Thai trade exhibition starts Thursday

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Thai trade exhibition starts Thursday

Tassanawadee Miancharoen, Thai ambassador to Bangladesh, announces the 10th Thailand Trade Exhibition-2011 at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka yesterday. The event will be held at the same hotel from April 7 to 9.Photo: STAR

Star Business Report

The Thailand Trade Exhibition 2011 will be held in Dhaka from April 7-9 to exhibit different products of Thailand and strengthen the bilateral trade relationship between the two countries.

In a press briefing, Tassanawadee Mian-charoen, Thai ambassador, said the three-day exhibition will be held at Sonargaon Hotel, where about 43 Thai manufacturers and exporters will exhibit a range of products in 50 booths.

The major products include auto parts and accessories, hardware, agriculture machine and equipment, electric appliances, food and beverage, garments, textile and fashion accessories, gifts and decorative items, health, beauty and herbal products, household and kitchenware and stationery goods.

Thai Trade Centre, Department of Export Promotion (DEP) and Ministry of Commerce of Thailand are hosts of the show which is expected to be inaugurated by Industries Minister Dilip Barua.

“Trade between two countries is increasing every year. In 2010, the trade volume was $909.95 million and the growth rate was 39.10 percent compared with 2009,” Miancharoen said.

Bangladesh exported garments and textiles, frozen seafood, edible meat, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, animal and animal products to Thailand.

She said Bangladesh imported mainly polymers, woven fabrics, yarn and man-made filament, cement, iron and steel, chemicals, plastic, paper, health and beauty products, rubber products, plastic products, auto parts and sugar.

“The last 40 years saw an extensive development of relations between the two friendly nations in every aspect including cultural, diplomatic and specially trade relation,” she added.

New hilsa sanctuary in Padma

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New hilsa sanctuary in Padma
Staff Correspondent

The government is soon going to declare a 20-kilometre stretch of the Padma in Shariatpur a new sanctuary for hilsa to increase the production of the kingly fish, said Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas yesterday.

This will be the fifth hilsa sanctuary to be made at the lower basin of Padma river, he said while speaking at a press briefing organised by the ministry at the Department of Fisheries in the city on the eve of Jatka Preservation Week 2011.

The government has taken initiative to make the existing law relating to the ban on catching hilsa during the breeding season more time-befitting, the minister said.

The Jatka Preservation Week will be observed from April 4 to April 10.

The minister would formally inaugurate the week through a rally at Kalapara in Patuakhali tomorrow.

The four other hilsa sanctuaries are a 100km long stretch from Shatnol of Chandpur to Char Alexander of Laxmipur in the Meghna River; a 90km long Shahbajpur channel of Meghna confluence including Madanpur of Manpura, Char Ilisha, Char Pial of Bhola district; a 100km long Tentulia river from Bheduria of Bhola to Char Rustom of Patuakhali; and a 40km long Andharmanik river route under Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali.

Latif Biswas said a total of 330km area in 21 upazilas under four districts has been declared sanctuary for hilsa.

Fishing in the sanctuaries in Chandpur, Laxmipur and Bhola is prohibited from March to April while the ban comes into effect from November to January in Patuakhali, he said.

The minister said around 2.85 lakh tonnes of hilsa fish have been netted in the first seven months of this fiscal year and the production may reach 3 lakh tonnes at the end of the year.

The export earning has been doubled in the first seven months of the current fiscal year compared to last year, and the government earned Tk 280 crore exporting 6,898 tonnes of hilsa till February this fiscal year, he said.

The government will have to spend around Tk 5.17 crore for alternative employment of the fishermen in these districts, he added.

Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Uzzal Bikash Dutta, among others, was present at the briefing.

BPC moves to ensure diesel supply to the north

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BPC moves to ensure diesel supply to the north

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation brings diesel directly from Chittagong to Rangpur by railway for the first time, in an effort to ensure supply of the fuel to northern districts. Photo: STAR

Rafique Sarker, Rangpur

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has taken steps to transport diesel directly from Chittagong to Rangpur by railway for the first time, in a bid to resolve the energy crisis in eight northern districts throughout the boro season.

BPC has planned to supply 7 lakh litres of diesel a week to the northern region, the largest pocket of IRRI-boro rice.

The state-owned company brought 8.94 lakh litres of diesel to Rangpur yesterday for three companies under BPC for supply to different districts.

Earlier, the corporation had transported diesel by river and unloaded it at the Baghabari depot in Sirajganj. Three petroleum companies — Jamuna Oil, Padma Oil and Meghna Oil — used to transport diesel from Baghabari by road using tank-lorries.

There is another diesel depot at Parbotipur in Dinajpur, where supplies of diesel were reached by railway. The three companies in the past also brought diesel from Parbotipur to Rangpur and its adjoining districts.

Jamuna Sales Manager Mahbubur Rahman Bishwas said the Chilmari oil depot in Kurigram had been shut down due to navigation problems.

Diesel from the Parbotipur depot is also being carried to the 50MW power plant in Thakurgaon and the 20MW power plant in Rangpur. This resulted in scarcity of diesel and the three distributing companies had to wait to get supplies from Baghabari.”

In a press conference, Jasim Uddin Ahmed, the divisional commissioner of Rangpur, attached importance to the supply of diesel for the farmers of the northern region

“The farmers will not face any problem with supply of diesel anywhere in Rangpur division because about 15 lakh litres of diesel is needed in all for irrigation during the boro rice season,” he said.

Rebranding country’s image as ship-building nation

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=131282&date=2011-04-03

Rebranding country’s image as ship-building nation
Shahiduzzaman Khan

The industries minister announced recently that the government would soon constitute a coordination cell, comprising experts in shipbuilding sector to ensure Bangladesh-built ships perform at the highest level of safety and operational efficiency. He said if the shipbuilding industry could maintain the current level of quality and production then this sector could be Bangladesh’s surest path to attainment of Middle Income Country status while re-branding country’s image as a ‘ship building nation’ through securing bilateral trade with friendly European partners.

While delivering two ships built by Bangladesh’s leading ship building company Western Marine to its German buyer, the minister said that he felt proud as the company has handed over two more ships to Germany, just after delivery of two ships four months back. It is indeed encouraging to note that shipbuilding to cater to overseas buyers is becoming a fast growing sector for Bangladesh. Already quite a number of ocean-going cargo vessels were exported and orders for more are in the pipeline. It augurs well that contribution by the sector would comprise 3.0 to 4.0 per cent of GDP by 2015, and that export earning can go up to $2.0 billion in near future.

The country’s shipbuilding industry could become the third largest foreign exchange earner in less than ten years if the government provides support services of issues relating to bank guarantees, access through green channels and declaring export-oriented shipyards as export processing zones (EPZs). This was revealed in a study on shipbuilding industry in Bangladesh: current position and prospects for future growth conducted by the Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI), a non-profit research institution.

Technology plays a major role in the industry and the industry is required to purchase basic drawings at an estimated cost of US$ 200,000, according to the study. Considering the importance of this technology, the government may consider subsidising the acquisition of technology, for instance, by undertaking to pay a certain percentage of the cost of acquiring such technology. Currently ship builders have to import virtually all materials required, which constitutes nearly 65 per cent.

The developments are presumably encouraging in the country’s new and promising shipbuilding sector. Indeed, the government should not take so much time in making it a thrust sector as India and Indonesia are increasing their own ocean-faring vessel capacities. It noted that the ship building industry in India had grown from Rs 10.17 billion in 2002 to Rs 36.57 billion in 2007 as a result of government support over those five years, with sales increasing to Rs 52.83 billion in 2008. This would otherwise indicate what an important role the government can play in setting up an, what the study pointed out, enabling environment for the Bangladeshi shipbuilding industry.

The government has already granted the industry a partial green channel status. In terms of the current provisions, no customs duties are payable on imports of raw materials and components for use in shipbuilding. However, granting full green channel status to export-oriented shipbuilders will not place any additional burden on the government. It will save the industry 0.9 per cent of the contract value. If the shipbuilding yards are declared export processing zones, it would imply that all sales made to such shipyards would be considered exports.

Following the global economic recession, traditional shipbuilding countries are gradually becoming reluctant to build small ships (weighing less than 2,500 dead-weight tonne). This has had consequently opened a new window of export opportunity for Bangladesh. Given this encouraging signals, the Bangladeshi entrepreneurs were incentivised to enter the lucrative shipbuilding industry.

The shipbuilding sector is endowed with a certain level of technical edge that allows it to participate in higher value addition in terms of production. Taking this cue, it could be assumed that while it took around 25 years for the country’s garment industry to flourish and play a key role in foreign earnings, shipbuilding could do the same but in less time (in about 10 years) with higher local value addition, assuming proper facilities and policies are provided towards the development of its backward linkage industries.

Entrepreneurs see Bangladesh’s good prospects of flourishing shipbuilding industry. The country’s economy could witness a big progress if it catches the global shipbuilding market and finds its modest room in the international shipbuilding country club. Establishment of deep-draft ports, duty exemption for import of capital machinery, bonded warehouse facilities, special financial subsidy and providing green channel for importing raw materials to ensure healthy growth of the sector are, thus, advocated by the concerned circles. Their forecast is that ‘the sector has promising chances of contributing to the economy after garments sector’.

Bangladesh has advantages like cheap labour, a presence of nearly 0.1 million skilled and semiskilled workers and industry-related educational and training institutes. A long history of maritime activity and a favourable geographical location also placed the country at a favourable position, with about 200 shipyards and workshops to cater to the domestic needs for water vessels. The country has the skilled manpower required to vitalise the ship building industry. Some of this workforce is now displaced in some parts of the world but time has come to bring them back to utilise their capability in flourishing the sector. The government needs to patronise the much prospective sector by providing them with all logistic supports. India is providing 30 per cent financial subsidy on ship building industry while Vietnam is providing 40 per cent. Bangladesh can easily turn itself into a ship exporting country from present ship breaking one by giving due attention to the industry.

The Bangladesh economy is at present dependent on a few export items. It badly needs export diversification for its sustainable growth. The shipbuilding sector has the potential to expand the country’s export basket, fetching much-needed foreign currency as well as generating employment opportunities. With an aggressive marketing plan, the new breed of entrepreneurs is expected to obtain a notable slice of the 400 billion dollar global shipbuilding business. In order to meet buyers’ requirements in conformity with international standards, skill development is one of the pertinent issues that both entrepreneurs and the government do need to look into, concertedly.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said recently that the government would announce a new policy for the shipbuilding industry. The emerging shipbuilding industry will also be declared a thrust sector in the new industrial policy, as it has huge export- and job-creation potential. Shipbuilding is predominantly a technology-driven sector. In this sector, constant improvement of engineering skill keeps one ahead of the others in competition. On its part, the government is pledge-bound to extend full support to the sector through reforming or enacting new policies. This pledge has to be translated into action in order to enable the shipbuilding sector to help lift the country’s image, besides earning precious foreign exchange.

skhan@dhaka.net

Jumbo Grass shows the way to Rangpur ultra-poor

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=131336&date=2011-04-03

Jumbo Grass shows the way to Rangpur ultra-poor

RANGPUR, Apr 2 (BSS): Over 3,000 ultra poor families living in remote char villages on the Brahmaputra and Dharla basins in Kurigram have achieved economic self-reliance through commercial cultivation of Australian hybrid variety Sweet Jumbo Grass.

Farming of the grass under the ongoing government’s Char Livelihood Programme (CLP) has brought a revolution in the char economy during the past four years with brighter prospects in future, concerned experts and char people said.

The nutritious grass helps expanding the animal husbandry sector in char areas and the poor eradicating poverty by selling milk and increasing milk production by 45 per cent and meeting nutritional demand of their children.

Because of availability of the grass in huge quantities, the char people including women are fattening cows easily and incident of cattle deaths has been reduced to the minimum with reduction of fodder crisis.

The owners of bigger diary farms of Bogra and other areas in the north have been purchasing the nutritious grass at better rates to feed their cows and getting increased milk production.

According to official sources, 18 NGOs under the CLP have been assisting the distressed and ultra poor char people of 19 upazilas in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur and Sirajganj districts in farming the grass since 2008.

After getting excellent results, the NGOs have been bringing more people under its farming in newer areas every year and beneficiaries of the previous years are continuing its large-scale farming at their own lands.

Under the assistances of RDRS, Solidarity, Zibika, Mohideb Jubo Unnayan Samaj Kallyan Sangstha, Aid Comilla and Bangladesh Development Service Centre, over 3,000 char families have so far become self-reliant by farming the grass in Kurigram alone.

Marketing Development Supervisor of RDRS Moni Krishna Adhikari today told the news agency that farming of the grass has been expanding faster in the char areas of Rajibpur, Roumari and Chilmari upazilas and other five Upazilas in Kurigram.

The growers get eight harvests after every month from the same land from January to August, and can earn a net average profit of Tk 75,000 per acre annually excluding the production costs of Tk 20,000 and after feeding their own cows.

Over 3,500 char people have cultivated the grass in over 500 acres land in eight Upazilas of Kurigram to produce about 70,000 tonnes grass and they are now selling the produce at Tk 4 per kg as it has huge demands in the local and other areas.

Char people Shahjahan Ali, Faridul Islam, Abdul Baten, Mintu Mian and Saidur Rahman of different char villages in Kurigram said that they have been cultivating the grass on their char lands every year since 2008.

Wahed Ali of Kachir Char in Sadar Upazila of Kurigram said that he has cultivated the grass in one-acre land this time and earned Taka 36,000 so far by selling three harvests at Tk 4 per kg till March.

“I expect to sell more five harvests till August next to earn a net profit of Tk 75,000 excluding his total cultivation costs of Tk 20,000 from my one acre land this season,” he added.

Shipbuilders to get separate zones

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Shipbuilders to get separate zones
Barua says at Western Marine ship handover ceremony

Industries Minister Dilip Barua, German Ambassador Holger Michael, Naval Chief Vice Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed and Western Marine Managing Director Sakhawat Hossain tour the Western Marine dockyard in Chittagong yesterday after the local shipbuilder handed over two ships to a German buyer. Photo: STAR

Staff Correspondent, Ctg

The government will set up separate zones for the shipbuilding sector and formulate policy to support the promising sector, Industries Minister Dilip Barua said yesterday.

The zones will be created on the south bank of river Karnaphuli in Chittagong and in Barisal, the minister said.

He also said the government will form a coordination cell comprising experts in the shipbuilding sector to ensure safety and operational efficiency of Bangladesh-built ships.

Barua was addressing a function of Western Marine Shipyard to deliver two vessels of the shipbuilder to a German owner yesterday, four months after it handed two same-size ships to the same company.

The two 100-metre ice-class vessels — EMS Lake and EMS Dollart — each having a capacity of 5,200 deadweight tonnage and a speed of 12 nautical miles per hour was handed to Marku Veder, representative of Grona Shipping GmbH, at the function at Chittagong Dry Dock Ltd.

Each of the vessels was built at Tk 80 crore under a Tk 960 crore project to deliver 12 ships to the same German company within 2012.

The industries minister said Western Marine has made Bangladesh proud by creating a new image of the country in the international shipbuilding market.

Barua said: “It is indeed a matter of great honour to see buyers from Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Finland coming here for building their vessels.”

He said, if the shipbuilding industry continues its current upward trend, the sector will help Bangladesh become a middle income country by 2021.

The sector will also give Bangladesh a new name as a shipbuilding nation through securing bilateral trade with friendly European partners, the minister said.

Bangladesh is the 15th most favourite destination among the developing countries for foreign direct investment, he said, adding that the country has enjoyed high growth in manufacturing and service sectors during the past decade because of the increasing contribution of the private sector.

German Ambassador to Bangladesh Holger Michael said the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Germany increased to a remarkable amount of $3.8 billion last year.

He said the shipbuilding sector would help Bangladesh reduce the bilateral trade gap between the two countries.

Western Marine Managing Director Sakhawat Hossain urged the government to formulate proper policy to support the sector.

Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Zahir Uddin Ahmed, Principal Surveyor of Germanischer Lloyd Choudhury Fakhruz Zaman, Editor of the daily Kaler Kontho Abed Khan and Western Marine Technical Director Arifur Rahman Khan also spoke.

New submarine cables, terrestrial links set up for smooth internet

http://www.daily-sun.com/?view=details&type=daily_sun_news&pub_no=171&cat_id=1&menu_id=3&news_type_id=1&index=7

New submarine cables, terrestrial links set up for smooth internet
Licenses to be issued to private entrepreneurs

Mazharul Anwar Khan

The government has decided to issue licenses to private entrepreneurs for setting up, maintenance and running two submarine cables and three terrestrial fibre links in the country in a bid to make telecommunication and internet facilities easier.

A policy in this regard has been finalised under which the entrepreneurs will be able to collect foreign investment for submarine cable. But cent percent domestic investment is mandatory for the terrestrial link, said Bangladesh Telecommunication Regularity Commission (BTRC) sources.

Apprehending the necessity of alternative submarine cable, the government has taken the decision as the whole telecommunication and internet system, especially for global communication, collapse when the country’s lone submarine cable is cut off.

BTRC sources said the two submarine cables will be set up under the sea, having landing stations at Kuakata, Patuakhali, Barisal and Chittagong. Terrestrial fibre link has to be established between Dhaka and the landing stations.

In January this year, the BTRC published a draft policy on setting up submarine cables. The policy recommended that two submarine cable licenses will be issued to the private entrepreneurs.

The final policy, however, didn’t mention the amount of foreign investment required for the submarine cables although it mentioned that entrepreneurs will be able to collect maximum 40 percent foreign funds.

At present, the country has only one submarine cable. The government is mulling for one or two submarine cables since long as alternative option. The last caretaker government prepared a draft policy for the submarine cable.

Setting up of new submarine cables will help bring an end to illegal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) operations in the country, said BTRC sources.

Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited has been formed to look after the country’s lone submarine cable.

Major boost in local octane production

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Major boost in local octane production
SGFL to meet half the country’s demand by July producing octane from condensate

Sharier Khan

Sylhet Gas Field Company (SGFL), that started producing octane in November last year by converting a natural gas by-product, is set to meet a half of the country’s octane demand from June-July.

This will save a huge amount of foreign currency, especially in the context of international price of oil shooting beyond $100 per barrel. It will also add a lot of value to locally produced condensate, which is a by-product of natural gas, especially in the Sylhet region.

The country’s annual demand for octane is 1.2 lakh tonnes.

The SGFL started producing 2,500 barrels (3,000 tonnes) of octane, petrol, diesel and kerosene a day by setting up a Fractionation Plant in Rashidpur.

This translates into an annual production of more than one lakh tonnes of petroleum products. Other than octane, the plant is producing around 10,000 tonnes of petrol, 25,000 tonnes of kerosene, and 25,000 tonnes of diesel annually.

“By June-July next, we expect to expand our capacity by fifty percent,” said Tofazzal Hossain, managing director of the company.

In addition to SGFL, the Eastern Refinery Company Ltd (ERL) is also producing 40,000 tonnes of octane annually by processing imported crude oil and thus saving foreign exchange.

The remaining one-third of octane demand is met by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation’s (BPC) direct import.

Energy Secretary Mesbahuddin Ahmed said, “In future we expect that we would not need to import octane.” In addition to government run Sylhet Gas Field Company, and Eastern Refinery, several private entrepreneurs are also getting involved in octane production, he added.

SGFL uses a chemical “octane booster” with the condensate to convert it into petrol or octane. Presently, it has two months of stock of this chemical and the company is processing tender for purchasing future chemical supplies.

SGFL sources say the experience of the company in supplying the petroleum products to BPC has so far been smooth and it has been following a monthly chart.

Until this venture was launched, condensate was being used for producing Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) by a government plant in Kailashtila, and some private producers.

Since the mid 1990s, thieves realised the value of condensate and repeatedly bore holes in the gas pipelines in many places between Sylhet and Ashuganj to steal condensate.

This not only drained huge resources every year, but also caused occasional huge fire and supply disruption in the gas pipeline. The most recent such incident took place in Sylhet last week.

Germany to set up Economic Zone in Bangladesh

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=170273&date=2011-04-01

Germany to set up Economic Zone in Bangladesh

DHAKA, April 1 (BSS)- State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Martin Biesel has lauded the prevailing favourable investment atmosphere in Bangladesh and said that they would set up a German Economic Zone in the South Asian nation.

“The present scope of investment is very favourable in Bangladesh. As a result of sincere efforts by both the governments, a German Economic Zone will be established in Bangladesh, which will help further intensify business relations between the two countries,” he said while addressing a reception at Bangladesh embassy in Berlin on March 28, according to a message received here today.

The reception held at Atrium of Deutsche Bank of Germany was organized on the occasion of the 41st Independence and National Day of Bangladesh.

Biesel said Bangladesh with its young, energetic, hard-working, motivated young people and with the stewardship and far-sighted vision of the government has been emerging as a vibrant country in South Asia.

More than 300 dignitaries from the host country and accredited countries of this embassy attended the event. The dignitaries included around 70 ambassadors, high level officials
of German government, intellectuals, business leaders, journalists, academicians, defense officers, prominent social workers and philanthropists.

The formal part of the event commenced with playing of the national anthems of Bangladesh and Germany followed by address by the Ambassador of Bangladesh Mosud Mannan.

Anniversary cake was jointly cut by the ambassador and state secretary in presence of dignitaries. Videos on development activities and tourism promotion of Bangladesh were also screened side by side with displaying its exportable products.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Mosud Mannan gratefully reminisced that the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was the first country in Europe to recognize Bangladesh on 11 January 1972 and that the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) also recognized Bangladesh on 4 February 1972.

He recalled the support of German people for the provisional government during the War of Liberation which was instrumental for the independence of the country.

The ambassador also expressed his gratitude to FRG for extending treatment to a large number of post-war wounded freedom fighters of Bangladesh. “At present, Germany is the second largest destination of Bangladesh’s total export and the largest in Europe,” he informed.

Mosud said the German-Bangladesh relation is a glowing example of ever-growing friendship and confidence and Bangladesh values Germany as a longstanding reliable partner in development.

Trade with Tripura doubles

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Trade with Tripura doubles
Diplomatic Correspondent

Trade between Tripura and Bangladesh almost doubled to Rs 300 crore in the current fiscal year from Rs 163 crore in the previous fiscal year, while export of eight Bangladeshi items registered a fivefold rise this year.

Indian media quoting Tripura Commerce Minister Jitendra Chowdhury said the export business of Tripura with Bangladesh was recorded at Rs 1.51 crore in 2007-08, and in the next two years the trade volume reduced to Rs 32 lakh and Rs 42 lakh respectively.

But in 2009-10, the amount increased fivefold to Rs 2 crore, Chowdhury was quoted as saying.

The import from Bangladesh has increased over the years, Chowdhury said, adding that in 2010-11 Tripura imported goods worth Rs 294 crore from Bangladesh. The amount was Rs 163 crore in 2009-10, Rs 129 crore in 2008-09 and Rs 84 crore in 2007-08.

He, however, pointed out that the Union Home Ministry was considering the proposals of starting border huts to boost border trade between Tripura and Bangladesh, while the launch of flight on Agartala-Dhaka-Chittagong route was also on active consideration of the civil aviation ministry.

To enhance the connectivity, both sides have already finalised the alignment of Agartala-Akhaura railway link and technical survey would begin soon.

India will spend Rs 146 crore for track laying work in Bangladesh side, and Rs 105 crore would be spent for construction in Indian side, the Tripura minister added.

Poverty declines at faster rate

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Poverty declines at faster rate
Rejaul Karim Byron

Poverty has declined at a faster 2 percent rate a year on average since 2005, according to the latest household expenditure survey by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). From 2000 to 2005, the poverty reduction rate was 1.78 percent.

The percentage of the population living under the poverty line came down to 30 in 2010 from 40 in 2005, said Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman yesterday, quoting government data, at a function organised by Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd.

BBS officials said they have completed data compilation for the 2010 household expenditure survey and will be able to finish the preliminary report in the next two months.

High economic growth, increased inward remittance and the government’s larger safety net programmes helped cut the poverty rate, officials said.

From 2005-06 to 2009-10 onward, the GDP growth per year was more than 6 percent on average, which was more than 5 percent in the preceding five years.

In2005, inward remittance was only $3 billion, which grew to $10 billion over the years, most of which went to the poor families across the country.

The governments invested larger amounts of money in various safety net programmes. According to Bangladesh Economic Review (BER) the government spent about Tk 13,000 crore through budgetary allocation in fiscal 2009-10.

But economists express concern that the rich-poor gap widened although the poverty rate in percentage of population came down.

But a BB official said the new survey would show whether the rich-poor disparity narrowed.

BD scientist brings good news for acid victims

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BD scientist brings good news for acid victims

Dr Azam Ali (in the middle), winner of New Zealand’s prestigious Bayer Innovators Awards 2010 in Science and Health category poses with other winners of the award. Photo: Bayer Innovators

BSS, Dhaka

A Bangladeshi scientist now living in New Zealand has brought good news for the people with severe wound and similar physical injury from acid attack and fire incident.

Dr Azam Ali, an agro-scientist, has invented a bio-based wound dressing, which cures severe wound 40 percent faster than any other conventional medicine currently available on the market.

A leading pharmaceutical company from Bangladesh has already contacted the scientist to introduce the new product on the local market.

The breakthrough innovation of the Bangladeshi scientist won the globally reputed Bayer Innovation of the Year Award in 2010.

Ali has invented bio-based materials to create new wound dressing, bone-graft implant products and medical suture technology using wool from New Zealand sheep. He uses low-volume protein sources from the wool to wound dressing and medical devices.

Two of his wound-care medical products are now being used at New Zealand hospitals and are approved for use in Australia, United States and the European Union.

“Bangladesh can get benefit out of the invention,” Ali said in an interview with BSS last week when he came to Dhaka for a personal visit.

He said the new wound dressing dramatically brings down the treatment time while the result is far better than any other existing treatment process as the bio-based wound dressing accelerates wound healing process and tissue growth.

“It works 40 percent faster than any other traditional products in wound treatment”, Ali said.

The scientist sees very bright prospect of using the new product in Bangladesh because of availability of natural raw materials.

He pointed out that Bangladesh can use shrimp shell in place of wool to produce the same products with similar quality and effectiveness.

‘There is lot of shrimp shells available at the industry where shrimp are being processed regularly for either export or domestic use,” he said.

Ali said he is now in talks with a local pharmaceutical company to introduce the products in Bangladesh.

“We are expecting a positive result from the on-going discussions and hoping to introduce the products in a year,” he said,

He believes the new products will serve better in treating the acid victims and the people with severe burn injury.

He, however, said the treatment would be costlier than the existing synthetic products, but it would heal the wounds of the acid and burn victims to the extent so they can get back to normal life.

A post graduate in chemistry from Jahangirnagar University, Ali did higher study in his subject in the United State before joining in research work first in Korea and then in New Zealand.

Currently, he is a senior scientist at the AgResearch, a leading research organisation in New Zealand.

Investment proposals rise

http://www.newstoday.com.bd/index.php?option=details&news_id=23603&date=2011-03-29

Investment proposals rise

In a healthy growth in terms of money, investment proposals worth Tk 10,848 crore were registered with the Board of Investment (BoI) in February this year, mostly in the power, textile and agro-processing sectors, reports UNB.

During the month, BoI registered some 152 investment proposals including 131 from local entrepreneurs and 21 from foreign and joint venture companies.

Of the total amount, the local entrepreneurs made investment proposals worth Tk 8,835 crore while the foreign and joint venture companies Tk 6,013 crore.

In January this year, BoI registered investment proposals worth Tk 3,587 crore from some 181 local, foreign and joint venture companies, compared to Tk 3,258 crore against investment proposals made by 158 companies in December last year.

According to sector-wise breakup, in the textile sector, BoI registered some 54 proposals from local entrepreneurs worth Tk 3,390 crore in February this year as against Tk 670 crore in January against 65 projects.

In the agriculture sector, investment proposals worth Tk 732 crore were registered with the BoI against 16 projects in February while of Tk 779 crore in January against 22 proposals.

Besides, Tk 86 crore investment proposals were registered against four projects in food and allied sector, Tk 5.38 crore against one project in leather sector, Tk 305 crore against 18 projects in chemical sector, Tk 130 crore against 23 projects in engineering sector and Tk 183 crore against 14 projects in the services sector.

In terms of money, invest proposals by the local, foreign and joint venture companies shot up by 188 per cent in 2010 compared to 2009.

In 2010, some 1,785 companies registered investment proposals with the BoI amounting to Tk 65,834.37 crore, which was Tk 22,821.77 crore in 2009.

The number of local, joint venture and foreign companies who proposed to invest in Bangladesh also rose last year to 1,785 as against 1,524 a year ago.

During the last year, the highest 30.8 per cent of the investment proposals was made for the services sector, 30 per cent for textile, 18.8 per cent for chemicals, 7.8 per cent for engineering, 6.6 per cent for agriculture and 4.4 per cent for food and allied sector.

800 MW rental power to be added in two months

http://www.daily-sun.com/?view=details&type=daily_sun_news&pub_no=171&cat_id=1&menu_id=3&news_type_id=1&index=2

800 MW rental power to be added in two months
Staff Correspondent

The government is expecting to add another 800 megawatts of rental power to the national grid within the next two months.

Around 200 MW of electricity will be added to the national grid from the quick rental power plants between April and May,” Power Division Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad told journalists while visiting a quick rental power project at Ghorasal on Sunday.

“One or two quick rental projects have been slipped from the deadline. But we are not worried as they progressed well,” he said.

Clarifying the delay of 78MW Max Power Limited in Ghorasal, he informed that pirates robbed off a ship of the company, carrying equipments for the plant, in the outer anchorage of Chittagong port in January last year.

Two generators were severely damage due to the incident, he said.

Ghulam M Alomgir, chairman of Max Power Limited, expressed his hope to start operating the plant from April 15-20. “Then we will generate 40MW electricity initially and will be able to produce another 38MW by the end of April,” he added.

The Bangladesh Power Development Board will purchase per unit of electricity at Tk 4.80 from the plant for three years.

While talking with daily sun, State Minister for Power and Energy Mohammad Enamul Haque expressed his dissatisfaction over the slow progress in implementing the quick rental power plants.

“I am optimistic about the quick power plants and hope these would start operating in time. But if anyone miss the deadline then they will have to pay heavy penalty,” he cautioned project owners.

The government has already signed deals to generate 1488MW of electricity to ensure smooth power during boro irrigation.

But only one-third of the target has been produced so far.