Proposed nuclear plant to produce 600mw initially: Osman

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=8&id=59378&date=2009-09-18&PHPSESSID=ba2dafef292dd21f18146e8b6a6ba759

Proposed nuclear plant to produce 600mw initially: Osman

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Sept 18 (BSS)-State Minister for Science and ICT Yafez Osman today said the proposed nuclear plant in notrthwestern Ruppur is expected to produce initially at least 600-mw electricity as the country reached an initial understanding with Russia for technological assistance for the ambitious project.

“We will have elaborate talks with Moscow for technological supports for the project but it depends on Russia what type of assistance it would offer,” Osman told BSS as the country’s desperate efforts for power increased generation sends him next month to the Russian capital for discussion.

Officials earlier said they expected the plant to generate 600-1000mw power.

They said Osman would lead an 8-member delegation to Moscow to visit their nuclear energy installations and talks with Russian authorities on the possible assistance for the Bangladesh’s first such nuclear venture estimated to cost US $ 150 million.

Bangladesh and Russia in May this year signed a deal on nuclear energy for Moscow’s assistance in installing the first ever nuclear power plant with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) saying “Russia will assist in the development of nuclear energy infrastructure in Bangladesh”.

Science and ICT Ministry Secretary Nazmul Huda Khan and deputy director general of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) NN Spasskiy signed the agreement in Dhaka for peaceful cooperation on the use of nuclear energy.

Under the MoU Russia will supply Bangladesh with nuclear materials and provide services in the field of nuclear fuel cycle in accordance with national legislation of the two states and international treaties to which both Bangladesh and Russia are parties.

Bangladesh planned to install nuclear power stations 44 years ago in 1964 when 259.90 acres of land were acquired for the project at Ruppur while a draft was also signed with Canada at that time.

International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) allowed Bangladesh to install nuclear power plants in 2007 along with seven other developing nations while Russia, France, South Korea, China and Pakistan expressed their interest to offer their assistance for developing the infrastructure.

Under the current plan, initiated following the IAEA green signal, two nuclear power units with capacity of 1000 megawatt will be installed at Ruppur against the backdrop of dwindling reserve of natural gas, which now accounts for 90 percent of electricity generated in the country.

Officials earlier said the deal would enable Bangladesh to launch negotiations to set up nuclear power plants but contracts for such projects between the countries depended on future negotiations.

An official at the ministry said Bangladesh preferred Russian technologies as the Russian authorities offered competitive prices for the installation of nuclear plants.

In the backdrop of nagging power crisis the new government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after its assumption of office in January ordered scaling up negotiations for at least two nuclear power units.

The authorities were asked to complete the initial nuclear projects by 2015 though the country was yet to decide how to manage funds for the nuclear power plants with officials saying they planned to seek soft-term loans from international donors.

The government recently formulated a vision plan as part of its desperate efforts to augment electricity generation amid growing demands while the poor power supply is estimated to cost around two percent in GDP growth each year according a study of the World Bank.

Only around 40 percent of Bangladeshis currently have access to electricity while the country now witnesses a deficit of 1,000 to 1,500mw power with 41 public and private sector plants with de-rated capacity of 5,198 mw.

Analysts said population growth, increased industrialization, additional connections, and rise in the use of modern, electrical appliances have boosted demand for electricity, currently growing at a rate of over 300mw a year.

But dwindling reserves in existing gas fields, the main source for the country’s power generation, and expensive petroleum for electricity production prompted the experts and policymakers to explore solar and other renewable energy sources as the situation is also backed by a global campaign for clean energy.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury recently said the government planned to float bonds exclusively for renewable energy projects while the World Bank offered Dhaka US$130 million as long-term credit to promote solar energy to supplement the country’s desperate efforts to increase electricity generation exploring various means.

The country already withdrew all VAT and taxes from solar panels, and the Bangladesh Bank has created a special fund of Tk 200 crore to build effluent treatment plants and other renewable energy technologies

Bangladesh recently also renewed a proposal seeking an engagement with Bhutan in harnessing its huge hydropower for mutual benefit and import electricity from there while Dhaka earlier also sought an engagement with Myanmar for tapping its hydropower potentials.

In Pabna, hand embroidery picks up pace

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In Pabna, hand embroidery picks up pace

Ahmed Humayun Kabir Topu, Pabna

At her young age, Shahana Khatun learnt how to do intricate hand embroidery on saris at home from her father.

Shahana, an eighth grader, goes to work after school and embroiders saris into the evening. She has been working there over the last two years, earning Tk 300-Tk 1,500 per sari depending on designs.

She is one of the many working on colourful saris in a small handicrafts factory near her home on Nazimuddin Road in Ishwardi upazila in Pabna.

Most of the workers are young women and children engaged in hand embroidery, commonly known as karchupi shilpo. There are at least 400 to 500 small handicraft factories in the village of Fateh Mohammadpur in Ishwardi.

The workers are passing busy days as Eid-Ul-Fitr is around the corner. Demand for quality hand-embroidered saris is at an all-time high — because of the key festival of the year.

The trade has soared to its popularity for the past 10 years. The area was once well known as the ‘Benarasi village’ in the district as it produced luxury fabrics like Benarasi and Katan.

When the Benarasi industry had faced challenges, a large number of workers engaged in the sector migrated to Dhaka and other places in search of work.

But Benarasi workers of Ishwardi upazila learnt the art of hand embroidery to stay afloat. As the area was known for expensive and intricate handwork, the trade rapidly kicked off.

“Women used to undertake handwork on a small scale at their homes, by taking private orders for pieces. But now, a majority of the women in the village are engaged in hand embroidery,” Badal Benarasi, now a hand-embroidery entrepreneur, told The Daily Star yesterday.

In anticipation of Eid, at least 200 to 300 pieces of hand-embroidered sari are produced a day in the 400 to 500 factories in the area.

“I have 40 workers at my factory with an abundant number of work orders. Prior to Ramadan, we received 25 to 30 orders a week. But now we get over 50 orders a week. Demand has risen as the saris we produce are better in quality than Indian peers,” Badal said.

He also said there are 10 to 12 large hand-embroidery factories in this village, which is the largest zone in the northern region of the country.

Workers said they do handwork on katan, georgette, tissue material and saris of other fabrics using beads, stones, thread and sequins.

“Depending on designs, we usually need 5-10 days to complete work on a single sari, but we are now trying to speed up work to meet Eid demand,” said Md Rubel, an embroidery worker.

“Even three or four workers are deployed on each sari to complete the work faster,” he added.

Workers said the cost of embroidery on a sari will range between Tk 700 and Tk 7,000, depending on designs, while the end piece will be sold at Tk 2,000-Tk 15,000.

Prospects of diary farms brighter in northern districts

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=8&id=59328&date=2009-09-18&PHPSESSID=ba2dafef292dd21f18146e8b6a6ba759

Prospects of diary farms brighter in northern districts
by Mamun Islam

RANGPUR, Bangladesh, Sept 18 (BSS) – The dairy sector, having huge prospects, can bring about a revolutionary change in the socio- economic condition of the poor by alleviating poverty and eradicating monga in poverty-prone greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts.

For this, proper exploration of the prevailing prospects of dairy farm sector is must through setting up of related industries to usher in a new era for overall economic advancements to ensure smooth developments and building a digital Bangladesh.

Leaders of the Chambers of Commerce and Industries of these districts told BSS that enormous prospects are there in the dairy farm sector and asked all concerned for taking necessary steps towards this direction.

Thousands litres of milk are being produced daily in all eight districts including the monga-prone vast char areas and lack of adequate marketing facilities and milk processing industries are hindering desired growth of the sector.

Setting up of more dairy farms, milk processing and chilling factories could contribute a lot in changing the economic conditions of the common people and alleviating poverty and eradicating monga once for all, they added.

Presently, the private sector Rangpur Dairy (RD) Milk Processing Factory at Boldipukur near the Rangpur-Dhaka highway in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur has created huge job opportunity for hundreds of abject poverty-stricken people to change their fates.

The factory authorities have taken up comprehensive steps with a view to supporting the poor through providing them cows on easy terms and conditions to produce milk at home for their financial well being.

While talking to BSS, Manager of RD Factory Ashraful Alam said hundreds of cows have so far been distributed among the poor of Shalaipur, Muradpur and adjoining villages in the upazila under a massive plan of distributing thousands of cows in future.

“We are planning for boosting dairy sector and we do not only think about business and trade but also want to make the poor people self-reliant through expanding their income- generating facilities through participatory business,” he added.

The beneficiaries have to pay the actual price of the cows by supplying milk to the factories for a certain period till the price of the cows is realized when the RD Factory authorities will transfer the ownership of the cows to them, he added.

“We took two cows with calves from RD Factory and they are giving sufficient milk a day to earn huge money daily,” said villagers Alam Mia and his wife like other successful beneficiaries who have changed their fates during the past couple of years.

“We have overcome monga in recent years very successfully through selling milk that we got from the cows to RD Factory though it was very difficult for us to earn livelihoods by selling labour though there is no monga now,” Amena Begum of village Shalaipur said.

While narrating about the economic impacts of the factory, its Managing Director Fakhruzzaman said that dairy farmers in the whole district are being benefited by selling milk to RD Factory side by side with the beneficiaries of the industry.

Dairy farmers, who were in distress and frustration in the district and were about to close their farms due to frequent loss even a few years back, are now getting profit by selling their produced milk to the RD Factory.

Officials told BSS that the RD Factory has been producing now a huge quantity of quality pasteurized milk and milk juice with fruit flavours and supplies the products to the northern districts and capital city of Dhaka as the business was growing faster.

“We have a comprehensive plan to turn the RD Factory into one of the biggest milk processing industries of the country through involving over 30,000 people of Rangpur and its adjoining districts in the region in near future,” they added.

We are producing butter and sweets as quality RD products by setting up necessary infrastructures using quality equipments and machineries and we could do better if there were gas supply and smooth electricity here,” they said.

They said that the overall production costs of all products could be reduced by and large and even up to fifty per cent if there were supply of natural gas and uninterrupted power supply though we frequently incur losses due to power scarcity.

Appreciating the successes of the factory so far, local experts said that it is the first ever industry in Rangpur set up with the Equity Entrepreneur Fund of Bangladesh Bank and the factory has been operating very successfully.

Similar industries along with other ones could be set up in greater Rangpur and Dinajpur including the monga-prone vast areas to usher in a new era in economic development of the whole region by attracting the local and foreign investors, they said.

Biggest ever bank credit for agri sector

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/09/19/news0709.htm

Biggest ever bank credit for agri sector

BSS, Dhaka

As the government has given special attention to agriculture sector in this year’s budget, banks have come up with the biggest ever credit programme to boost the country’s agro- based economy.

Officials said the agriculture sector would get highest Taka 11,512.30 crore credit from various public and private banking channels this fiscal, which would be about 2,133 crore more than the previous year. Last year the total target of giving agriculture loan was Taka 9,389 crore.

Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) has distributed around Taka 537.76 crore as agri loan over the last three months against the target of disbursement of Taka 4,600 crore this fiscal.

Bank sources said the government has a target of providing loans to nine sectors including agro-based industrial sector this fiscal year. Taka 4,250 crore would be directly given to agriculture sector and Taka 350 crore has been earmarked for agro-based industries.

“We have so far disbursed 12 percent of total target and are taking all-out preparation for disbursement of highest loan in the coming Boro season,” said ATM Anisur Rahman, Deputy General Manager of Bank’s Branch Control and Business Department (BCBD).

From October, Anis said, Taka 1,400 crore loan would be distributed among sharecroppers and marginal farmers through 952 branches of the Bank and it would be the highest ever allocation for Boro cultivation.

The government has targeted the genuine sharecroppers and marginal farmers for the loan, he said adding a credit distribution management committee comprising the local UP members and distinguished persons would monitor the matter.

A central team of the Bank would also monitor the disbursement process to ensure transparency, he added.

A senior official of the Bank however said, if needed, they would sanction more credit for farmers as ordered by the government policymakers so that agriculture production is not hampered.

The Bank has also set a target to provide Taka 400 crore loan for each of the fisheries and livestock sectors and Taka 50 crore for machinery for farming and irrigation.

Out of that target, the sources said, Taka 31.69 crore was disbursed for fisheries, Taka 28.64 crore for livestock and Taka 3.24 crore for machinery.

The BKB has so far distributed Taka 35.08 crore out of total target of Taka 350 crore for development of agro-based industries.

This year two specialized banks- BKB and Rajshahi Krishi Bank (RKB)-

would give agriculture loan of Taka 8,453 crore to farmers while 29 private banks would give Taka 2,594.40 crore.

Ten foreign banks have also set a target to give Taka 464.90 crore agriculture loan to farmers.

Government-owned Sonali Bank would give agri loan of Taka 1,000 crore, Janata Bank Taka 700 crore, Agrani Bank 525 crore and Rupali Bank Taka 120 crore.

Bangladesh Palli Unnayan Board also has a target to give Taka 850 crore while Bangladesh Commercial Bank Ltd. (BCBL) is set to disburse Taka eight crore as agri credit to farmers.

Among the private banks, Islami Bank set highest target of Taka 880 crore to give as agri-loan this year. Pubali Bank would give Taka 200 crore, AB Bank Taka 132.25 crore, National Bank Taka 105.65 crore, Bank Asia Taka 100 crore, City Bank Taka 90 crore, Uttara Bank Taka 80 crore, Dutch Bangla Bank Taka 80 crore, Basic Bank Taka 60 crore, Shahajalal Bank Taka 60 crore and Mutual Trust Bank Taka 54 crore.

Brac Bank and Al Arafah Islami Bank will give Taka 50 crore each as agriculture loan while Prime Bank will give Taka 45 crore, Premier Bank Taka 40.50 crore, South East Bank Taka 35 crore, IFIC Bank Taka 35 crore, Mercantile Bank Taka 32 crore, Exim Bank Taka 25 crore, UCBL Taka 25 crore and each of Dhaka Bank, Eastern Bank, Bangladesh Commerce Bank and Jamuna Bank Taka 20 crore for agriculture sector.

Among the foreign banks, Citi Bank NA has a target to distribute Taka 172 crore as agriculture loan and Standard Chartered Bank Taka 150 crore, HSBC Bank Taka 50 crore, Al Falah Bank Taka 30 crore, National Bank of Pakistan 27.50 crore, Commercial Bank of Cylon 25 crore, Habib Bank Taka five crore and State Bank of India Taka five crore.

As the foreign banks and many private banks have no branches in the rural areas, the loan will be distributed through non- government organizations at higher interest rate.

MOU on solar tech training signed

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=142755

MOU on solar tech training signed
Economic Reporter

Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) and Grameen Shakti signed an agreement at a simple ceremony held at the Manpower Bureau’s office at Kakrail recently for training of solar energy technicians.

The programme is being supported by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) under its green jobs initiative, says a press release.

Tension mounts as BSF kills 2

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Tension mounts as BSF kills 2
Our Correspondent, Dinajpur

Tension prevails at Tetulia border under Panchagarh district as Indian Border Security Force (BSF) fired shells indiscriminately into Bangladesh territory on Thursday evening killing one Indian national.

According to BDR sources the deceased was identified as Md Jayedul Islam, 43, a resident of Darjeeling district.

Jayedul was hit by bullet when he entered into Bangladesh territory and he was rushed by BDR men to Tetulia health complex where he died the same night.

BDR sources at Panchagarh 25 Battalion quoting villagers said the BSF fired at least 120 bullets towards Bangladesh territory on Thursday evening without any provocation.

Md Ashraful Islam, a villager of Mominpara at Tetulia border area, said the BSF fired bullets at Tetulia-Puratan-Bazaar, Zianagar, Mominpara and Siddique Nagar villages forcing the local inhabitants to move to safer places.

When contacted Md Abdul Zabbar, company commander of Tetulia BDR Camp, said the BDR has lodged strong protest with the BSF against firing of bullets without any provocation.

The panicked villagers have started returning to their homes, he added.

A flag meeting was also held at the border yesterday to diffuse the tension.

Meanwhile, the BSF men at 57 Bhimpur camp in Dinajpur district returned the body of a Bangladeshi national after holding a flag meeting on Thursday night. He was gunned down on Thursday morning according to BDR sources.

The deceased was identified as Azizar Rahman, 35, son of late Nilbor Rahman of Bhaigarh village under Birampur upazila.

With this killing, the BSF gunned down at least five people at different border points since September 12.

FDI proposals in 7 months stand at $573.6m

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/09/18/79317.html

FDI proposals in 7 months stand at $573.6m

Country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) registration over the last seven months from January to July stood at US$573.60 million, according to official sources of Board of Investment (BoI) and Bangladesh Bank.

Alone in July this year, the FDI recorded with agencies concerned stood at $476.1 million, the sources said pointing to a sharp upward move from this month, reports BSS.

This is for the first time over the last two years the FDI registration is showing a remarkable upward trend, the sources added.

They said foreign business got back confidence again to come back with new investment proposals to banks and other financial institutions of the country. The situation turned around after the last December election, they observed.

Moreover, the investment environment became vibrant with the government move to set up new power plants. Some policy incentives of the government have also brought spurts to FDI movement to the Export Processing Zones (EPZs).

Growing investment in textiles, garments and some other manufacturing industries by the time worked as a new incentive to foreign investors to make more investments in the country’s ever growing manufacturing sector.

Many policy incentives and high priority to promote manufacturing served as additional incentives to foreign investors. They were, moreover, encouraged by the healthy economic environment free from impact of the global economic recession.

The government statistics showed that the FDI registration was $941 million in the country in 2008-09 compared to $748 million in 2007-08.

In this context, the reported $573.60 million investment proposal over a period of seven months from early this year is really impressive indicating a rising trend in the FDI inflow in the coming days, the official sources said.

18-pt action plan finalised to establish Digital Bangladesh

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/09/18/79360.html

18-pt action plan finalised to establish Digital Bangladesh

Nazmul Ahsan

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has finalised an 18-point Plan of Action to establish the ‘Digital Bangladesh’ concept of the government, official sources said.

The Plan of Action has been approved at a recent meeting of the Executive Committee of Information Communication Technology (ICT), held at the Prime Minister’s Office with the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister MD Abdul Karim in the chair.

The members of the Executive Committee, who are mostly government secretaries, attended the meeting.

According to the decision taken at the meeting, initiative will be undertaken to increase the number of science students in secondary schools so that the problem of human resource constraint to digitising Bangladesh is overcome. The Ministry of Education will implement the decision, according to the Plan of Action.

Provision will be kept to preserve electronic documents in all government-private offices. The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has been given responsibility at the meeting to amend the existing ICT regulations to facilitate lawful preservation of electronic document, according to the plan of action.

A separate ICT television channel will be established either by the government or by the private sector to popularise ICT-related programmes in the country. The Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology will examine the feasibility of introducing such a specialised channel, the meeting decided.

Initiatives will be taken to supply computers to all levels of public educational institutions ranging from schools to universities. The Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology will finalise the budget for computers, the Plan said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will undertake measures to attract non-resident Bangladeshis through the country’s foreign missions to invest in IT business, said the plan of Action.

The Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology will soon facilitate the disbursement of block allocation of Tk 10 million, earmarked in the budget for the current fiscal for development of ICT in support of digital Bangladesh concept, the high-level meeting decided.

The ministry will seek extra budgetary allocation from the finance ministry, if needed.

The Ministry of Education will upgrade and enrich the syllabi of ICT-related educational institutions so that students become more conversant with, and expert on, ICT, said the plan of action.

The ICT Forum will be established in the country’s each district and thana to sensitise people of all walks of life about the need for expansion of information technology, the action plan said. The Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology will issue letters to all Deputy Commissioners outlining the very philosophy of Digital Bangladesh and details of forming the proposed ICT Forum, said the Plan of Action.

The PMO will coordinate the activities of the ICT Forums and district level administration, the meeting decided.

The meeting also decided to seek enhanced budgetary allocation from the Ministry of Finance for IT-related research, according to meeting decision.

The Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology will establish a modus operandi to coordinate all relevant agencies including all those involved to establish a digital Bangladesh, the meeting decided again.

When asked, a government secretary, who attended the high-level meeting said the meeting’s decision (Plan of Action) would facilitate the implementation of digital Bangladesh concept to a great extent.

Local firm set to grab metro rail project

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=142686

Local firm set to grab metro rail project
DEEPAK ACHARJEE

The government is planning to select a local company named Contech Limited, for constructing the proposed 52-kilometre underground metro rail (subway) system to reduce traffic congestion in the densely populated capital city.

The communications ministry is learnt to have prepared a proposal to select the local company for implementing the metro rail project. A proposal to this effect would be placed at the cabinet committee on economic affairs to be held on September 27, sources in the communications ministry said.

According to the sources, Contech Limited has submitted a proposal to the communications ministry to construct the subway in Dhaka city at a cost of Tk 5,200 crore.

The company said that the underground railway system in the city could be established in three years’ time. The system would have six routes covering almost every busy area of the city.

The communications secretary Md Muzammel Haque Khan has said that the communications ministry has enlisted the proposal of the company with the Bangladesh Private Sector Infrastructure Guidelines, as unsolicited proposal.

The ministry has informed the company that it has selected them as pre-qualified tenderers and asked them to attend in the final tender of constructing the metro rail, he added.

According to the proposal, the project will be implemented by the private sector on Build, Operate Transfer (BOT) basis under the supervision of Bangladesh Railway (BR).

The first route of the metro rail system would start from Gabtoli and end at Saidabad via IDB Bhaban and Mohakhali covering a length of 17 kilometres. The second route would be from Uttara to Mohakhali via airport and Banani.

The third route would run from Pallabi to IDB Bhaban, the fourth would be from Ring Road to Shahbagh Via Satmasjid Road and Jigatola. The fifth route would go from Saidabad to Tejgaon via Kamalapur and the sixth would be from Gulistan to Sadarghat.

It is learnt that, the company has got assurance from the donor agencies of a big chunk of money as soft loan.

A consortium of local banks would be approached for financing the rest of the money as commercial loan. If necessary, the company would also be able to collect money from the stock market by floating shares.

The proposed underground railway system could be established through cut and cover method without disturbing surface traffic on any major road. The fare on the subway would also be less than the fare of surface transport system.

Govt contemplates waste-based electricity

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/09/18/news0628.htm

Govt contemplates waste-based electricity

Staff Reporter

The Power Division is contemplating to generate electricity through waste management of the country’s four-city corporations

An inter-ministerial meeting held at the Power Division auditorium yesterday constituted a committee headed by additional secretary of the Ministry of the LGED to conduct feasibility study in this regard.

Prime Minister’s Adviser for Power and Energy Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Bir Bikram, State Minister for Power and Energy Brig Gen (retd) Enamul Huq, Power Division Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad and other senior officials of the Power Division and LGED were present.

The power division asked the committee to submit its report at the earliest to start the project.

“If the government approves the project, the government will start electricity generation from 80 per cent the waste of Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna City Corporation next year, a senior official of the ministry said.

However, the Power Division also formed a separate committee for conducting feasibility study to produce electricity from water.

The Power Division has already selected eight sites of Chittagong Hill Tracts in this regard.

Computer becomes hot Eid item at Barisal : More pleasure than buying clothes

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/09/18/news0662.htm

Computer becomes hot Eid item at Barisal : More pleasure than buying clothes

BSS, Barisal

Computer has become the hot item of an Eid-shopping item in Barisal markets as teenage and young buyers are finding more pleasure in use of internet than buying new clothes- traditionally seen during the Eid festival. The city’s nine poplar computer shops remain overcrowded with young and teenage buyers from morning to night every day.

They search latest versions of computers, different accessories, new game software and also internet connectivity everyday , which is yet to be upgraded in the country’s southern region.

“My cousin is living in Dhaka city and uses internet since long and doing a lot of things with his computer. In fact, computer is not just a tool for use. Something more even a pleasure than that we find in buying any clothes,” Farhan Ahm-ed, a student of class nine of BM school said.

He said that his four other friends also are getting computers as Eid-gifts from their nears and dear ones. “This has encouraged me to buy computer instead of new clothes on the occasion of the holy Eid- ul- Fitr,” he said. Young and teenagers from both rural and urban areas are coming to computer shops along with their parents. Some of them are repairing their existing devices and pressing their parents to buy new one. Most computer sellers said this year they are experiencing a huge demand for computer products from Eid shoppers.

The government’s plans for making the country a digital one and rapid-growing internet connectivity have encouraged young and teenagers to buy computers as Eid gift.

“My 15-year old son Asif is very happy this year with a new computer. I have bought this for him from a local shop at Taka 25,500 as he desired to have a computer as Eid-gift,” Rahman Tarek, a residence of Barisal city living abroad said. He said teenage and young are becoming more interested to use computer as internet technology has bought uncountable pleasures for them and has opened window of opportunity for their future.

“This will bring gro-wth, development and prospect for the nation”.

One more Bangladeshi gunned down on border

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One more Bangladeshi gunned down on border
BSF kills 5 in a week

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) gunned down yet another Bangladeshi national on Thursday taking the total of such killings to 5 in last one week. According to UNB news agency, BSF gunned down a Bangladeshi national near Bhaigarh border in Birampur upazila in Dinajpur early Thursday.(TBT Report)

The deceased was identified as Azizar Rahman, 35, son of Nilbor Ali of Bhaigarh village.

BDR sources said BSF members of 57 Bhimpur camp fired on Bangladesh border, leaving Azizar dead on the spot. Aziz was working in his field at the time.

“The BSF members then intruded into Bangladesh territory and dragged the body into their camp,” says a report from the area. In an immediate reaction, BDR sent a letter to BSF protesting the incident and also asked for return of the body of the deceased.

Earlier on Saturday, they shot dead Ashraful Islam and Aminul Islam on Sundara border in Dinajpur. Two days after the incident, on Monday, they killed another two Bangladeshis-Mohsin and Ruhul Amin-on Jalpaitoli frontier.

According to statistics projected by ‘Odhikar’, a non-government human rights watchdog, some 62 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by the Indian BSF from January 1 to July 11 this year. With the latest killing on September 17 the total number of Bangladeshis killed since 1 January 2009 stands at 77, and that from 1 January 2000 to September 17, 2009 stands at 804. Odhikar said, in more than nine years between 1 January 2000 and 10 July 2009 a total of 789 people were reported killed, 846 injured and 895 abducted by the BSF.

The killings of unarmed Bangladeshis by the BSF on the border are continuing in clear violation of the spirit of good neighborliness as well as international law and despite repeated pledges by the Indian authorities to stop it. In every meeting between BSF and BDR and also between the higher level officials of the two countries, the Indian side assures that killing of Bangladeshis by its forces on the border would come to an end immediately. But this pledge is seldom implemented.

Indian BSF had pledged very recently once again to stop killings of Bangladeshi citizens on the border. The assurance was given by BSF Chief Mahendra Lal Kumawat at a joint press briefing on conclusion of the three-day high level BDR-BSF conference in Dhaka on July 14. But it appears that BSF does not mean what it says and hence it continues killing Bangladeshis.

Rahimafrooz to launch solar panel assembly factory next yr

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/09/17/79239.html

Rahimafrooz to launch solar panel assembly factory next yr

Fazlur Rahman

Rahimafrooz will launch a solar panel assembly factory next year, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, to provide customers better product at competitive prices, officials said Wednesday.

Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Ltd (RRE), a sister concern of the more than 50-year old Group, has been providing solar solutions for households, agriculture, healthcare, education, rural streets and marketplaces for the last few years, thus transforming the lives of people and lighting up different corners of the country.

Now the company is planning to build its own assembly plant in the country as the market has matured enough to have such facilities.

“In the past, we could not go far such set-up as the market was small. But now the market has matured and the demand for solar panel is increasing day by day,” Sohel Ahmed, general manager of RRE, said.

“Now we need such a facility, which will allow us to assemble green energy products by our own. It will help us to cut import cost. At the same time, the consumers will get quality products at competitive prices,” he told the FE.

He said that the annual production capacity of the assembled plant would be 12 megawatt.

The company is now holding talks with financial institutions about the financing of Tk 400 million project.

Mr. Ahmed said: “We are now talking with financiers such as Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) to have financial supports as panel assembling factory will require significant investment. We hope to start production by middle of the next year.”

The plant would be set up in Dhaka or its adjoining areas, he said.

Now the number of solar home systems in the country stands at around 350,000, imported from China and Britain, which will reach 750,000 in the next two years, under the supervision of state-run IDCOL, which promotes renewable energy development.

He said the market would also grow in next couple of years as the market of IDCOL is increasing. Besides, there is a government instruction to install solar panel system in every office to ease pressure on national grid.

“We have even been given go-ahead to install such system in the Prime Minister’s Office,” said Ahmed adding that on an average 15,000 systems are being installed in the country every month under the programme of IDCOL.

He said through solar systems, IDCOL is generating electricity amount to 15 to 16 mw annually.

To date, RRE has lightened up more than 100,000 rural homes in Bangladesh and the company is endeavouing to do much more in the future.

Officials of the Group said that Rahimafrooz is trying to bring all kinds of solar solutions for the country which will include solution for off-grid and grid areas.

On the possibility of bringing all base stations of telecom operators under this green energy solution, another official said:

“For off-grid, remote and semi urban areas, solar solution is feasible. But for grid areas, the solar solution is not feasible as electricity is highly subsidised in Bangladesh.”

“The abundance, inexhaustibility and non polluting nature of solar energy, have made it right alternative for conventional energy sources, which are getting fast exhausted,” he said.

Rahimafrooz is the pioneer and leader in solar solutions in Bangladesh. It is the only private sector company with practical hands on experience of installing solar solutions in the most remote and off-grid areas of Bangladesh, the official said.

The company has already successfully implemented the pilot projects for different leading telecom operators by now. “Now we are offering this solution for all the telecom operators,” said the official.

Local refiners find niche in world sugar market

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/09/17/79237.html

Local refiners find niche in world sugar market

Jasim Uddin Haroon

Bangladesh is going to add just another item to its export basket as the country’s private sector sugar refiners have found markets abroad, thanks to a slump in production in India, a major world supplier.

Local entrepreneurs said they are close to striking deals with some European and Middle East countries for supplying refined sugar.

There are six refineries in the country and their capacity is 1.8 million tonnes per year against the domestic demand for 1.2 million tonnes.

Besides, S Alam Refinery, installed in Chittagong with an annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes, is likely to go into production soon.

There are also 14 sugar mills under the state-owned Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) with a production capacity of 125,000 tonnes. But this season they produced only 80,000 tonnes.

One local sugar refiner said it has already negotiated supply of 12,000 tonnes of crystal sugar to Poland while another is negotiating with some other buyers.

Golam Mustafa, chairman of Deshbandhu Sugar Refinery, told the FE: “I have already completed procedures to export 12,000 tonnes of sugar to Poland, which offers duty-free access.”

He also claimed that the United Arab Emirates and Yemen wanted to buy 4,000 tonnes each this year.

The local sugar refineries were mostly set up during 2006 and Deshbandhu is the pioneer in the sector. It has set up the refinery at the premises of Narsingdi’s ageing Deshbandhu Sugar Mill, which was returned to its owner under the government’s privatisation policy.

Local firm develops application for Apple’s app store

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/sep/17/busi.html#7

Local firm develops application for Apple’s app store
Business Desk

A local Information and Communication Technology firm has recently developed an application for Apple’s app store for people who tend to forget their daily tasks owing to busy lifestyle.

According to a media release, Nazimcorp Resource Gateway recently developed the ‘Program Your Spouse’ solution, its first application for Apple’s app store.

The release claims that the company is possibly the first ever ICT company in Bangladesh to become a direct developer of such an application that has already been placed on the app store online.

‘The easy-to-use daily task manager is the perfect solution for people who tend to forget their chores due to a busy lifestyle,’ says Lutfar Rahman Nirjhar, chief executive officer of the company.

He points out that through the application the users will be able to ensure the completion of all tasks on time.