to abundance of cheap and skilled welders in the country,” he said.

Ananda’s latest move comes as top shipyards in the region embarked on a major expansion drive to win orders for bigger vessels.

State-owned Cochin Shipyard (CSL) of India last year expanded its slipways in Kerala to build ships weighing over 100,000 dwt, aiming to become the largest vessel maker in the Sub-continent.

Formal soft launching of Augure Bangladesh

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/26/74304.html

Formal soft launching of Augure Bangladesh

FE Report

Augure Bangladesh Limited started its journey in the country recently through a formal soft launching, thus becoming the first company to go for trial operation of the WiMax wireless broadband internet service.

The UK-based Augure Holdings NL has teamed up with two local entities Aaamra Resources Limited and Teleport Bangladesh Limited, in providing this state-of-the-art service to a country with one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world.

Initially, Augure’s service would be limited to a few areas within the Dhaka city; offered experimentally to some selected end users. However, the company is expecting to bring the whole Dhaka city and Chittagong under its coverage by the fourth quarter of this year.

Earlier, Augure also became the first WiMax licensee to acquire the license to operate, by paying the telecom regulator the preset fee- a hefty amount of USD 215 million in due time.

“Capitalizing on our global experience in telecommunication business, we would try to meet the ever growing demand for quality Internet service in the Bangladeshi market keeping in terms with the local infrastructure”, Augure Chairman Sanjiv Ahuja said.

Established in July 2008, 60 percent of Augure Bangladesh Limited is owned by the global giant Augure Holdings NL, while the two local entities make up the rest, of which, 10 percent is owned by Aaamra and 30 per cent is owned by Teleport Bangladesh.

The company has already invested over USD 35 million in this grand venture. However, the total planned investment, the company officials say, stands at USD 98 million.

Chinese technology giant Huawei is Augure’s network and IT vendor in this case and would be providing the company with base stations and other technological support.

Chief Executive Officer Jerry Mobs has taken the charge of Augure Bangladesh Limited and would oversee the local operation.

Apart from Bangladesh, Augure has extensive operations in Pakistan and Uganda, while already attaining licenses for operations in a number of countries in Africa as well as South and South East Asia.

Finance Minister A M A Muhith formally unveiled the Augure operation at a function held at the city hotel Tuesday evening. Telecommunication Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju and Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad were also present on the occasion.

“Technology at the end of the day should be made to work for the welfare of the people and in case of information technology, the key lies in providing the people with the ultimate accessibility”, the Finance Minister said on the eve of the launching.

He also urged the up and coming WiMax operators to keep their service charge at an affordable level and asked them to carry their service to the doorsteps of the rural mass.

Three private firms, namely BanglaLion, Augure and BRAC BD Communications won the license for WiMax operations in the country through an open bidding held last year. However, BRAC later withdrew itself from the race.

The other prospective operator BanglaLion is expected to go for soft launching by mid-August.

Customers go for locally made refrigerators

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=135446

Customers go for locally made refrigerators
Economic Reporter

Selling of refrigerators at Walton showrooms across the country are on the rise as the heat wave forces lower income people to opt for locally-made refrigerators, once dubbed as a luxury household item, cheaper price of which is making it affordable for more people.

Walton refrigerator, the first-ever locally made refrigerator, is drawing large number of customers for its affordable price and world class quality of the product.

Salma Islam, a housewife from Kalabagan, said at a Walton showroom at Bashundhara City in the city that she did not know that a local company was producing refrigerators at its own plant in the country. “As soon as I learnt that there is a locally made refrigerator in the market of world class standard and pretty cheap I made no delay in coming to Walton showroom to buy a refrigerator,” said Salma Islam.

Another customer from Kuril, Golam Mawla, said “I sought suggestion from my friends and relatives about buying a refrigerator and they all advised me to go for Walton refrigerator.”

Sajal Hassan, manager of the showroom, said that the company is producing refrigerator using Malaysian compressor with Japanese machinery and technology. Engineers from Japan are monitoring the production, which made these refrigerators better than the imported ones.

RB Group has launched commercial production of refrigerators at its large manufacturing plant in Gazipur.

The plant – Walton Hi-tech Industries – now produces about 6 lakh units of refrigerators against a demand for 4 lakh units across the country. About 2,500 workers are working in the plant, set up on 20 acres of land to meet the local demand and export abroad.

The high-tech industry plant started its journey setting up a composite manufacturing plant a few years back to produce refrigerators and some other electronic goods. In the Walton plant, all the backward linkage accessories are also being produced to support the main product. Several thousand workers are engaged in different sections like dice, mould, sheet processing, power press, powder coating, injection molding, pre-foaming, thermo-foaming, gasket making and packaging.

Knitwear export to Japan can fetch $1b: BKMEA

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=135445

Knitwear export to Japan can fetch $1b: BKMEA
BSS, DHAKA

The country can fetch US $ one billion by exporting knitwear to Japan within next five years, if proper steps are taken.

This was told by Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Fazlul Haque on Friday after his return home from Japan.

A 20-member BKMEA delegation led by its President visited Japan from July 20-23, a press release said today.

Fazlul Haque said regular contacts with the Japanese importers, participation in trade fairs, diversification of products and reforms in rules of origin to avail duty-free facilities are essentially needed to achieve this goal.

During the visit, the BKMEA delegation exchanged views with the leaders of Japan Textiles Importers Association (JTIA), Japan Chemical Fibers Association (JCFA) and UNIQLO, the largest retail chain and garment importers organization. They also exchanged views with the Japanese journalists.

During the discussion, the BKMEA delegation gave presentations on Bangladeshi knitwear products showing its strong position in the international market, its competitive price and the country’s ability to export within the shortest possible time.
UNIQLO Vice-President Hiroshi Nagai expressed his eagerness to double its import of knitwear products from Bangladesh and emphasised on improving quality of products and its diversification.

Japan, the fourth largest garment importer in the world, imports garment of worth US$ 23 billion annually, of which US $11 billion is knitwear.

The JCFA leaders showed interest to invest in backward linkage industries of garment sector in Bangladesh.

Legal protection to be provided to protect IT products: Shafique

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/07/24/news0798.htm

Legal protection to be provided to protect IT products: Shafique

BSS, Dhaka

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed today said all necessary legal protections will be provided to protect the information technology (IT) products from piracy.

“New laws like Intellectual Property Act to be enacted to protect the rights of the inventors on their products,” he said while inaugurating a workshop as the chief guest on legal aspects of IT exports coaching program 2008-2012 at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) auditorium here.

DCCI with the collaboration of Centre for the Promotion of Imports (CPI) from developing countries is organizing the workshop.

DCCI President Zafar Osman chaired the function. The function was addressed, among others, by Netherlands Ambassador to Bangladesh Mrs. Bea ten Tusscher, CBI consultant Lazlo Klucs and DCCI vice president MS Shekil Chowdhury.

The law minister said the present government is pledged bound to make digital Bangladesh.

“Enrichment of the IT sector is no doubt a major factor to implement the dream of the government. So all possible cooperation to improve the sector would be ensured, ” he said.

“It is an important and encouraging news for all that Bangladesh is now exporting IT products to 30 countries including USA, Japan” Shafique said adding that IT sector is now turning into a very important industry.

He said necessary amendments will be made to the existing trademarks, patients and designs and copyright acts to protect the IT products.

High yielding Aman developed by BRRI to go for cultivation next season

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/07/24/news0797.htm

High yielding Aman developed by BRRI to go for cultivation next season

BSS, Dhaka

The first ever high-yielding Aman hybrid developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) is to go for cultivation in the next Aman season.

The variety, now in the final stage of its development, is expected to make a significant contribution in further increasing the Aman production leading to ensuring food security in the country.

In an interview with BSS here on Wednesday, Dr Md. Firoze Shah Sikder, Director General of the BRRI, said the BRRI is also developing two more submerged tolerant varieties to bring vast tracts of lands under rice cultivation in the low-lying areas for achieving a total self-sufficiency in food in the country.

“The government has given approval for cultivation of four high-yielding modern varieties developed by the BRRI in 2008,” he said. The varieties are: BRRI dhan-48, BRRI dhan-49, BRRI dhan-50 and Hybrid-2.

The BRRI officials said the production rate of BRRI dhan-48, BRRI dhan-50 and Hybrid-2 are 5 tonnes, 6.5 tonnes and 8.50 tonnes respectively per hectare. Besides, the production rate of BRRI dhan-49 is higher by half a tonne than that of BR-11 and one tonne than BRRI-32.

Director (research) of BRRI Dr MA Salam said the BRRI has also developed flood and salinity tolerant varieties to bring fallow lands under rice cultivation along the coastal belt and in the low-lying areas aiming to ensure food security.

The variety of BR-11-sub1 can survive for even 15 days if submerged by flood waters while the BRRI dhan-46 could also be cultivated even after recession of a prolonged flood, he said.

Describing the development of these varieties by the BRRI as a remarkable progress for achieving food security in the country, Dr Salam said, “We will cultivate these two varieties after accomplishing some formalities.”

The BRRI has developed a variety named BRRI Boro-47 for cultivation in the coastal area, he said adding that initially the variety would be cultivated in lands with low salinity and then it would be cultivated in lands with high salinity.

Dr Salam said only development of high-yielding modern variety is not enough for achieving food security in the country, rather modern technology is needed for increase of rice production up to the expected level.

Taking this reality into consideration, BRRI has developed a total of 50 technologies for use in soil, water and fertilizer management to boost rice production in the country.

Dr Salam said though Bangladesh is the fourth largest rice producing country of the world, the average production of rice in the country is 4.01 tonnes per hectare.

The average production of rice in China, Japan and Korea is 5 to 6 tonnes per hectare.

There is no alternative to developing high yielding modern varieties as well as modern technology for increasing of production rate in the country to the meet growing demand for food, he added.

The officials said the high-yielding modern varieties developed by the BRRI in 1980s and 1990s are suitable for varying ecosystem and have wide range of diseases and insect resistance.

Such varieties-BR 17, BR 18 and BR 19-have been developed for the Boro areas (depressed basin) in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh, BR 20 and BR 21 for high rainfall upland situation, BR 22 and BR 23 for late transplanting in the Aman season after the recession of flood waters.

Besides, BRRI dhan 27 has been developed for the non-saline tidal areas and BRRI dhan 30, BRRI dhan 31 and BRRI dhan 32 for the rain-fed lowland areas.

Eastern Refinery to triple capacity

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/jul/22/busi.html#9

Eastern Refinery to triple capacity
Reuters/Bdnews24.com

State-run Bangladesh Eastern Refinery Limited will raise its capacity by three times to reduce import cost and its reliance on foreign countries for petroleum products, a senior official said told the news agency on Monday.

At a cost of more than $1 billion, the refinery’s capacity will be raised to 4.5 million tonnes a year from 1.5 million tonnes, the official said.

‘We find the plan viable after completion of a study done by Pakistan-based consultancy firm Enar Tech Service limited,’ said Rezaul Alam, the managing director of the ERL, the country’s lone oil refinery located in Chittagong.

‘Almost the entire demand we will meet from our own capacity, which will save cost and time,’ he said.

Bangladesh imports up to 3.8 million tonnes of oil including 1.2 million tonnes of crude oil to meet up yearly demand.

The expansion programme will be done in two phases beginning from this year and take three years to complete, the official said.

Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank will bear the cost of the first phase. In the second phases, money will come from the Asian Development Bank and other countries.

Bangladesh imports oil mainly from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, India and Malaysia at a cost of between $2.5 and $3 billion.

Project for expanding ultramodern telecom facilities in rural areas

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/07/22/73883.html

Project for expanding ultramodern telecom facilities in rural areas

The government has taken a Tk 4.17 billion (417 crore) project to set up digital exchanges for expanding ultramodern telecommunications facilities in rural areas, including internet broadband up to the upazila level, reports UNB.

Under the project taken by Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL), digital telephone exchanges will be set up in 220 places, including 178 upazilas and 42 growth centres.

This was disclosed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Post and Telecommunications Ministry at the Sangsad Bhaban in the city Tuesday.

The meeting was informed that a project, ‘Internet Information Network Expansion’, involving Tk 2.99 billion has been taken as part of the programme to build ‘Digital Bangladesh’. Once implemented, it would be possible to bring the country’s people under modern digital network.

The meeting was also told that initiative has been taken for implementing two separate projects involving Tk 3.77 billion.

Chaired by committee chairman Hasanul Haque Inu, the meeting discussed different matters of BTCL and reviewed the progress of the activities of the subcommittee formed for looking into irregularities and mismanagement of the ministry and organisations under it in the last seven years.

Post and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, Abdul Quddus, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Moazzem Hossain Ratan, Solaiman Haque Joarder, Abdul Wadud, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and Golam Mostafa attended the meeting.

Indian envoy’s arrogant assertions and govt’s undignified silence

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/jul/22/edit.html#1

Indian envoy’s arrogant assertions and govt’s undignified silence

THE Indian high commissioner, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, seems to have embarked on a mission to vitiate further the already-strained relations between Bangladesh and India, making, at regular intervals, statements that are highly objectionable and seek to undermine the dignity and patriotic sentiments of the people in this country. In the past few weeks, he has tried to belittle water experts and environmentalists, and politicians for their opposition to the controversial Indian plan to construct a dam and a barrage on the upstream of the trans-boundary river Barak. Now, it seems, he has chosen the people of Bangladesh in general as the target of his diatribes.

According to media reports, Chakravarty alleged at a conference on ‘Bangladesh-India Economic Relations’ in the capital Dhaka on Monday that 80 per cent of the Bangladeshis seeking Indian visa ‘are touts and brokers.’ Such a remark tends to betray his inherent disdain and disregard for the dignity of the people in Bangladesh on the one hand and his estrangement from the ground reality on the other. The people in Bangladesh and India, especially West Bengal, share a long history that spans not just years but centuries. Many Bangladeshis have relatives in India and vice versa. A significant section of the Indian visa seekers are Bangladeshis planning to visit their relatives on the other side of the border. Yet another sizeable portion of the visa seekers are Bangladeshis who go to India for medical treatment, education and tourism. These people spend millions of dollars in India every year, contributing, in the process, to the growth of the Indian economy. These people mostly make up the long queue in front of the Indian High Commission every day, people whom Chakravarty has so disdainfully branded as ‘touts and brokers’.

Also, according to figures made available by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh imported Indian products worth $3.375 billion in the 2007-08 fiscal. If informal trade is taken into account, Bangladesh provides India with a market worth some $5 billion dollars. With New Delhi evidently intent on maintaining the whopping trade imbalance with Dhaka, the least that Bangladesh expects is some sort of recognition, if not expression of gratitude, from India for its contribution to the Indian economy. Instead, as Chakravarty’s remark suggests, the Indian high commission in Dhaka seems to be too happy to denigrate Bangladesh and its people every now and then.

The Indian high commissioner was also quoted as claiming that some 25,000 of the Bangladeshis going to India with legal visas every year do not come back. It may be true that some Bangladeshis stay back in India even after expiry of their visas but it is also true that a good number of Indians reportedly also work in different sectors in Bangladesh, especially in readymade garment and information technology, without valid work permits. In fact, in an era of globalisation, such a phenomenon is almost universal and hardly surprising. What is surprising is that Chakravarty seemingly presumes that India is a lucrative destination for job-seekers, which it hardly is. Indeed, India has registered stupendous economic growth in recent years, at a rate comparable to only China’s. However, because of its skewed development model, India’s growth has been anything but distributive and has only widened the rich-poor, urban-rural divide. It is a matter of fact that while South Asia is home to half of the world’s poor, three-fourths of its poor population lives in India. Also, the Indian society remains incorrigibly segmented along caste and communal lines. Moreover, it is India where hundreds of poor farmers commit suicide every year upon failure to settle their debts with loan sharks and millions of female foetuses have been selectively aborted after pre-natal sex determination to avoid birth of girls since the 1970s. Indeed, the Bangladeshi society has its own share of misery which it has been trying overcome; still, we live in a far better social, economic, political and cultural milieu than our Indian counterparts.

However, while Chakravarty’s words and deeds defy diplomatic norms and minimum human decency, the Awami League-led government’s passive response to his obnoxious antics is equally, if not more, deplorable. Not only the government has been ignoring repeated demands of different sections of our society to ask the Indian government to recall Chakravarty, some ministers were found defending the errant diplomat for his offensive remarks only the other day. It is time that government realised that people voted it to power not to take affronts to the dignity of the country from foreign diplomats – Indian or else. The government should also realise that a diplomat like Chakravarty needs to be taken care of for the sake of improving the relationship between the two neighbouring peoples.