Re-launch of One Stop Service soon

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=115192

Re-launch of One Stop Service soon
Star Business Report

The state-run investment promotional agency will re-launch its One Stop Service to provide better services to entrepreneurs expediting investment processes, its chief told a seminar in Dhaka yesterday.

“Enhancing image through better service is our goal,” said S A Samad, executive chairman of the Board of Investment (BoI).

Canada-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CanCham) organised the seminar on Bangladesh’s Potentials for Foreign Investment at the auditorium of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The BoI boss listed some facilities offered to investors, both local and foreign, which include cash incentives, zero tariff benefit for importing some specific raw materials and guaranteed loans against opening of letters of credit.

In this context he also pointed his finger at opening up a widened area of investments for all except four sectors including arms and ammunition, forest plantation, nuclear energy and security printing and minting. “ You have a lot of areas you can make investment.”

Samad assured foreign entrepreneurs that their interests are protected by the law of the land.

At present there are 44 Canadian projects in Bangladesh with an accumulated investment of $296.37 million employing 11,087 persons, he pointed out.

“The government is relentlessly trying to improve the law and order for creating a better investment climate in the country,” Samad said.

The decline in corruption and crime is a clear indication of the better law and order, he added.

In his speech, Canadian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Robert McDougall stressed improvement in Dhaka’s traffic congestion to attract foreign direct investment (FDI).

“Practical actions are needed, rather than soft words for reducing the city’s traffic jam,” he said.

Urging an accelerating pace in the execution of annual development programmes, CanCham President Masud Rahman lauded the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives saying it is a good effort to lure FDI.

However, he lamented that current investment offers are not enough in the cases of much-needed physical infrastructures like energy, port, roads and railways.

These areas need huge money with slow return, Rahman said.

“Appropriate policy support that envisages joint ventures and incentives may be given to attract investment in these areas,” Rahman added.

CanCham Vice-president John Douglas Hearns also spoke.

BBF launches ‘Knowledge Centre’

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BBF launches ‘Knowledge Centre’
Star Business Desk

Bangladesh Brand Forum (BBF) has launched its innovative project, Knowledge Centre, yesterday.

Through its different sections, the centre aims to inspire managers to reach their full potential.

The available means of resources are: Library (books and journals), a computer centre, a video archive, a training centre and a creative centre.

Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, energy adviser to the prime minister, was present at the ceremony along with Prof Ferhat Anwar, BBF chief adviser, and Shariful Islam, founder.

Shah Masud Imam, head of corporate affairs of Standard Chartered Bank, who was also present at the event, said: “The facility is equipped with all the necessary means to gain knowledge about the business world.”

Bangladesh Brand Forum promotes brands in Bangladesh’s corporate world.

Norway envoy visits Shinepukur Ceramics

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=151097

Norway envoy visits Shinepukur Ceramics
ECONOMIC REPORTER

The ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka Ingebjoerg Stoefring, on November 21, visited the state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities of Shinepukur Ceramics Ltd. (SCL), the leading ceramic tableware manufacturing company and largest ceramic tableware exporter of Bangladesh.

The Norway ambassador showed special interest in the high quality bone China tableware which SCL manufactures in its world class manufacturing plant.

Seeing different production lines of both Porcelain Plant and Bone China Plant of SCL, The Norway ambassador highly appreciated the quality of the products, as well as the quality of the manufacturing systems of SCL’s manufacturing plant.

She was also highly impressed by the hygienic environment and high-tech quality control process that SCL put in place during its production.

Rizvi Ul Kabir, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Shinepukur Ceramics Ltd. welcomed the ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka and the 15 member delegation from the Norway Embassy in the SCL manufacturing plant.

Rizvi said, “SCL is currently exporting both its Porcelain and Bone China products to Norway and this visit of the Norway ambassador to SCL plant will definitely further enhance SCL’s exports to Norway in the coming days”. He also mentioned that “Considering the huge demand of SCL’s high quality bone China tablewares in all its export markets, SCL is currently expanding its production capacity of bone China plant.”

Bangla may be used in net domain name

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Bangla may be used in net domain name
Staff Correspondent

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) has agreed in principle to include Bangla as one of the languages to be used in top-level domain name, said a parliamentary committee yesterday.

“When I recently met Icann CEO Rod Beckstrom in Egypt he agreed in principle to include Bangla as one of the languages to be used for top-level domain names,” Hasanul Haq Inu, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on telecommunications ministry, told The Daily Star after a meeting of the committee.

Inu said he asked Beckstrom why Bangla, which is spoken by about 40 crore people, will not be included for using in domain names while Russian and Arabic scripts are going to be incorporated in the domain name system.

“Beckstrom finally agreed in principle and advised me to apply formally from government level,” said Inu.

“The parliamentary standing committee today asked the ministry concerned to apply to Icann to this end and inform Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about it,” he added.

Inu expressed hope that Bangla will be one of the top-level domain name languages by the next International Mother Language Day.

Icann is a non-profit organisation that was created on September 18, 1998, in order to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks including assigning Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and managing generic and country code top-level domain name system.

The parliamentary standing committee meeting asked the telecommunications ministry to declare about 29 acres of land of Telephone and Shipa Sangstha as telecom and electronic machinery production zone.

It also asked the ministry not to apply the government purchase policy to purchase of machineries or equipment for the organisation.

“We have also set a timetable for Telephone and Shilpa Sangstha to turn the losing venture into a profitable one,” Inu said.

Japanese investors’ interest on rise

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/nov/22/busi.html#1

Japanese investors’ interest on rise
Kazi Azizul Islam

Japanese investors and importers are choosing Bangladesh as one of their major destinations. Trade negotiations, agreements and visits by investors have marked a significant rise in recent times.

According to a Japanese trade diplomat in Dhaka, Japanese investors are showing more interest in investing Bangladesh.

‘The express of interests from potential investors and importers in the past six months was definitely much higher than before,’ Tomohiro Kinomoto, the country chief of the Japan External Trade Organisation, told New Age.

The JETRO official observed, ‘Bangladesh should not miss this chance.’

Top-level officials of Shimamura, Japan’s second largest clothing retailer, and Okamoto, Japanese socks and hosiery market leader, visited Dhaka early this month.

Kinomoto said their visits were successful.

In 2007, Bangladesh apparel shipment to Japan was worth less than $30 million exposing the country’s inability to extract from Japan’s $25 billion plus market of imported apparels.

But, the opening of the Dhaka sourcing office in Mid-2008 by Japan’s number one clothing brand Uniqlo drew attention of other Japanese, who mainly source from China with some procurement from Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

In nine months to September 2009, Bangladesh apparel shipment to Japan crossed $80 million, which is more than double of the 2008 shipment.

Kinomoto finds highly significant the partnership between Bangladeshi ISP BracNet and Japanese telecom and internet service giant KDDI Corporation.

KDDI, which is partly owned by Toyota and Kyocera and has business with Google, announced last week that it had bought 50 per cent stakes in BracNet.

Kinomoto declined to name more companies that are close to make investment deals or doing feasibility studies in Bangladesh.

Sources in the Japan Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry said at least half a dozen Japanese textile and garment companies were in process of registration as investors.

‘Companies are also doing feasibility studies in sectors like pharmaceuticals, information and communication technology and leather,’ said a JBCCI official.

The JBCCI president, Abdul Haque, said Kenco Logistics and Konoike-Euro Logistics opened their offices in Dhaka while QTECH, an inspection company, announced opening of its office in February next year.

‘Arrival of a freight forwarder and an inspection company in a new place indicates huge increase in business in the near future,’ Akhtaruzzaman, a member of parliament and the agent QTECH, said.

Syed Nasim Manzur, managing director of Apex Adelchi Footwear, the country’s largest shoe manufacturer and exporter, felt that eagerness of Japanese investors towards Bangladesh had increased significantly in recent months.

For years, business seminars in Dhaka discussed the potential of Japanese investment in Bangladesh or possibility of relocations of Japanese manufacturing industries in the country.

But in reality Japan’s investments in Bangladesh remain insignificant comparing with Korea, China, Taiwan or even the UK or USA.

Kinomoto of JETRO said due to the ‘China Plus One’ policy of the Japanese government, the Japanese manufacturers had started considering Bangladesh as an important investment and import souring destination.

‘The global recession has pushed the Japanese business to search lower cost manufacturing base and sourcing destinations,’ he added.

Power and gas supply would have to be improved, Kinomoto said adding that road condition would have to be improved and land has to be developed for setting up factories.

Citing establishment of a special economic zone by the Pakistan government for Japanese investors, he said, ‘The Japanese may not want that here, but spaces could be provided by expanding the existing EPZs immediately.’

The JBCCI president said the government and business bodies would have to actively welcome the latest interests of the Japanese investors and arrange necessary facilities in shortest possible time.

He said for meeting demand of Japanese investors immediately the government could offer them land belonging to closed state-owned enterprises.

Bumper production of winter vegetables expected in northern region

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=4&id=72361&date=2009-11-21

Bumper production of winter vegetables expected in northern region

RAJSHAHI, Bangladesh, Nov 21 (BSS)- Bumper production of the winter vegetables is being expected everywhere in the 16 northern districts under Rajshahi division during the current Rabi season by virtue of the favorable topography and weather.

All varieties of winter vegetables have now appeared in abundance in the local markets and the yield rate achieved so far are found to be higher than that of the target due to early farming of the vegetables, Officials in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said.

Meanwhile, the market price of all varieties of vegetables especially lalshak, palangshak, sheem and mula has been declined to abnormal level frustrating the farmers side by side with making the purchasers happy.

The DAE has fixed an average yield rate of all varieties winter vegetables at 15 tonnes per hectare this time, the sources said.

Under the programme, a total of around 18 lakh tonnes different varieties of vegetables will be produced in 1.23 lakh hectares in all 16 districts under Rajshahi and Rangpur agriculture zones in the country’s northern region this season.

Under the programme, 12,000 hectares in Rajshahi, 7,500 hectares each in Naogaon and Sirajganj, 6,500 hectares in Natore, 9,500 hectares in Chapainawabganj, 16,000 hectares in Pabna, 8,500 hectares in Bogra and 5,000 hectares will be brought under the cultivation of winter vegetables in Joypurhat districts under Rajshahi Agriculture Zone, the DAE sources said.

Apart from this, 8,000 hectares of land were brought under winter vegetables in Rangpur, 6,000 hectares each in Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Thakurgaon, 5,000 hectares in Lalmonirhat, 10,000 hectares in Dinajpur and 4,000 hectares in Panchagarh districts under Rangpur Agriculture Zone.

Officials said the DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and many NGOs have been supplying adequate quality seeds, other agro-inputs and providing necessary technical assistance to the farmers for making the cultivation a total success.

Additional director of DAE Akterul Afghan told BSS that emphasis is being given to increasing production of high yielding seeds and saplings through farmers’ level extension and application of the high yielding varieties.

Farmers are being habituated with homestead gardening through establishing projection plot of improved technologies adjacent to the localities for enhancing vegetable output.

As a result of this, he said gardening around homesteads in the Barind region is becoming increasingly popular with production of different common fruits and vegetables for own consumption and also to sell the surplus for extra income.

In addition to this, he said modern technologies are being transferred among the growers level through farmers training, projection plot, field day and different types of campaign so that the farmers could make their cultivation more effective and profitable.

Different commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and other commercial banks, NGOs have been disbursing agriculture loans and interest-free loans among the farmers to make the cultivation of winter vegetables successful.

Exports await boost as west crawls out of recession

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/nov/21/busi.html#1

Exports await boost as west crawls out of recession
Khawaza Main Uddin

The country’s economy may find stronger grounds for consolidating exports as a result of rising consumer demands in the west with the advanced economies crawling out of the recession.

In the coming months, economists anticipate positive implications of the recovery worldwide for Bangladesh, which remains largely insulated from the global financial meltdown.

They forecast that the national economy is most likely to escape the ‘tail effects’ of the recession as exports of both goods and manpower are expected to bounce back to normal trends cashing in on the latest economic growth in Europe and North America.

Demands for Bangladeshi garments in the west next summer and fall are high, say industry sources adding that exports of items such as frozen foods, jute and jute goods and leather products may also rebound, should the gains by mighty economies in terms of gross domestic product sustain.

However, the economists suggest that the government should now focus on long-term strategy for sustainable export earnings and remittances taking lessons from the country’s vulnerability to external shocks and also its resilience proven during the global recession spanning 2008 and 2009.

‘Demands for our products in the western markets are going to rise with the increasing consumer demands and if more employments are generated in the aftermath of the recession. Signs of an end to the financial crisis are there,’ said Ananya Raihan, executive director of research organisation D-Net.

Nazneen Ahmed, research fellow of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, pointed out that the sales of goods and commodities in the run-up to the Christmas Day celebrations would ascertain whether the recession in Europe and America was over and the west could increase imports from countries such as Bangladesh.

Both the economists recommended that the government should always keep an eye on the latest developments in the global economy before taking any policy measures to support the exports and other sectors that might have impacts on taxpayers’ money.

A sub-committee of the officially-formed task force has recently advised the government to provide textiles and clothing units with partial interest waiver on bank loans and also cash incentive for exploring new markets, apart from floating a Tk 200 crore revolving fund to support the apparel sector. An amount of Tk 5,000 crore has been earmarked as stimulus package in the current budget.

In the past week, gross domestic products in the euro-zone area of 16 nations reportedly rose 0.4 per cent from the second quarter and joined the United States and Japan in returning to growth from the worst recession since the Second World War. Germany and France – two main destinations of Bangladeshi exports to the European Union – contributed more to compensating for households’ reluctance to spending.

The news of economic recovery in Europe in particular came in the wake of almost 12 per cent decline in Bangladesh exports in the first quarters.

When asked about the trends in export order receipts, Zafar Iqbal, director of a foreign company named Gooryong Dhaka Limited, mentioned that they had already witnessed approximately 40 per cent rise in the export orders targeting the next summer and fall.

‘Many factories especially larger ones are flooded with orders. However, the prices of garment items may vary and it depends on the capacity, including quality of products and bargaining power of individual entrepreneurs,’ he told New Age on Friday.

Nazneen Ahmed felt that Bangladesh was ‘perhaps’ going to avoid the ‘tail effects’ of the recession. ‘So, I believe, the government should maintain caution in paying direct stimulus with the taxpayers’ money,’ she said suggesting long-term measures to boost exports and remittances.

Ananya Raihan suggested trading with services instead of depending only on trade in goods and said Bangladesh had opportunities to export banking services to Africa, the Middle East and even South Asian countries.

He also recommended that the government could consider devaluation of Taka against dollar to give incentives to exports at a time when there was no pressure of higher import bills and foreign exchange reserves swelled to $10 billion mark.

Dhaka, Ankara strike deal on direct air link

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Dhaka, Ankara strike deal on direct air link
Unb, Dhaka

Bangladesh and Turkey have agreed to introduce direct air and banking links between the two countries at the earliest possible time to promote bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

The two sides also underscored the need for direct shipping link, as a protocol was signed between the two countries in Ankara, Turkey on Thursday.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith and Turkish Minister of State Mehmet Aydin signed the protocol on the concluding day of the third session of Bangladesh-Turkey Joint Commission for Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation (JEC) held November 18-19.

According to the protocol received here Thursday night, the two sides agreed to cooperate with each other so they could raise the bilateral trade to $ 1 billion in the shortest possible time.

To achieve the target, they agreed to encourage their designated airlines to start direct flight between Bangladesh and Turkey at the earliest possible time under a memorandum of understanding signed in 1997.

The two countries would also consider establishing direct banking links through state-owned banks, suitable private banks or other financial institutions on a priority basis.

Other major areas the two sides have agreed to cooperate are agriculture and irrigation systems, contracting services, tourism, telecommunications, infrastructure projects, SMEs sector development, and standards and testing institutions.

The two sides agreed to explore the possibilities of joint venture in the fields of shipbuilding, heavy machinery industries, electronic appliances, textiles, pharmaceuticals, RMG, jute and jute products, and petrochemical products.

Both sides stressed the need for reciprocal visits of business delegations to promote bilateral trade, economic and technical cooperation, and also the need for holding trade fairs in each other’s country.

Bangladesh expressed interest to export medicines and pharmaceutical products. The country invited Turkish investors to relocate their labour-intensive industries like textile and construction to Bangladesh to utilise cheapest labour and other fiscal incentives.

Both sides agreed to examine the investment possibilities from Turkey in the oil, gas, refinery and power plant sectors in Bangladesh.

The two countries decided to hold the next meeting of the JEC in Bangladesh at a time to be mutually agreed upon.

Govt move to boost gas production

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=84974

Govt move to boost gas production
FHM Humayan Kabir

The government has taken a “first track” scheme to augment gas production by 120 million cubic feet per day over the next two years from the country’s largest Titas field in order to overcome the prevailing energy supply crunch, officials said.

State-owned gas producer Bangladesh Gas Field Company Ltd (BGFCL) will spend Tk 10 billion to develop four wells for producing the additional gas and also check seepage in five wells of the Titas field, the company officials said.

Titas gas field in Brahmanbaria district is the largest in the country with its reserve of 5.13 trillion cubic feet (TCF) and second largest gas producing field supplying 420mmcf of gas per day from its 14 operative wells.

“Under a first track scheme, we have sought project approval of the executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC) before starting the development works,” a senior BGFCL official told the FE Friday.

He said if the four wells are developed, additional 120-mmcf of gas per day will be added to the national grid within two years.

The official said they will also appoint an international firm to control the gas leakage in the field and repair five vulnerable wells there in a bid to ensure secured gas production for long.

The company has already invited tender to hire an international firm to plug the leakage that started from well no. 3 of the gas field in 2006.

Geologists assume the Titas field has been losing one to five mmcf of gas per day because of the leakage since 2006.

In early 2008, BGFCL spent $10.2 million for sealing the troubled well no. 3 to stop gas leakage, but it failed to achieve the desired result.

“It is good news that the Asian Development Bank has assured us of providing nearly $120 million fund for implementing the first track project,” the BGFCL official said.

The official said: “We will start development works at Titas from next year as the country is heading towards severe gas crisis from 2013. We hope to raise total production to over 550mmcf per day by 2012 as the gas pressure in the field is still encouraging.”

The present gas flow pressure of the Titas Field is 1900 PSI against its initial pressure of 3,300 PSI 39 years back.

“Under the project we will also ascertain the present reserve of the country’s largest gas field. The survey will help us undertake future development plan,” the BGFCL official said.

BGFCL is the largest gas production company in the public sector, as it produces nearly 730mmcf of gas per day from its five fields-Titas, Habiganj, Bakhrabad, Narshingdi and Meghna.

Present gas production capacity of 79 gas wells of all the government and foreign energy company owned fields is about 1950 mmcf per day, leaving over 200mmcf shortfall.

Due to sever gas supply crunch, the government has already stopped new gas connections to the bulk and domestic customers in some areas in the country.

Dev of salinity tolerant rice at final stage

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/21/news0141.htm

Dev of salinity tolerant rice at final stage
BSS, Dhaka

A newly invented variety of salinity- tolerant rice will be placed before the National Seed Board to get nod from the authorities for taking it to field level cultivation in the next Boro season.

Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) is at the final stage of developing the variety to cultivate in the lands with high salinity in the coastal belts of the country. The probable name of the variety would be BINA dhan-8.

Dr Mirza Mofazzal Islam, principal scientific officer of BINA said that the vast tract of coastal lands with high salinity of the region remained fallow in absence of salinity tolerant variety of rice.

At present the falling rate of mature paddy of BR- 47, which has less tolerance level of salinity, is very high in the harvesting time that may affect total production rate of the farmers, Dr Mirza added.

But falling rate of the BINA-8, the newly developed variety, is very low, he said the variety will create good prospect for some good qualities in lands with salinity in the country’s coastal region.

Dr Mirza, who is developing the variety under the initiative of BINA, said the development of BINA dhan- 8 was started in 2000 and now it is at final stage and ready to be cultivated.

Japan transferring new tech for facing earthquake damage

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/21/news0140.htm

Japan transferring new tech for facing earthquake damage
BSS, Dhaka

Japan, one of most earthquake vulnerable countries around the globe, has decided to transfer its retrofit technique of constructing buildings to Bangladesh and equip the nation to minimize damage from possible high-intensity earthquake.

Retrofitting technique is applied to a building as an extra protection with additional support of shear wall or steel amid experts’ assessment that Bangladesh faces a high risk of moderate to strong earthquakes that may result in widespread damage and loss of thousands of lives.

The Japan government will transfer the technology here through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under one of its technical assistance programme, Project Formulation Officer of Disaster Mitigation and Climate Change wing of JICA Bangladesh Hideki Katayama told BSS.

“Our government has decided to take the initiative to help Bangladesh protecting its important establishments like government building, hospitals and fire stations from high- intensity earthquake so that effective rescue operation can be conducted after the disaster,” he said.

Katayama said all important buildings in Japan are retrofitted, a modification technique of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes, he said.

A JICA team with expertise of retrofitting techniques will be deployed here by January next to transfer the technology to the local engineers, he said.

JICA Disaster Management and Climate Change Programme officer M Anisuzzaman Chowdhury said the JICA expert team is expecting to make retrofitting at one building of secretariat, one fire station and one hospital as pilot basis.

“During the pilot programme, the Japanese experts will provide theoretical and practical training to the local engineers about the technique,” he said adding after transferring the technology the Bangladesh government will decide that at how many public buildings would be under retrofit technology.

According to a seismic zoning map prepared by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), 43 percent areas in Bangladesh are rated high risk, 41 percent moderate and 16 percent low.

Netbook PCs make major inroads in local IT market

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=84975

Netbook PCs make major inroads in local IT market
Mehdi Musharraf Bhuiyan

Ultra portable subnotebooks or netbooks are rapidly gaining popularity in the country’s vibrant PC market as evident from the latest bout of the annual ICT fair currently being held in the city.

Despite lacking some basic features like a built in optical drive, these petite cousins of more familiar notebook PCs are drawing significant attention in this year’s BCS ICT World 2009; owing to their lower than conventional size and price.

Beginning from Tuesday last, the 16th edition of the flagship event of the country’s ICT world ends today (Saturday) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center of the capital.

“A typical netbook- no matter of what brand, usually weighs less than a kg- which is almost half in mass than the lighter ranges of notebooks, while their screen size hardly cross the 10 inch mark”, explains an exhibitor at the fair.

Equally attractive are the price ranges of these ultra portable laptops; which, thanks to fair discounts, has been found to be as low as Tk. 23,500 for some brands.

Netbooks first came to fore in the local market back in 2008; when the Taiwanese high-tech giant duo Acer and Asus brought their groundbreaking Acer Aspire One and Asus EEE PC in the Dhaka outlets followed by their successful launch in international scene.

Other big names in the PC market followed soon and by the beginning of 2009, almost every laptop brand available in the market had their own version of netbooks to offer.

Never before however, these ultraportable subnotebooks have featured so numerously at any big event of ICT in Bangladesh; industry insiders said, which is a significant promotional boost for these emerging segments of PC market.

“I found these netbooks quite smart”, said a visitor after experimenting with one of them for a while, “these machines are so lightweight and handy”, while admitting that he has to get himself used to it before buying a PC without any optical drive.

From the more pricey brands like Apple or Sony Vaio and more popular HP, Dell, Toshiba or Lenovo to emerging names like BenQ, every brand have displayed at least one or two models of netbooks in their stalls. The typical price of these laptops is ranged between Tk. 35000 to Tk. 24000.

“Netbooks can be possibly a big deal in Bangladeshi market”, admits an industry insider, “they may not grab any bulk market share but even then, their cheaper price range is well suited with the emerging markets”. He added.

Apart from netbooks, another major attraction of this year’s fair was Qubee. Weeks after the formal launching of this high speed Internet service in the country, this WiMax provider has unveiled a revamped and less expensive price package for its service on the eve of the fair while offering the visitors free ride to the WiMax experience.

Like any other year, major dealers in the PC market have introduced a range of new models of various brands. These include Acer Aspire 4736Z and 4810Z, Lenovo G450 29492KQ and 294955Q, Intel i5-750 and i7-860 processors as well as Toshiba TECRA M10-P463.

Prices of notebooks can be as much varied as the number of brands and models, so that they range from Tk. 36000 to as high as Tk. 155,000. But an average laptop usually is priced between Tk. 50,000.00 to Tk. 70,000.00.

A number of stalls have been dedicated to selling locally produced multimedia CDs- which offers a wide variety of cartoons and educational software targeted at young children.

A range of computer accessories and digital equipments like USB flash drive, portable hard drive, memory module, flash card, digital multimedia player and photo frame also featured prominently in this year’s fair.

Govt plans BTC in Dubai to tap Asian, African export markets

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=84845

Govt plans BTC in Dubai to tap Asian, African export markets
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman

The government is planning to open another Bangladesh Trade Centre (BTC) abroad, this time in Dubai, to tap Asian and African export markets.

Dubai is a business hub where Asian and African businesses have their offices and Bangladeshi exporters can have direct communications with them through the centre, commerce minister M Faruk Khan told the FE on Thursday.

The Dubai centre will be opened next year, he said.

The first ever BTC will be opened on November 29 in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the centre.

The Port of Spain BTC will be run by a Bangladeshi businessman and he will bring business from the countries in the Caribbean, South and Latin Americas and earn commission from the total business turnover, the commerce minister said.

“The government will support him financially for six months and from June he will bear all office expenses,” he added.

The office will have state-of-the-art facility and local exporters can hold video conference with importers of the region, Mr Faruk said.

When asked why Bangladesh is opening a trade centre at such a location where it does not have much trade relations, he said the objective is to expand market for Bangladesh products in the Caribbean, South and Latin Americas.

“We have big markets in the US and EU and also have presence in Africa and Asia but we do not have trade relations with countries in the Caribbean, Latin and South Americas,” he said.

“The main objective is to tap and diversify the market,” he added.

Special incentives will be given to exporters for product and market diversification under a stimulus package, he said.

The BTC at the Port of Spain will be able to furnish information on the country’s trade, history, tradition and culture.

The trade centre has been set up on a 1,000 sqf office space, provided free of cost by Bangladesh’s honorary consul general Razei Azad Rahman for five years, the minister said.

Shipbuilding industry sees growth spree

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=84738

Shipbuilding industry sees growth spree
Munima Sultana

The country’s fast growing ship building industry is likely to see another growth spurt within a year as a number of foreign companies are seeking local partners to develop backward linkage industries.

Ship building owners said joint venture investment are likely to come from Denmark, Germany, France and few other countries that would help reduce the foreign dependence from ship designing to painting to make world class ocean-going vessels.

Officials of Danish Embassy said at least nine Danish entrepreneurs are working on establishing joint ventures to develop deck equipment, windows, generators, hydraulic system and marine electrical equipment.

Besides, some Danish Naval architect firms are also considering to set up design houses to help the Bangladesh shipyards develop their own design for which they spend about 10 per cent of the production cost.

Officials said a good number of German businessmen who visited the country in October also expressed their willingness to enter into joint ventures for setting up heavy tech industries to build engine and generator.

Though most of these deals are at negotiation level, they said, the joint ventures from Germany would help the country double its ship building capacity.

Md Shakhawat Hossain, Managing Director of Western Marine Shipyard, said joint ventures would be a win-win deal as foreign companies business costs will lower and Bangladesh would get home grown supply of allied products thus saving valuable foreign currency.

“This will help reduce production cost and increase value addition of Bangladesh made oceangoing vessels,” he said and added that foreign investment here would increase value addition of the country’s product to 50 per cent which is now 35 per cent.

The country now has some 10 shipyards which have capacity to make trawlers, containers ships, multipurpose vessels, tankers, various types of tugs, patrol boats, passenger vessels seismic vessels and fisheries research vessels.

Morten Siem Lynge, Programme Coordinator of Danish Embassy to Bangladesh told the FE that though the investment would not create big employment, it would help the country get skilled workers and experts of international level.

He said within a short time, memorandum of understanding (MOU) would be signed between a few Danish and Bangladesh companies to start joint ventures in the country.

Shakhawat Hossain said at present the country’s carpentry and electrical industries can support the needs of different sectors other than ship building as they have lack of technology and skill to do so.

“The joint venture deals would ensure technology transfer and building capacity of these companies to carry these carpentry and electric works especially for the growing industry,” he added.

According to a study of Danish Embassy, investment cost in the ship building industry in the country is 15 per cent lower than other ship building nations due to cheaper labour cost.

It shows that the country can supply only 10 per cent components for building exportable ships but its support to the domestic inland and coastal vessels manufacturing is around 40 per cent, most of which are believed to be by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with low skill and training.

The Danish study says that though cost of labour in ship building is typically around 20-30 per cent of the total ship manufacturing costs, the study says that the value of the local items which is 40 per cent of the total ship cost could accordingly be upgraded to 70 per cent.

Among the 200 shipyards, the country has four shipyards capable to build ocean going small vessels but there are six others which would be able to reach the same category by a year or two.

The Danish study finds potentiality to develop 18 backward linkage industries in the country which include ship’s out fittings, safety accessories, marine lighting, maritime signs, symbols and posters, piston rings, switch gear, furniture, marine cables, anchor and chain, electrical and electronic items and shipbuilding steel plate.

Bangladesh to grow GM rice by 2012

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/19/news0976.htm

Bangladesh to grow GM rice by 2012
BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh will grow genetically modified (GM) rice variety known as golden rice by 2012.

The rice variety, rich in vitamin ‘A’, will help meet the deficiency of the particular vitamin, lack of which causes childhood blindness and weaken immune system.

The Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in an article posted on its web site on Tuesday said the golden rice would grow in Bangladesh and the Philippines by 2012.

Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Director General Dr Md Firoze Shah Sikder told BSS today that BRRI would began test production of the rice in a confined laboratory by this year.

He said the variety was developed by genetically modifying BRRI-29 – a high-yielding variety of rice, being produced in the country for a long with significant success.

“IRRI has done the trial production of the golden rice in many countries, but it got good result in Bangladesh ahead of others,” he said. The BRRI is also in a final stage to build a laboratory with the financial and technical assistance from the IRRI, he said.

He, however, said that the launching of the new variety in the field level would take time for ensuring that it would be safe for the local crops and environment.

IRRI in its articles said that among Asian countries, India, China and the Philippines had already adopted the GM technology in producing different crops.

India planted GM cotton in around 7.6 million hectares of land this year and the Philippines grew GM maize in 4 lakh hectares of land in 2008.

IRRI expects the first GM rice to be grown in Bangladesh and the Philippines in two years would provide about 124 million people in Africa and Asia with sufficient amount of vitamin ‘A’.

The IRRI estimates that the deficiency of vitamin ‘A’ causes one million deaths a year and 500,000 cases of blindness.