Petrobangla to ink MoU with Russia for energy sector development

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/others/33121-petrobangla-to-ink-mou-with-russia-for-energy-sector-development.html

Petrobangla to ink MoU with Russia for energy sector development
BSS

DHAKA, Feb 6:  A high-powered delegation led by Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Moshiur Rahman leaves here tonight for Russia to ink a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of the country’s energy sector. According to the energy ministry sources, the delegation is will sign a MoU with Gazcrom, a Russian-based gas exploration and development company, to explore hydrocarbon in the country and increase gas supply through installing compressors.  Energy Secretary M Mijbahuddin and Petrobangla Chairman Dr Hossain Mansur will accompany Dr Moshiur.

Energy ministry sources said Bangladesh is set to sign a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Russia to develop the country’s energy sector, especially the geologically difficult gas blocks.

A Russian delegation comprising officials and technical personnel last month visited Dhaka and agreed to initial the MoU.

Local software solutions on a roll

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=173004

Local software solutions on a roll

Visitors gather on the final day of the five-day software fair, BASIS SoftExpo, organised by Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka yesterday. Photo: Amran Hossain

Md Fazlur Rahman

Locally developed software solutions attracted huge attention from local, national and multinational clients at the BASIS SoftExpo 2011, as demand for homegrown products continues to grow.

Only a couple of years ago, words such as computer, hardware, software and internet were in use among a minor section of the urban elite, but the five-day event that ended yesterday at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre demonstrated that it successfully showcased something for everyone.

This year, Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) organised its annual expo in association with the science and technology ministry and Access to Information programme of the Prime Minister’s Office.

About 110 local companies and 10 firms from Denmark and the Netherlands took part in the ninth edition of the country’s largest exposition for software and ICT-enabled services, which also featured over 20 seminars on IT and a job fair for IT professionals.

Exhibitors put products on display, took orders and sold solutions for industrial and manufacturing units, offices, banks and financial institutions, educational institutions and hospitals, most of them produced by local programmers.

BRAC Bank, one of the sponsors of the event, displayed online payment solutions, which are becoming popular amid a growing middle-class clientele.

Advanced Software Development introduced eMediaDesk, which compiles all news and articles published in the newspapers for clients.

Solutions of the GPIT, a recently launched subsidiary of Grameenphone, aimed at sparking an IT revolution in the country, included mobile, enterprise, and communication and network packets. “Our target was to popularise the initiative that aims to help local IT industry flourish,” said Syeda Yasmin Rahman, director of GPIT.

Local programmers claim they are now capable to cater to the needs of any organisation or individual, which will save a lot of foreign exchange spent on importing solutions from overseas. Local software makers also jumped to cater to students, helping them shine in the academic arena further.

Champs21.com, an intelligent web-based assessment service for the students from classes 3 to 10, was such an initiative. Students took chapter-based and term-based tests in maths and science-related subjects following school curriculum.

The application scalability aims at drilling down conceptual comprehension as well as functional and relative clarity among students, which is expected to help students to be ahead of their classes.

Individual efforts have also been demonstrated at the exposition.

Kazi Bazlur Rahman, with a master’s in psychology from the University of Rajshahi, displayed a super vehicle security system at the event. His invention should alert car owners against possible thefts.

“If anyone attempts to steal an unattended car, the device will alert the owner. By calling back to the system, the owner will be able to render the car immobilised. The thieves will not be able to drive or drag it away, as it will be mechanically off,” said Rahman.

“I will have to make the system error-free before going for commercial production, as I have so far relied on very low-cost materials,” the 31-year-old said. The system costs about Tk 20,000.

Ahmad Imtiaz Khan, who graduated from the Military Institute of Science and Technology in Dhaka, developed software which will contribute to spreading education among the visually impaired people. To date, textbooks for them have to be translated into Braille language, but Khan said it would be possible to translate any document for them. On Friday, the organisers awarded the innovation at a ceremony, which also honoured freelancers.

Industry people said the sector has grown tremendously to keep pace with the rise of demand.

“Now local people want to get major solutions from local service providers,” said BASIS President Mahboob Zaman. He said local software makers, however, have to win the trust of the users.

Zaman said Gartner’s assessment, on December 20 last year, has given the much-needed confidence to the growing industry. “It has shown us where we do stand today.”

Bangladesh is facing problems in finding quality IT trainers to teach students. Many professionals do not want to go to villages, acknowledges a top bureaucrat.

Zaman said Bangladesh has to immediately prepare an action plan after Gartner put the country on the list of the top 30 outsourcing countries.

“They conduct assessment every year, and many countries are dropped from the list due to bad performance,” he said.

Bangladesh exported computer products and services worth $33 million in the last fiscal year of 2009-10, which according to experts does not at all reflect the country’s capacity.

“In the past, we only focused on providing allied services, while core services came from global IT behemoths. But our capacity is growing and the clients are responding positively,” said the BASIS chief, who is also the managing director of DataSoft, a local software maker.

KEPZ goes into production next month

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/others/32938-kepz-goes-into-production-next-month.html

KEPZ goes into production next month
BSS

CHITTAGONG, Feb 5: Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), in Chittagong will go into production by next month (March) creating employment opportunities for nearly 50,000 workers. KEPZ sources said they are going into production with four factories including world-recognized knitting and shoe factories by the last week of this month and the whole KEPZ would run with their own power generators.

Deputy General manager of KEPZ Major (retd) Monir told BSS that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the KEPZ by last week of March, while Chairman of Korea-based company Youngone Kihaksung will attend the function.

Industrial output rises 15.31pc: BB report

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/banking/32945-industrial-output-rises-1531pc-bb-report.html

Industrial output rises 15.31pc: BB report
BSS

DHAKA, Feb 5: Country’s industrial sector has started getting better with increasing output amidst energy crisis, but on supportive lending rate and rising demands on both domestic and global markets.

The general index of industrial production including medium and large scale manufacturing stood higher at US $489.24 million in July 2010, recording an increase of 15.31 per cent over July 2009 when the total output was US $424.28 million, Bangladesh Bank (BB) monthly economic update for January said. The significant year-on-year figures came on the back of double-digit growth in jute, cotton, knit apparel, leather, food, beverage, tobacco and basic metal product. Indices recording increase in July 2010 compared to the same month of the preceding year are: jute, cotton, knit apparel and leather 20.93 per cent, food, beverage and tobacco 17.85 per cent and basic metal product 12.20 per cent.

Outputs from the other areas also increased with improvement demands on the market. These include non- metallic product 6.28 per cent, wood product including furniture 4.82 per cent, chemical, petroleum and rubber 4.68 per cent, fabricated metal product 3.92 per cent and paper and paper product 0.04 per cent.

BB’s data also showed increasing trend in the opening and settlement of LCs (letters of credit) for industrial raw materials and capital machinery, indicating further rise of industrial output this year.  According to the January update of the central bank, LCs amounting US$6572.17 million were opened during July- November last year compared to US $3994.30 million for the same period in 2009 for importing industrial raw materials.

The rise in opening of LCs was an overwhelming US $2577.86 million when the rate of LCs settlement was also higher extensively by US $1409.07 million to US $4671.27 million in July-November, 2010 from US $3262.20 million in July-November 2009.

Similarly, the amount of opening of LCs for importing capital machineries was US $1397.72 million in July- November2010 compared to US $685.18 million in the same period in 2009.

The increase in the opening of fresh LCs was more than double with an additional amount of US $712.54 million. The rate of settlement in the past five months until November 2010 was around four times higher to US $778.20 million from US $202.49 million for the same period last year. The data for increased industrial output is the latest in a series of encouraging figures pointing to higher economic growth in the coming years from the annual six per cent-plus levels the country logged for several years.

BB’s earlier data showed a sharp rebound of export earning, which was slow last year due to tail affect of global recession. The positive industrial performance is expected to help offset the impact on overall economic growth of energy crisis, which hurt domestic production especially the manufacturing sector.

Analysts attributed the central bank’s lending policy to the healthy growth in the industrial sector, which is vital to achieve sustainable GDP (gross domestic product) growth.

The central bank last year capped the lending rate to 13 per cent for industries while it tightened cash flow from banks to non-productive sector and risky areas. Some bankers apprehended the rise in industrial output could raise pressure on the central bank to hike interest rate to control inflationary pressure, but officials at the banking sector’s watchdog ruled out any such move before the end of this current 2010-11 financial year. The leading think-tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in its annual report on the state of Bangladesh economy said industry sector, particularly manufacturing, would have to take the lead if growth target for the current 2010-11 is to be realised. The government targeted 6.7 per cent for the current financial year.

The industrial sector is the second highest contributor to GDP, but its share rose marginally in the past 10 years with an increase to 1.8 per cent in 2010 from 1.5 per cent of 2000.

Share in the GDP of the top contributing service sector rose to 3.6 per cent from 2.8 per cent during the same time, the CPD report said.

The contribution of agriculture sector declined in the past 10 years to 0.7 per cent in 2010 from 1.5 per cent in 2000.

Crop prospects of additional 24.48 lakh tonnes in Rajshahi Barind per year

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=159409&date=2011-02-05

Crop prospects of additional 24.48 lakh tonnes in Rajshahi Barind per year

Location of Barind Tract, highlighted in orange (item 2). Source: http://www.bpedia.org/S_0222.php

RAJSHAHI, Feb 5 (BSS)- Crop prospects seem to be bright with a prospective production of an additional 24.48 lakh tonnes of food grains and other cereal cash crops by ensuring irrigation facilities in the vast Barind tract.

According to the sources concerned, around 3.59 lakh hectares of land remain fallow every year due to lack of irrigation facilities in 25 upazilas of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabgonj districts.

There are around 5.83 lakh hectares of cultivable lands, of which around 2.24 lakh hectares have so far been brought under irrigation facilities with the help of shallow and deep tubewells, low lift pumps and other modes of irrigation facilities.

They opined that over 24.48 lakh tonnes of additional food- grains valued at around Taka 4406.40 crore could be produced every year if the total cultivable lands are brought under irrigation facilities.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said around over 12,500 deep tubewells and other irrigation pumps are engaged in irrigation purposes in the region with the initiatives of different government organizations and private sector ones at the moment.

Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), which has been working as the pioneer irrigation providing public organization in the region, has been spending huge money for boosting crop production through development of irrigation management in its command area.

The main objective of the authority was to convert the huge single-cropping areas into three-cropping but significant change has not been attained in this regard as more huge other areas remain as single cropping.

“Crop production could be boosted up in the region if the lands are converted into double-cropping through ensuring irrigation facilities,” said BMDA Executive Director Abdul Mannan adding that the outlook depends on some effective planning and implementation measures by the policy planners.

On the other hand, Additional Director of DAE Younus Ali said the modern irrigation management system could not be expanded as per the expectation.

Besides, the existing irrigation system is not being utilized properly due to lack of necessary drainage and pipeline facilities, obscuring the prospects of additional crop yield.

Meanwhile, the yearly by- rotation cropping pattern of Boro- Aus- Aman in the Barind lands is gradually being changed as the paddy cultivation fields are being squeezed due to gradually expansion of horticulture including mango orchard.

Apart from this, scanty rainfall and excessive extraction of groundwater has created concern among the Barind people and others about irrigation to the conventional Boro farming.

The number of fruit gardens has been rising on the crop- farming fields every year and the absentee landowners are seen accomplishing the works with the hope of getting more money within a short time.

Different government organizations including Fruit Research Institute, Department of Forestry and Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) coupled with huge other private sector nurseries are producing hybrid varieties of fruit saplings and supplying those to the farmers aiming at expansion of garden.

Around 2,500 small and large-scale fruit orchards with around 10 lakh trees were created only in the greater Rajshahi districts over the last couple of years and most of those are in the cultivable lands.

Deputy Director of DAE, Rajshahi Nurul Amin told BSS that the region’s soil condition, topography and weather are very suitable for mango farming, making the landowners more interested in the fruit gardening.

Terming the trend as unfortunate in terms of foodgrain Production, BMDA Executive Director Abdul Mannan said every conscious circle is apprehended over the situation.

“We are providing irrigation facilities for crop farming after spending crores of Taka, but the lands are being converted into fruit gardens through utilizing the irrigation water,” Abdul Mannan lamented.

Basically, he said, “We can’t debar the interested farmers from gardening”. The unusual process could be prevented by formulating need-based laws and regulations, he added.

Mannan, however, said there are many more lands in the Barind area where the irrigation facilities could not be expanded as yet and those lands might be used for fruit gardening.

Meanwhile, he also revealed that there are huge small rivers, canals and beels in the region which converted into green paddy fields in every boro season.

If the huge wetlands could be water-reservoir through proper excavation and re- excavation, the huge barren lands could be brought under paddy fields using the conserved water, by which, Abdul Mannan opined that the dependence on groundwater could be lessened.

Bapex ends 3D survey at Rashidpur gas field

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=125220&date=2011-02-06

Bapex ends 3D survey at Rashidpur gas field
M Azizur Rahman

Country’s lone oil and gas exploration company Bapex has completed its maiden extensive survey last week at Rashidpur gas field in a major boost to develop the ailing energy sector by state-run firm, a high government official said Saturday.

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (Bapex) conducted the 3D survey at onshore Rashidpur gas field spanning over 325 square kilometres area.

“We completed survey, drilling and recording of data at Rashidpur gas field on January 30 last,” Bapex Managing Director Mortuza Ahmad Faruque told the FE.

He said Bapex’s survey team has already moved to conduct extensive 3D survey at another new gas field at Kailashtila.

Officials said Bapex is now implementing a project on conducting 3D seismic surveys in five major potential onshore gas fields.

French Geophysical firm — CGG Veritas — is now facilitating Bapex to conduct 3D seismic surveys.

The French firm will be assisting Bapex to conduct 3D survey in five gas fields having the total area of 1,250 sq kms over the next two and a half years, Bapex top official said.

Apart from Rashidpur and Kailshtila, Bapex will complete 3Ds at Bakhrabad, Titas and Sylhet gas fields.

State-owned Petrobangla’s subsidiary Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Ltd, or BGFCL, owns two fields — Titas and Bakhrabad — while Petrobangla’s another subsidiary Sylhet Gas Field Ltd, or SGFL, holds three fields – Rashidpur, Kailashtila and Sylhet.

BGFCL and SFGL are acting as the “Executing Agency” in their respective gas fields while BAPEX is working as the “Implementing Agency” for the whole project.

Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) is financing US$23 million project to complete 3D surveys in five prospective major Bangladesh gas fields by first half of 2013.

CGG Veritas has been assigned by the government following a competitive bidding to provide 3D seismic planning, designing and support services for 3D seismic data acquisition, processing, interpretation and familiarisation of local personnel in the use of seismic equipment.

The French firm is also assisting field operation by providing foreign expert manpower and local consultant and emergency supply of spares, consumables, software, critical & special logistics and trouble shooting on short notice.

“CGG Veritas will help Bapex conduct 3D surveys of its own in future,” Faruque said.

All the five fields under the 3D survey programmes were discovered during the 1960s but no extensive surveys were conducted before to confirm the exact size of their reserves.

Petrobangla officials said, initial recoverable reserves estimated in these fields were around 11 Tcf with over 7.0 Tcf already been depleted after years of consumption.

Concerted bid to increase biogas plants in Rangpur

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=125260&date=2011-02-06

Concerted bid to increase biogas plants in Rangpur

A Grameen Shakti biogas plant. Source: http://www.gshakti.org/

Our Correspondent

RANGPUR, Feb 5: Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (IDCOL), German Technical Co-operation (GTC) and Grameen Shakti have expedited activities to increase the number of biogas plants for renewable energy in eight districts in Rangpur division.

IDCOL, a Government owned investment company fixed a target to set up 37,669 biogas plants in Bangladesh by 2012, under its National Domestic Biogas and Manure programme (NDBMP). It has also set a target of 25 per cent of the total target of biogas plants in the northern region which is yet to be brought under the national gas grid.

Nazmul Haque Foysal, senior programme manager of IDCOL said that both IDCOL and GTC in collaboration with their partner organisations are setting up the biogas plants in the eight northern districts.

Foysal also said Grameen Shakti is a major partner of IDCOL which set up 1,652 biogas plants in the eight northern districts since 2006. Each of these plants is capable of producing 1.6 to 4.8 cubic meters of biogas.

The construction of a biogas plants that can produce 1.6 cubic meters to 4.8 cubic meters of biogas costs about Tk 25,000. IDCOL donates Tk 9,000 for each plant. The beneficiary bears 25 per cent of the total cost. The partner NGO that helps in construction spends the rest of the money. As per contract, the beneficiary will have to refund the money taken from the NGO in installments.

Grameen Shakti Rangpur Divisional Manager Delwar Hossain said Grameen Shakti aims to set up 100 biogas plants every month in the region.

“We set up 350 large biogas plants that are capable of producing 6 cubic meters to 30 cubic meters of biogas. This is Grameen Shakti’s own model. Grameen Shakti and the user themselves funded construction of the plants.”

There is a biogas plant constructed by Grameen Shakti at Parbotipur market, he said. Using biogas from the plants, Parbotipur municipality produces electricity that is being supplied to eight shops in the market.

Hossain said, “Wastage from the market, including blood from the slaughter houses and chicken left outs are dumped in a chamber. These are used to produce biogas to operate the generators.”

Parbotipur Municipality Mayor Minhajul Islam said eight shopkeepers in the market do not have to worry about electricity as they can use biogas to run the generator continuously.

Eight big biogas plants in Lalmonirhat district each of which also produces 30 cubic meters of biogas from these plants are producing electricity, said Hossain.

Nurul Islam of Mohendranager in Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila said he constructed 8 biogas plants by using the litter from his poultry farm that has 62,000 birds. Using the biogas, he runs a generator to light the poultry shed. The workers of the poultry farm cook food by lighting a fire from biogas he added.

Foysal of IDCOL said reduction of workloads, especially for women; improvement of health and sanitation conditions; increase in agriculture production with proper utilisation of slurry, employment generation, protection of conventional fuel sources and reduction of greenhouse emission are also their objectives.

Programme Officer of GTC said, “GTC generally gives support for construction of big biogas plants”. We are yet to construct any in the northern district but we have contract with Kazi and Kazi of Thakurgaon to construct a big biogas plant.The objective of the programme is to further develop and disseminate biogas plants with the ultimate goal to establish a sustainable and commercial biogas sector in Bangladesh.’

GTC through its partner organisation, has been trying to increase the number of biogas plants of 6 cubic meters each since 2005 across Bangladesh.

Bangladesh economy set for 6.7pc growth

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/finance/32456-bangladesh-economy-set-for-67pc-growth.html

Bangladesh economy set for 6.7pc growth
Staff Reporter

Dhaka, Feb 2: The Monetary Policy Statement for H2 FY11 (January-June 2011), announced by the Bangladesh Bank has set GDP growth rate at 6.7 per cent.

The statement said, given the positive overall external sector outlook, healthy domestic agricultural output growth and continuing recovery in manufacturing output responding to robust domestic demand, Bangladesh economy looks well poised to attain the 6.7 per cent real GDP growth targeted by government for FY11, and well on course for growth exceeding seven per cent in real terms in FY12. The statement gave an overview of such a projection.

It said, the most recent projections for global output growth in 2011 (3.3 per cent, by World Bank, January 12, 2011) are somewhat less upbeat than earlier above four per cent growth projections from ADB and IMF.

The newer growth projections have the same multi track pattern as in earlier ones however, with slow (below three per cent) growth in high income Western economies, high (around eight per cent) growth in East Asia, Pacific and India, and four per cent plus growth in other emerging and developing economies. External sector risk factors and prospects for growth outlook of Bangladesh in 2011 remain largely unaltered.

Exports to new markets including fast growing China and India will have to compensate for slower demand recovery in traditional Western markets.

New windows of opportunity have opened up with tariff waivers announced by India and China, and rules of origin relaxation announced by EU for exports from Bangladesh; the robust export rebound seen in H1 FY11 can therefore be expected to be sustained in H2 FY11 and beyond.

Tensions in the European financial markets are being viewed as a short term risk factor for FDI inflows to developing economies, but growth efforts in Bangladesh are still funded mainly by concessional official financing inflows with FDI inflows in relatively minor role; and at any event South-South FDI flows from oil rich Middle Eastern countries and from fast growing Asian economies are unlikely to be affected by tensions in EU markets.

In the domestic scene, the acute power supply shortages disrupting output activities in preceding years are easing with new quick rental plants staring power
generation.

Higher prices of agricultural output have increased income and wages in the rural economy, underpinning domestic demand.

Inflation: As in H1, rising trends in global prices of food, energy and industrial commodities remain the near term external source of concern impacting domestic inflation in H2 FY11 and beyond.

Food crop growers get some price subsidies for fertilizers and irrigation fuel, but they are also facing higher costs in substantial real rise in wages of agricultural laborers in recent years (with increasing income of land owning farmers and higher wages of laborers, rural CPI inflation is now higher than urban CPI inflation).

Stubbornly high food price inflation in neighboring fast growing India, and prevailing high international prices of food commodities mean that no calming influence on food prices are to be expected from private sector imports, the reason why local rice prices are high and rising even after a good aman harvest.

Monetary policy actions will have little leverage on rising food prices in this situation, fiscal measures by way of subsidized food grain sales from public stock may need to be expanded to ease hardships faced by low income population segments.

Higher food grain prices for growers have important medium term upsides however; enabling the government to scale down input subsidies as growers get market prices adequately covering their costs and remunerating their efforts, and the price incentive eliciting higher output responses eventually stabilizing prices.

Domestic consumer prices have already factored in wage increases in the apparels sector declared four months in advance taking effect in Q2 FY11. Energy price revision adjusting to higher import prices of fuel oil and to higher purchase cost of power from quick rental plants is reportedly in process and due for taking effect in H2 FY11; this will impart some upward spurt to non food CPI inflation. Food price inflation in H2 FY11 may remain firm but with upside contained by good domestic harvest and reportedly large global grain stocks. Subject to the current low non food inflation not being stoked up by demand shock from excessive credit expansion, the 12-month average domestic CPI inflation is still expected to keep easing down in H2 FY11 but rather more slowly than projected earlier in the July 2010 MPS, to a level around seven per cent by June 2011.

Bangladeshi company to invest US$ 6 million in Ishwardi EPZ

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=2&id=159029&date=2011-02-03

Bangladeshi company to invest US$ 6 million in Ishwardi EPZ

DHAKA, Feb 3 (BSS)- Fujian Export Industry, a hundred per cent Bangladeshi company, will set up a garments Accessories manufacturing plant at a cost of US$ six million in Ishwardi Export Processing Zone.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and Fujian Export Industry in BEPZA Complex today.

The outfit will create employment opportunities for 505 persons including two foreign nationals, said a press release.

Member (investment promotion) of BEPZA Moyjuddin Ahmed and Managing Director of Fujian Export Industry Zahir Uddin Haider inked the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General A T M Shahidul Islam and other officials from the respective organizations were present on the occasion.

Govt takes programme to generate 20,000 MW power

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=7&id=158905&date=2011-02-02

Govt takes programme to generate 20,000 MW power

SANGSAD BHABAN, Feb 02 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government has undertaken a programme to produce 20,000 megawatt electricity to solve the country’s existing power crisis and ensuring power for all by 2020-2021.

Replying to a question by treasury bench members Choyon Islam in the Jatiya Sangsad, she told the house that her government during the last two years has added 1131 MW electricity to the national grid.

Besides, agreement has signed in public and private sector to set up 35 more power plants with the capacity of 3,158 megawatt. Of the total, she said five power plants with the capacity of 410 MW have already gone into commercial operation while rest 30 power plants are remained under construction.

Apart from this, the purchase committee has approved the proposal of setting up four power plants with 1,234 MW and a quick rental power plant with capacity of 53 MW in the IPP sector.

The Prime Minister also referred various programes of her government to set up nuclear power plant and using renewable energy for power generation.

Govt plans Tk 14,876cr infrastructure spending

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/finance/32642-govt-plans-tk-14876cr-infrastructure-spending.html

Govt plans Tk 14,876cr infrastructure spending
STAFF REPORTER

DHAKA, FEB 3: In the Sixth Five Year Plan (SFYP), the government aims to connect all rural areas with national road network in order to provide basic social access and promote pro-poor growth, along with neighbouring countries, through regional cooperation forums. Over the next five years, the government would invest about Tk. 14,876 crore in developing the transport system.

According to the SFYP, about 5,416 km of new roads would be constructed over next five years. There would also be 7,809 km of rehabilitation, 45,107 metres of bridge, culverts and overpass constructions, 6,229 metres of bridges and culverts would be reconstructed, and 730 metres of tunnel would be constructed during the period.

Communication minister Syed Abul Hossein, shipping minister Shahjahan Khan, civil aviation and tourism minister GM Quader, chairman of university grant commission Prof. Nazrul Islam, former adviser Prof. Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, secretaries of concerned ministries, transport and urban experts and high officials, among others, were present at the dialogue.

GED member Dr Shamsul Alam placed a presentation on the topic.

Political and economic philosophy of the present grand-alliance government has been reflected in Vision 2021, planning minister AK Khandaker said, adding, “This perspective plan will be materialised through implementing two five years plan.”

He was addressing as the chairman of the national dialogue of SFYP on “Transport services for reducing trade logistic cost”, organised by general economic division of Planning Commission, at the conference room of national economic council (NEC), at Sher-e-Banglanagar. He assured that the suggestions of experts and ministries would be incorporated in the plan, to achieve GDP growth of 8 per cent, and to make a country a middle income one by 2021.

Communication minister Syed Abul Hossein said the government had undertaken a number of initiatives for development of railways.

Criticising the previous government, he pointed out that the four-party alliance government had not taken any initiative to develop the railways.

He further said that necessary suggestions and opinions would be received from the communication ministry, within one week, which will be incorporated in the plan.

Shipping minster Shahjahan Khan alleged that the suggestions placed by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BITWC) had not been incorporated in the plan.

Civil aviation and tourism minister GM Quader said that the tourism sector needs to be emphsised in the SFYP.

GED member Dr Shamsul Alam said in his presentation that traffic is forecasted to grow by three times over the next 20 years, leading to a need to increase capacity significantly.
Maintenance needs a higher priority, more resources, improved management and better quality, he added.

Alam proposed to increase Bangladesh railway market share from 4 per cent-15 per cent in freight transport, 10 per cent-15 per cent in container transport between Dhaka and Chittagong port.

He further recommended introduction of modern technology, such as metro rail, mono rail and electric traction, particularly for Dhaka city, as well as improvement of financial performance through efficiency measures.

Export to US sees robust growth

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/finance/32603-export-to-us-sees-robust-growth.html

Export to US sees robust growth
UNB

Dhaka, Feb 3: Export earnings from the United States, the largest market for Bangladesh goods, registered 41.47 percent growth in the first four months (July-October) of the current fiscal with buoyant performance of readymade garments, frozen shrimp and home textiles. Export earnings from the US in the July-October period of fiscal 2010-11 totaled US$ 1626.05 million compared to US$ 1149.43 million during the corresponding period of last fiscal (2009-10).

The amount was 24.19 percent of the total export earnings of the first four months.

According to statistics provided by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), the export of RMG items including knitwear to the US amounted to US$ 1486.37 million in July-October 2010 compared to US$ 1076.79 million during the corresponding period of 2009.

The RMG items including knitwear witnessed 38.04 per cent growth in the US market.

The major exports to the US market during the period were woven garment ($1053.43 million), knitwear ($432.94 million), frozen shrimp ($34.44 million), cap ($12.79 million) and home textiles ($ 28.62 million).

During the July-October period, around 44.84 percent of the country’s total woven garment exports entered US market, followed by knitwear 14.99 per cent and frozen shrimp 19.97 per cent.

Bangladesh’s export earnings from the US in the 2009-10 fiscal totaled US$ 3.14 billion, a 7.74 per cent fall over US$ 3.4 billion registered in 2008-09 mostly because of the global economic recession.

Exports of RMG including knitwear witnessed a sharp fall of over 6 per cent in |the last fiscal (2009-10) fetching US$ 2.9 billion as against US$3.1 billion in fiscal 2008-09.
The last fiscal (2009-10) marked the end of an up-and-down decade for Bangladesh exports to the US.

From a high of US $2.5 billion during the 2000-01 fiscal, exports had fallen below US$ 2 billion by 2003-04. Exports rose steadily to cross the US$ 3 billion mark in 2005-06, and peaked at nearly US$ 3.6 billion during the 2007-08 fiscal.

2 agro-processing units in the offing in Rajshahi region

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/others/32637-2-agro-processing-units-in-the-offing-in-rajshahi-region.html

2 agro-processing units in the offing in Rajshahi region
BSS

RAJSHAHI, Feb 3: Construction works of two modern agro- processing factories are progressing fast in the region with an ultimate goal of adding value of the agricultural products especially mango, tomato and potato. A plant named Hashem Agro-processing Industry is being built on 40 bighas of land at Rishikul under Godagari upazila of the district with the initiative of Sazib Corporation setting target to manufacture mango pulp in the coming mango season.

Another factory is being planned be Vegan Group on 50 bighas of land at Rohanpur under Chapainawabgonj district, where a pulping plant will also be established.
With this venture, cold storage for both mango and tomato is going to be built for the first time in the two districts.

In addition to pulp preservation, the factories will preserve mango, tomato and potato in small-scale.

Sohel Rana, Plant Manager of Hashem Agro-processing Industry, told BSS that the plant will process 30,000 tons of mango and 20,000 tons of tomato every year for producing pulp with ultimate goal of manufacturing mango-juice and tomato-sauce respectively. “We will establish cold storage assembling modern machineries for the pulp preservation,” Sohel Rana said.

He added that the plant will also have provision for preservation of adequate mango, tomato and potato after segregating the quality ones with modern automatic machine.

On commissioning, he said around 500 people will get job in the factory directly, which will benefit another around one lakh people indirectly.

Govt plans to strengthen consumer rights protection

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=124895&date=2011-02-03

Govt plans to strengthen consumer rights protection
Talha Bin Habib

The government has planned to strengthen the functions of the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP), officials said.

As part of the plan, there will be offices of DNCRP in all districts to protect the rights of the consumers.

To this end, initially, the ministry of finance has already given approval for 233 posts of the department.

“DNCRP started functioning last year. We have taken a move to set up our offices at the district level so that unscrupulous traders cannot violate consumers rights,” Md Abul Hossain Mian, additional secretary and director general (DG) of DNCRP, told the FE.

Asked when the district offices of his organisation could start their functions, he said, “We hope they will start in near future once the government decision on determining the required manpower is finalised and subsequent completion of appointments”.

About the function of his organisaiton he said, the main function of the DNCRP is to stem unscrupulous traders for not selling date expired and spurious commodities that kept in packet to the customers.

He said if any consumer feels cheated and deprived by unscrupulous trader then he/ she could lodge complain to the authority of DNCRP.

“The DNCRP fights for the protection of the consumers’ rights after filling the law suit by the deprived customer. If the court gives order for giving financial compensation to the ‘deprived and aggrieved’ consumers then they could get a considerable portion of fined money”.

He said the officials of DNCRP, in their on going raids to different shops and markets in the capital have realised notable amount of taka from the unscrupulous traders.

Earlier the government has formed National Consumers Rights Protection Council (NCRPC). The commerce minister is the chairman of the council.

The function of the NCRPC is to monitor the activities of the DNCRP. It will also provide necessary policy supports and guidelines to the DNCRP.

Representatives of different chamber bodies such as FBCCI, BSTI, CAB, are also the members of the NCRPC.

Barisal emerging as a shipbuilding zone

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=124567&date=2011-02-01

Barisal emerging as a shipbuilding zone

Barisal Division. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barisal_Division

A Correspondent

BARISAL, Jan 31: Barisal is going to emerge as a shipbuilding zone which is already been enriched with at least 10 shipyards.

Meanwhile, these shipyards are capable of floating a good number of passenger vessels and cargo ships that ply through different domestic water routes and in coastal areas with capacities up to 2500 tonnes and also several lighters which are engaged in Chittagong and Mongla Port.

It is becoming evident that some owners of the passenger vessels of south Bengal including Barisal are now showing interest in cargo ship and lighter business.

Crescent Shipping Lines built two lighters which are now engaged in unloading freight at Chittagong wharf. On the other hand, the shipyard situated at Dapdapia built several cargo ships.

Golam Mawla, Owner of Crescent Navigation, pointed out that Barisal region had been having a heritage of shipbuilding from ancient period.

“Most of the large double-and triple-decker luxury passenger carrying water vessels now plying on major river routes of the country were built here maintaining international standards,” Mawla said.

Before liberation, Azahar Uddin, owner of a Bhola launch company, set up a dockyard on the bank of Shaheber Hat Channel to repair small launches.

After liberation, Golam Mawla, the pioneer navigation investor, founded a small dockyard there but in the course of time that dockyard is now quite capable of building massive passenger vessels like ‘the Surovi-7′, a modern luxurious ship’.

Prime Shipping Lines, an associate of Sundarban Navigation Company, has built the biggest cargo ship of Barisal.

Another lighter ‘Sundarban-4′ of 182 feet long and 32 feet wide with15 feet loaded draft and a capacity of 1300 tonnes, equipped with two Chinese engines of 300 HP (horse power) has been rendering its service well. To accomplish “Sundarban-4″ the craftsmen took about one year.

The biggest and most modern and luxurious passenger carrying vessel ‘Sundarban-7′ also slides down to its waterway from this shipyard.

Kawsar Hossain, Deputy Director. Environment Bureau, Barisal and Linkon Bain, Resource Officer, Bangladesh Environment Lawyers’ Association, Barisal Division, opined that shipyard establishment in Chittagong caused deforestation there which was harmful to the environment but to establish shipyard in vast sands area on the bank of the Kirtonkhola river will not do that.

Md Shamsul Haq, Senior Program Officer, The Asia Foundation, a non-government orgaisation that has been working on the development of business and investment, said that the government is going to make a policy on shipbuilding industry.

“For the development of Barisal shipyard, dredging and sanctioning long term loan have to be included therein”, said he.

At the same time necessary attempts should be made to attract foreign investors.

Saidur Rahaman Rintu, Senior Vice-President of the Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industries as well as Secretary of District Business Forum, Barisal, said that the shipyards situated at Dapdapia and Beltala on the bank of Kirtonkhola had built launches and coastal ships and seven more cargo ships with capacities of 1500-2500 tonnes are under construction there. Three of them are about to be completed.

About 350 workers are engaged in different shipyards in Barisal.

As Barisal is a riverine district, it is much more convenient to carry raw materials to Barisal by river.

So shipbuilding industries in Barisal hold a bright prospect to notably contribute to the national economy as the Garments Industries.