First IT-based trade info centre at BCSIR by yearend

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/01/21/news0689.htm

First IT-based trade info centre at BCSIR by yearend
BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh Council of Science and Industrial Research (BCSIR), the state-run apex body for scientific innovation and promotion, has embarked on a plan to set up an IT- based trade related service centre especially for entrepreneurs, importers and exporters.

The centre dubbed ‘Centre for Trade and Technology Information Research and Services (CTTIRC)’ would be set under the Instrumentation and Calibration Service Laboratory (ICSL), the country’s lone reference lab at the BCSIR. The Taka eight-crore proposed CTTIRC, first of its kind, is designed for providing most-up-to-date import-export data to entrepreneurs, importers, exporters, scientists and policymakers for creating new export destinations in the present WTO regime.

These observations came at an idea sharing workshop on “Establishing of the CTTIRC in ICSL-BCSIR” held in council’s auditorium here last night.

Science and ICT Secretary AKM Abdul Awal Majumder spoke as the chief guest while chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) Dr M Mosharraf Hossain was the special guest at the workshop with BCSIR Professor Dr SM Imamul Huq in the chair.

BCSIR Scientific Officer Mala Khan presented the keynote paper on the ‘CTTIRC in ICSL-BCSIR’ giving a picture of the country’s struggling importers, exporters and entrepreneurs in the present era of globalization. Abdul Awal pointed out that a good number of products of the country are now facing snags while entering the international markets due to technical and quality restrictions next to tariff barriers.

He made a plea to the BCSIR authorities to come up with helping hands to provide businessmen with necessary supports in view of growing the export market. The government wants to serve the businessmen on a justifiable basis and therefore necessary steps have been taken to turn the BCSIR into a sustainable one, said the ICT secretary.

Dr Hossain said the country’s public health situation has remained on a safe side as a result of action-oriented researches in particular on radio-active materials. He came down heavily on the extensive use of some pesticide-treated local products in the country saying the practice faces problem of non-compliance when those are being sent to the international markets.

Professor Dr SM Imamul Huq said local entrepreneurs could be benefited enormously if they know about the BCSIR-invented series of innovations. It is unfortunate that Bangladesh has no calibration system for instruments, he said terming it as a bottleneck in the way of product diversification in world market.

BCSIR chairman said the proposed CTTIRC would have collaboration with regional and international information centres so that area of interests of businessmen can be included in it.

Product costs in terms of import-export would come down if necessary quality related information is disseminated among businessmen, he hoped.

Mala Khan, also project director of the ICSL, said being updated with knowledge-information is a big challenge in the present rapidly changing regulatory and technical requirements in the WTO era.

Detailing the CTTIRC, she said a database is being readied and enlisted businessmen would be able to have access to it through a simple log on. Trade bodies including DCCI, FBCCI, BGMEA, BKMEA would be the contributing stakeholders in the system. Most of the tasks including setting up infrastructure facilities would be completed by end of the year.

Initially, said Mala Khan, the system would be introduced in Dhaka and gradually it would be expanded to the capital with call centres.

Several satellite towns to be developed under Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan: Hasina

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=7&id=84004&date=2010-01-20

Several satellite towns to be developed under Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan: Hasina

SANGSAD BHABAN, Jan 20 (BSS) – Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina today told the Jatiya Sangsad that several satellite towns would be gradually developed in the area under the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan and a plan is being formulated for that purpose.

The approval of the Detailed Area Plan formulated for Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan is under active consideration of the government, she told the House replying to a query from treasury bench lawmaker Alhaj Advocate Md Rahmat Ali.

Besides Dhaka City Corporation, shye said, Narayanganj, Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Kadam Rasul, Siddirganj and Tarabo municipalities would be included in the area under Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan.

“The government has also plans to extend the area of Dhaka city,” she said adding that the Dhaka Metropolitan Development
Plan (1995-2015) has been formulated comprising an area of 590 square miles or 1,528 square kilometers.

The demarcation of the area extends up to the north border of Gazipur municipality on the north, Dheleswari river on the south, Bangshi and Dheleswari rivers on the west and Sitaklakhya river, a part of Sonargaon thana and Meghna river on the east, the Prime Minister said.

Hybrid tomato farming changes farmers’ fate in Rajbari

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=4&id=83912&date=2010-01-20

Hybrid tomato farming changes farmers’ fate in Rajbari

RAJBARI,20,Jan (BSS)-Cultivation of hybrid tomato has been changing the farmers’ lot in the district.

Bumper production of the crop is helping the cultivators to achieve an increased economic gain.

Farmer Abdul Hakim Sardar of Kamaldia village in Rajbari Sadar Upazila told this correspondent that he has produced 40 metric tons of hybrid tomato by cultivating one acre in the current season while the output of local variety on the same quantum of land is 20 metric tons.

He is also expecting more production due to a favorable weather condition.

Abdu Rashed of Ramkantopur village said he cultivated more hybrid tomato this year following continuous success in farming the crop.

He said cultivation of the hybrid is more profitable than local variety as it is free from disease.

Md. Fazlul Haque of Department of Agriculture Extension(DAE)Rajbari Sadar Upazila said a few years ago local farmers did not show interest in cultivating hybrid crops like tomato, onion and others vegetables, but an almost double production of the vegetable has been inspiring them to produce hybrid tomato.

BDR wants night-time ban on movement in border

http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jan/21/front.html#1

BDR wants night-time ban on movement in border
Expresses concerns about border killing
Siddiqur Rahman Khan

The Bangladesh Rifles has recommended imposing night-time restrictions on the movement of Bangladeshis within 150 yards of zero point inside the Bangladesh territory aimed at stopping the killing of innocent people in the border by India’s Border Security Force.

The Bangladesh border force in a report sent to the home ministry in the first week of January has also recommended formation of committees with public representatives in bordering villages.

The BDR personnel and the proposed committees will identify the places where restrictions should be imposed, the report said.

The report observed that citizens of both the countries were involved in cross-border informal trade but the Indian border guards often killed unarmed Bangladeshis without bothering about bilateral or international human rights principles.

‘Citizens of both the counties trespass into the territories of each other for informal trade. Although the Bangladesh Rifles has taken lawful action against such organised crimes, India’s Border Security Force has continued killing unarmed Bangladeshi trespassers labelling them as terrorists,’ the report said.

‘India’s Border Security Force has thus kept flouting the Joint India-Bangladesh Guideline 1975 and the International Human Rights Convention,’ it said. ‘No solutions could be reached in this regard despite discussions at the diplomatic level.’

In view of the situation, the Bangladesh Rifles has recommended that dusk-to-dawn restrictions should be imposed on the movement of Bangladeshis within 150 yards of zero point inside the Bangladesh territory.

After the mutiny in the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters in February 25–26, 2009, the Indian border guards have killed 50 Bangladeshis till January 1, 2010, according to the BDR report sent to the home ministry.

A recent report by human rights organisation Odhikar showed 96 Bangladeshis were killed by the Indian guards in 2009.

The BDR report said the Indian border guards had ignored a Bangladesh proposal for using non-lethal weapons in the border by the guards.

The report proposed each of the committees in bordering villages, to be headed by union council or municipal chairmen, should have 17 members and the commanders of the BDR border outposts concerned may be made member secretaries.

An imam of a mosque or religious leader of other faiths, a madrassah teacher, a schoolteacher, two representatives of college students, four Village Defence Party members, three union council members or municipal commissioners, a retired military officer or a civil servant, a businessman of the locality and a local policeman should be members on each of the committees.

A high home ministry official on Wednesday told New Age they had received the draft of the working paper, containing statistics of the people killed by the Indian border guards. ‘We held a meeting in the past week and discussed the Bangladesh Rifles recommendations,’ he said.

Mega dredging plan for over 300 rivers

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Mega dredging plan for over 300 rivers
Work to start with 4 major rivers; Tk 5,000cr projects on cards

Staff Correspondent

The government has massive plans to dredge all 310 rivers of the country to bring back navigability, control floods and ensure proper irrigation, Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen told the House yesterday.

While replying to queries of lawmakers who described the sorry state of many rivers, the water resources minister also said four mega projects worth about Tk 5,000 crore to this effect are under the process for approval.

The projects are: the pilot capital dredging of river system in Bangladesh (first phase) worth Tk 1,445.51 crore, Buriganga recovery project worth Tk 1,514.95 crore, purchasing of dredgers and ancillary equipment for dredging rivers with a cost of Tk 1,593.68 crore and coordinated irrigation, extraction and flood control project worth Tk 378.52 crore.

“Of the rivers, dredging work will begin very soon in four major rivers–Jamuna, Meghna, Brahmaputra and the Padma,” the minister said, adding that once the dredging job is completed in these rivers, a number of small rivers will get its benefit.

He said the government has also taken up four short-term projects along with the mega projects to carry out dredging in rivers and control floods.

The government has already formulated a strategy paper with an expenditure of Tk 50 crore to carry out short-term, mid-term and long-term dredging in major rivers, the water resources minister said.

“On approval of the strategy, preparation of projects, their approval and implantation process will start,” he said.

The minister said implementation of a project titled “Gorai river recovery project (second phase)” worth Tk 942.15 crore has already begun.

He said purchasing of five dredgers is under process. Of them, the water resources ministry will purchase two while the shipping ministry will buy three, he said.

He said the two ministries have 45 dredgers but only seven of them are now operational. “We have made a move to repair some dredgers which are repairable,” he added.

During the question-answer session, a number of lawmakers said most of the rivers in their constituencies are about to die and some of them are already dead. A few lawmakers also drew the minister’s attention to river erosion causing immense suffering to people.

They urged the minister to take immediate steps to revive the country’s rivers and control floods.

In response to another query, the water resources minister said the government has planned to discuss with upstream countries, which have common rivers with Bangladesh, to increase flow of waters in the common rivers during the dry season.

“To increase water flow in the Padma during the dry season, the government is negotiating with India and Nepal to construct water bodies at the sub-rivers of the Ganges that originate in Nepal,” he said.

200mw power from wind, hydro plants planned

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/01/20/news0570.htm

200mw power from wind, hydro plants planned
Shamim Jahangir, back from Chittagong

The government is contemplating to produce 200MW of electricity by using renewable energy sources in Chittagong as the gas-fired power plants are forced to close down due to gas crisis.

Of the proposed electricity, 100MW wind-based power plant will be installed at Anwara Parky beach in Chittagong while another two units will be set up in Karnafuli Hydro Power Plant in Kaptai.

Besides, the Power Development Board (PDB) has plans to install a dozen of micro hydro power plants having generation capacity of 225.5kilowatts (KW) in greater Chittagong.

The PDB has already selected the site for installation of the wind based power plant at Parkirchar under Anwara upazila, Chittagong.

PDB Chairman ASM Alamgir Kabir said that international tender will be invited soon to set up the wind based power plant in Anwara.

“We would have complete prequalification to install the power plants by June next,” he said.

The Karnafuli Hydro Power Station authority has placed a development project proposal (DPP) in 2008 to install two units in the existing power plant site which was pending for planning commission decision.

In 1998, Tokyo Electric Power Services Company limited carried out detail field study for the feasibility of the 6th and 7th units and submitted a report in March, 1999. The report recommended that the Kaptai extension of unit no 6 and 7 would provide a significant and economically attractive contribution to the power generation of Bangladesh.

Later, a social impact assessment (SIA) was also conducted which favoured the implementation of the project in consultation with the local people.

Headed by PDB Member (P&D) Md Delwar Hossain, the Power Division constituted a four-member committee to prepare a study report on the hydro power potential in hilly regions and rivers in the country three months ago.

Delwar Hossain told The New Nation that the hydro power potentiality is very limited in the country. “But there are some prospect to install few mega and some micro power plants in three hilly districts in Chittagong,” he said.

He said that his committee recently recommended the Power Division to conduct further feasibility study to install another two units in Kaptai Power Plant.

“We have visited 12 sites in hill districts to conduct study to install the micro hydro power plants, which have some prospect to install 2kilowatt to 65KW power plants” he said.

The prospective sites to install the micro hydro plants are: Nunchari (3KW) in Khagrachari, Chang-oo-Para (30KW), Liragaon (25KW), Bangchari (20), Kamal Chari (20KW), Monjai Para (7.5KW), Monjaipara (10KW) in Banderban, Thang Khrue Chara Mukh (30KW), Manikchari (2KW), Mitingachara (10KW) in Rangamati and Bamerchara (3KW) and Mohamaya Char (65KW) in Chittagong.

“Power Division will install the micro hydro power plants with the assistance of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs,” he said adding that consultation with local people would also be needed to install the plant.

Eng Md Ferdaush Ali, Manager of Karnafuli Hydro Power Station said that his team has already sat with the tribal leaders and local administration several times. “Tribal leaders agreed to the proposal for installation of two units in the existing plant,” he said adding, “We have a site ready for installing the two units.”

Dhaka, Delhi to research jute geotextiles

http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jan/20/busi.html#3

Dhaka, Delhi to research jute geotextiles
Kazi Azizul Islam

Bangladesh and India have started a long-term project for researching and developing jute-based geotextiles, which will potentially prevent soil erosion and help the roads to last for a longer time.

Geotextiles are permeable fabrics which, when used in association with the soil, have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect or drain.

Officials at the Jute Diversification and Promotion Centre told New Age that the project was launched in India recently.

‘Under the project, 26 field trials — 16 in India and 10 in Bangladesh — will be conducted to certify and standardise the effectiveness of jute geotextiles,’ said centre’s executive director, KR Hasan.

Hasan, whose centre is owned by the Bangladesh government and funded by the European Commission, attended the launching ceremony of the project in Delhi recently.

The $3.6-million research project will aim at standardisation of design, methodology and specifications for use of jute geotextiles.

The Indian government will provide $1.25 million as counterpart contribution for implementation of the project in India, and the Bangladesh government will contribute $0.57 million.

The Common Fund for Commodities, Amsterdam, an inter-governmental body within the framework of the UN, will finance the project.

The Jute Study Group is the supervisor of the project while Kolkata-based Jute Manufacturers Development Council is the secretariat.

Hasan told New Age that the Army Engineering Core would conduct six field studies and the rest would be conducted by the LGED, Roads and Highways and the Water Development Board.

The long-term field experiments will mainly monitor the effectiveness of jute geotextiles in prevention of erosion by rivers and landslides from hills, he said.

Studies will also monitor the effectiveness of using jute geotextiles in sustainable road construction.

At present one of Bangladesh’s state-owned jute mills produces around 2,500 tonnes of jute geotextiles annually for export only as the use of geotextiles is yet to begin here.

Shahedul Islam Helal, the former president of Bangladesh Jute Goods Exporters Association, said that there is already a global market for at least 3,00,000 tonnes of jute geotextiles which are made from waste-grade jute fibre, but its price is almost similar to jute goods of fine grade fibres.

Indian textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran told the attendees at the launching ceremony that jute geotextiles command a business potential of around $300 million in the Indian railways only.

Monetary policy aims to contain inflation, expand investment

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/01/20/news0572.htm

Monetary policy aims to contain inflation, expand investment: More people to be brought under banking services: Atiur Atiur Rahman

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Bank yesterday announced an “inclusive” monetary policy for the second half of the current fiscal year (2009-10), aiming at bringing more of the population under banking services.

“The policy, for the first time, focuses on financial inclusion of the missing people who have not been getting institutional services for a long time,” said Governor Dr Atiur Rahman while announcing the policy at a crowded press conference at the central bank’s headquarters in the city.

“Around 25 per cent of the population is still beyond the reach of banking services. We want to attain growth through financial inclusion,” he said.

The policy also targets containing inflation and expansion of private sector investment. It eyes 5.5-6.0 per cent GDP growth, in line with this fiscal year’s budget forecast and arresting the average rate of inflation at 6.5 per cent.

The Governor candidly admitted the looming risk of inflation mainly because of increase of the food prices on both the local and international markets.

He cautioned that the average inflation would rise further in the second part of the fiscal if commodity prices continue to rise.

He, however, assured that the BB would monitor the situation regularly and would pursue a monetary policy to contain the inflation at a tolerable level.

He strongly suggested for government’s intervention at the market through effective measures like OMS (open market sale).

Dr Atiur Rahman said that Bangladesh Bank would monitor if any excess liquidity had inflationary pressure on the market and credit resources go for conspicuous consumption instead of productive sectors. But, he seeks supporting measures like OMS to keep supply of essential goods steady.

Dr Atitur observed that the price increase of foodgrains would benefit farmers and encourage them in producing more crops next season.

He also said the monetary policy would pursue a measured approach to ensure fair prices for both the farmers and the consumers.

He said the policy put special focus on agriculture, industries and service sectors for achieving a broad-based growth.

Dr Atiur said while the Bangladesh Bank would watch constantly the price pressure, the supporting monetary policy would be continued to help boost export and enhance investments.

Bangladesh Bank’s bank’s data shows that the export earning was still in negative territory though started recovering since October last year.

The governor believes that the export earnings in the coming months would regain the momentum to go in the double digit territory by the end of the current fiscal year.

Similarly, he said agriculture output was down marginally in the last Aus session, but BB’s efforts to provide farmers with easy loans and other banking services would help this sector perform stronger next session.

Dr Atiur also expressed his optimism about the gradual increases in investment and industrialisation with the pace of global financial recovery.

He said the investment was slow in the recent months due mainly to the recession fallouts.

But, he said that the latest data showed significant increase in the number of openings of Letters of Credit (LCs) for importing capital machineries, which indicated positive trend in investment.

He said the private sector credit also increased in the first half of the current financial year and Bangladesh Bank would continue the policy to increase the credit for matching the growing need of the private sector.

The Governor said that the central bank would also continue to pursue the monetary and credit policies to support small and medium enterprises, trade and business to accelerate sustainable growth.

Indicators bright in Bangladesh

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Indicators bright in Bangladesh
Country review paper says
Star Business Report

Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in macroeconomic management, despite a range of constraints, both internal and external, a country review paper said.

The paper, prepared by the Economic Relations Division on the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for the least developed countries, listed a series of achievements, including acceleration of economic growth, gradual decline of budget deficit and high rate of export and import growth and a steady rise of foreign currency reserve.

The GDP (gross domestic product) growth rate was 6.21 percent in fiscal 2007-08, but it edged down to 5.9 percent in 2008-09 due to the impacts of the global financial crisis, the report said.

The rate of inflation also dropped to 6 percent in September-October 2009 from 9.93 percent in fiscal 2008.

Simultaneously, the revenue-GDP ratio stood at 10.92 percent last fiscal year, while the ratio is projected to be 12.2 percent by fiscal 2012.

The trend in government expenditure in the priority social sectors, like human development, building rural infrastructure and poverty reduction has also been increasing.

The review paper pointed out that a hike in the prices of food and fuel, and the global financial crisis are the major macroeconomic challenges for Bangladesh.

The government has also taken reform initiatives to refurbish different sectors, including the budgetary system, financial institutions and money markets and the revenue sector.

Bangladesh has made significant progress in attaining the millennium development goals (MDG), including gender parity in primary and secondary education, enrolment in primary education and reduction in the child mortality rate.

In terms of poverty reduction, the review paper shows the rate of poverty at the national level declined from 58.8 percent in 1991-92 to 48.9 percent in 2000. The poverty rate further declined to 40 percent in 2000- 2005.

Bangladesh also improved in the human development index and ranked 146th, out of 182 countries last year, the report said.

According to the paper, the challenges the country has been facing in implementing the Brussels Programme of Action are: limited investible resources, corruption and law and order situation, low capacity of project execution, population growth, poor governance, insufficient infrastructure and lack of transparency in public procurement.

Cabinet okays new telecom policy

http://www.newstoday-bd.com/frontpage.asp?newsdate=#24032

Cabinet okays new telecom policy
News Report

The cabinet on Monday approved a new telecom policy that will allow individuals and companies to run multiple telecom business in the country.

The International Long Distance Telecommuni-cation Service Policy 2009 will help stop illegal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business, said Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad after the meeting.

The cabinet gave approval to the new policy with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Azad said the amendment to the International Long Distance Telecomm-unications Service Policy-2009 will create opportunities for the telecom operators to get licence for running multiple telecom business.

“The move will open up legal VoIP operations, which could increase government revenue from the telecom sector,” he said, while briefing the newsmen at the Secretariat.

Currently just four companies are allowed to provide VoIP services in the country.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Telecommunication Ministry in April last year had recommended further opening up of VoIP to stop illegal business and raise government earnings, said the press secretary.

He said illegal VoIP had spread because of limited licensing.

The cabinet meeting also adopted a condolence message on the death of former chief minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu.

The cabinet also approved handover of coastal land for preservation of forests and forestation.

“The proposal has been approved to curb occupation of forestland and illegal logging,” Azad said.

$10.72 b remittance from migrant wokers in 2009

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/01/19/news0501.htm

$10.72 b remittance from migrant wokers in 2009
UNB, Dhaka

The remittances from Bangladesh’s migrant workers contributed a record US $ 10.72 billion in 2009 although the country’s manpower export declined by 46 percent last year due to global economic meltdown.

President of Bangladesh Association of International Recruitment Agencies (BAIRA) Ghulam Mustafa stated this at a press conference at BAIRA auditorium on Monday morning.

He said: “It’s a great achievement and historical event that our migrant workers contributed with a substantial remittance US $ 10.72 billion last year (2009) while the amount was US $ 8.98 billion in 2008.”

The BAIRA chief informed that they exported an average of some 398,121 manpower every year over the last 10 years. Despite nearly 46 percent decline in manpower export due to global economic recession, some 475,278 manpower were exported from Bangladesh in 2009, he said.

He also informed that some 72,210 migrant workers returned home due to various complications but only 1,250 of them carried valid passport.

The BAIRA president hoped that they would be able to export at least 600,000 persons this year, as the labor markets are gradually expanding in the Gulf and middle-east countries. Foreign remittance income for the country will reach at least US $ 11 billion by 2010, he said.

He, however, stressed the need for Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives to reach the goal.

Mentioning the recent visit of the government delegation to Libya, Ghulam Mustafa said the labor market is expanding in Libya day by day and there is scope for more Bangladeshi manpower going on employment to Libya.

He put forward a set of recommendations including steps against illegal passport holders, ensuring hassle-free immigration service at the airport, strengthening the labor wings of Bangladesh missions abroad, setting up technical training institutes at upazila level, and ensuring skilled immigration management.

255mw electricity to be added to nat’l grid by June

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=89870

255mw electricity to be added to nat’l grid by June

Three under-construction power plants at Chittagong zone will add another 255 megawatts (mw) of electricity to the national grid by June this year, reports BSS.

Of these plants, 55-mw plant at Shikalbaha will start commercial production on January 27, while the second 150-MW plant at the same site will start generation in April.

The third unit of Karnaphuli hydroelectric power plant will start commercial operation of 50 mw electricity in June this year when rehabilitation of the plant will be completed.

Project Director of 150-mw plant at Shikalbaha Asadullah Miah told journalists who were visiting the plant sites that 80 per cent of the construction work of the plant had already been completed.

The Tk 7.7998 billion plant financed by the government of Bangladesh would go for experimental operation on March 15 after the gas booster at the plant was set up on February 15, he added.

He expressed the hope that the commercial generation of power would start from April this year.

Ms Sino Hydro Corporation Limited of China is implementing the project as the contractor, while Germany’s Siemens company supplied all machinery for the plant.

“The machinery as well as engineers and technicians have already arrived and installation of machines are going on,” he added.

The process of turning the plant into a dual-fuel unit had been initiated so that the plant could generate electricity by using fuel oil in case of scarcity of gas, Asadullah Miah said adding the process would be completed in eight to ten months.

New five-star hotel to brighten Cox’s Bazar image

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=122323

New five-star hotel to brighten Cox’s Bazar image
Sajjadur Rahman

A local entrepreneur is going to build a five-star hotel based on international timesharing concept in Cox’s Bazar at a cost of around Tk 150 crore.

The hotel — Sea Pearl Beach and Spa — is being built at Inani, some 20 kilometres away from Cox’s Bazar, and is expected to start commercial operations in February 2012. Land development has started in over eight acres.

The hotel has already been affiliated with Interval International, an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group Inc, listed on NASDAQ as IILG, a leading global provider of membership and leisure services in hospitality and vacation industry.

“Despite having the world’s longest sea beach, Cox’s Bazar lacks many recreational facilities. This hotel will meet all the needs of the holidaymakers, both from home and abroad,” said Aminul Haque, managing director of the hotel.

He said: “This will be the first green or eco-friendly hotel in the country.” Waste and water will be recycled and solar power will be used in the hotel.

Haque already owns a three-star hotel, Sea Crown, in Cox’s Bazar.

About adoption of international timesharing idea, he said it will help get international tourists, particularly the members of the Interval International that has 45 lakh members across the globe.

Interval International operates membership programmes for the backpackers and provides value-added services to its clients worldwide. Based in Miami in the US, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market for more than 30 years.

A timeshare is a form of ownership or right to the use of a property, or the term used to describe such properties. These properties are typically resort condominium units, in which multiple parties hold rights to use the property, and each sharer is allotted a period of time (typically one week, and almost always the same time every year) in which they may use the property. It is also known as ‘holiday ownership’ that is the art of sharing one’s ownership in the resort with other people and having the ability to swap or exchange that time to another resort anywhere in the world depending on availability.

Members of Sea Pearl Beach and Spa will avail of the facilities of Interval International-affiliated 2,500 hotels and resorts in over 75 countries.

“A membership contract will be for 20 years and cost Tk 3 lakh to Tk 5 lakh,” said Haque. “A member will be given seven days to spend in any Interval International-affiliated resort every year.”

Only the access fee, which is $80 in Asia and $120 in Europe and the US, will be charged, he added.

“The hotel will bring revolution in Bangladesh’s tourism and hospitality industry in terms of earning foreign currency and building the image of the country,” said Sunit Banerji, an international expert in hospitality and leisure management, who is providing consultancy for the project.

The hotel will consist of 200 rooms for residential accommodation including 150 timeshare rooms and suites. It will have the facilities such as spa, bar, barbecue, water sports, swimming pool, children amusement, restaurant, coffee shop, lobby, gymnasium, indoor-outdoor games, air-conditioned shuttle bus for pick-up and drop services and sight seeing.

The hotel will create employment for over 300 persons in different categories, the managing director said.

Of the Tk 146 crore-project cost, Prime Bank will raise Tk 85 crore as syndication fund.

“This will be a unique project in Bangladesh in many aspects, including timesharing and green concepts,” said Touhidul Alam Khan, executive vice president of corporate banking division of Prime Bank.

He said the hotel would be able to render international standard services that are absent in many cases in Cox’s Bazar.

sajjad@thedailystar.net

United to fly to Manchester

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=122334

United to fly to Manchester
Unb, Dhaka

United Airways (BD) Ltd, a private sector airline in the country, is going to operate flights to Manchester and Birmingham in the UK.

The airline is also procuring two B767-300/200 ER aircraft, which are likely to be commissioned on Sylhet-London routes from summer 2010.

It has been operating two passenger flights a week on Dhaka-London (Gatwick) route since November 21 last year. It is also planning to introduce additional passenger flights to London (Gatwick) from Dhaka and Sylhet.

United Airways came up with the plan to increase its flight frequencies to London from two to five per week following a two-day successful meeting on Air Service Agreement between Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB) and British Civil Aviation Department (BCAD), said a press release yesterday.

The airline is currently operating flights from Dhaka to London, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Chittagong, Jessore, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar and also from Chittagong to Kolkata.

Govt move on 2nd nuclear power plant on way

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=89724

Govt move on 2nd nuclear power plant on way
1st one still on paper; but hopes pinned on such other projects in 10yrs

Mehdi Musharraf Bhuiyan

Construction of a second nuclear power plant is in government pipeline in line with the one at Ruppur, the pace of groundwork on which is moving in earnest, reliable sources disclosed Thursday.

The country is poised to have a series of nuclear power plants in the coming decade under its long-term energy policy.

“The 1000 MW power plant, which will be set up at the same site of the nuclear power plant project at Ruppur, may see the daylight by 2014 when the construction of the first plant would hopefully be at the final stage,” a high level government official told the FE.

According to sources, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a recent cabinet meeting came up with the idea of a second power plant at the Ruppur site while mooting several such nuclear power plants to be built in various regions of the country by the end of the decade.

“The idea of a second nuclear power plant was conceived after it was found that only one such single power plant would never be enough for meeting the government’s target of fulfilling 10 per cent of the country’s total energy consumption through nuclear power by 2020,” the earlier mentioned official added.

The concept of an additional nuclear power plant comes up at a point, when the implementation of the first nuclear power plant project has remained mostly on paper, with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) now reportedly conducting separate site safety studies on the project, observers feel.

Over the last few months, however, there have been some fresh initiatives on the part of the government to expedite the setting up of what is supposed to be the country’s first nuclear power plant at Ruppur in north-western Pabna with a capacity of 1000 MW.

During May last year, Bangladesh signed an MoU with Russia in this regard, while there have also been talks with China and South Korea for necessary technical support. Although the project is at its very initial stage, the authorities are expecting the first nuclear power plant to be completed by 2016.