Korean company to invest $5m in Ctg EPZ

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=2&id=178021&date=2011-05-15

Korean company to invest $5m in Ctg EPZ

DHAKA, May 15 (BSS)- A Korean company will set up a shoe and bag manufacturing industry in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (EPZ) investing 5.025 million US dollars.

The company, M/s Hana S & B Limited, signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority to this effect in the BEPZA Complex here today.

The fully foreign owned company will manufacture all kinds of shoe and bag, and create jobs for 688 Bangladeshi nationals.

A Z M Azizur Rahman, General Manager (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA, and Sang Tae Kim, Managing Director, M/s Hana S & B Limited, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Executive Chairman of BEPZA Major General ATM Shahidul Islam, among others, was present at the signing ceremony.

BSTI to set up world class Chemical Metrology Lab: Dilip

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/others/51121-bsti-to-set-up-world-class-chemical-metrology-lab-dilip.html

BSTI to set up world class Chemical Metrology Lab: Dilip
BSS

DHAKA, May 21: Industries Minister Dilip Barua said Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) initiated the process for setting up a world class Chemical Metrology Laboratory in the country for ensuring accurate measurement of chemical ingredients used in different products. He was addressing as the chief guest at a seminar “Chemical Measurements for our life, our future” at the BSTI auditorium in Tejgaon on Friday, an official release said.

BSTI organised the seminar in connection with observance of the 8th World Metrology Day which was chaired by its director general AK Fazlul Ahad.

International Metrology expert Dr. Franz Hengstberger and BUET Prof Dr M Fakhrul Islam presented two papers at the seminar.

Additional secretary in the Industries Ministry ABM Khorshed Alam, director general of Bangladesh Accreditation Board M Abu Abdullah and BSTI director Khademul Islam, among others, spoke.

The Industries Minister said Bangladesh would have to produce class products for ensuring their smooth entry in the global market and staying there.

Bangladesh to get 60,000 hectares for farming in Uganda

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=186836

Bangladesh to get 60,000 hectares for farming in Uganda
Star Business Report

Uganda is interested to allocate up to 60,000 hectares of land to Bang-ladeshi entrepreneurs for commercial farming in the east African country, its Honorary Consul to Bangladesh said yesterday.

”The government of Uganda has shown interest to allocate more land for cultivation to Bangladeshi entrepreneurs. If it is feasible and receives attractive proposal it will provide more,” said Abul Hossain, the honorary consul.

”Uganda will provide the land for free. It will however take a percentage of the produce,” he said at a press conference at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in Dhaka.

The disclosure came after a team of Bangladeshi businessmen got nod from the government of Uganda against their proposal for commercial farming on 10,000 hectares of land (1 hectare = 2.47 acres) in the country.

Nitol-Niloy Group, which led the delegation to the African country last month, organised the press meet to announce its plan to invest $12.5 million to grow rice on 10,000 hectares of land in Uganda in a bid to support Bangladesh’s effort to ensure food sufficiency for its growing population.

With 16 crore population on 147,000 square kilometres of land, Bangladesh faces a gradual fall of arable land due to its increased use for non-farm purposes including housing.

The decline has created concerns about future food security for the nation which takes rice as staple.

Bangladesh requires additional 5 lakh tonnes of food grains every year for its rising population. Over the decades since independence, rice output tripled to over 3 crore tonnes in Bangladesh, yet the country has to depend on imports.

Abdul Matlub Ahmad, chairman of Nitol-Niloy Group, a Tk 2,000 crore company, said Bang-ladeshi entrepreneurs are looking for commercial rice farming in Africa to ensure food security.

Ahmad, whose company’s operations range from automobile to paper to cement, said the proposed farming venture on 10,000 hectares of land would give output of 77,000 tonnes of rice from two seasons a year.

Of the produce, 20 percent will go to the government of Uganda, and the remaining will be sent to Bangladesh with a profit of 10 percent plus production cost.

”If such 22 projects could be done, we will have the food security the government wants,” said Ahmad.

He said Bangladesh has a shortfall of 14 lakh tonnes of rice, and 22 such farms can narrow the gap between the demand and supply.

Hossain said the African country has a plenty of cultivable land, with suitable weather for farming. It also produces organic cotton, coffee, tea and rice.

He said the scope for Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to invest in the country would widen if the agriculture ministries of the two countries sign cooperation deal.

Apart from Nitol-Niloy Group, some more local entrepreneurs have also started looking for leasing land in other African countries including Tanzania.

Two local businesses including one led by Nitol-Niloy Group aim to go for farming in Uganda and Tanzania on 40,000 hectares of land, according to reports.

Bangladesh Bank, which gives permission to local entrepreneurs investing abroad, is yet to receive any application seeking clearance for foreign exchange transfer, said a top central bank official.

Ahmad expected the government would allow such investments to ensure food security in the country. He added an agreement between Bangladesh and Uganda might be signed next month.

Ahmad also announced a platform, Bangladesh Africa Business Forum, to provide support to prospective investors.

20m to have internet access by year end

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/national/19379.html

20m to have internet access by year end
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka

With vigorous attempt of the government to make more people tech savvy to achieve the vision of the Digital Bangladesh, internet accessibility is going to be doubled in less than one year.

An official at the ministry of posts and telecommunications told the news agency on Thursday that internet users in Bangladesh would be around 20 million by the end of this year with a phenomenal increase in the internet connections. Currently, 10 million people are using internet regularly from 1.1 million internet connections.

According to Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh, 60 internet service providers in the private sector are now offering internet services, besides the state-owned Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited.

Citing the findings of a report, the official said on an average 10 people used a connection for sending emails and browsing web sites.

Considering the phenomenal growth rate, driven by increasing number of ‘internet population’, he said they were expecting another 10 million people on the online trail from 1 million new connections by the end of 2011.

The number of internet connections was 0.6 million (six laky) in 2009 when the present government came to power with a strong commitment of making the country digitally enriched by 2021. Over the past two years, internet users grew by around 84 per cent to 1.1 million in 2011 from 0.6 million in 2009. The number of connections is projected to be 2 million by this year.

Zinc rice by 2013

http://daily-sun.com/?view=details&type=daily_sun_news&pub_no=223&cat_id=1&menu_id=2&news_type_id=1&index=0

Zinc rice by 2013
New variety to help children be in sound health
Saidul Haque

Agricultural scientists of the country will release a new variety of rice – zinc-fortified rice – by 2013 with concentration of 24 mg of zinc a kg essential for both physical and mental growth of children.

Alamgir Hossain, principal scientific officer of Plant Breeding Division of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), said: “We are trying to develop it in bio-fortification process and the production target is about 7 tonnes per hectare as the farmers are interested in cultivating the variety because of its high yielding capacity.”

Harvest Plus, an international research project under Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGSIR), will release the new variety by 2013.

Nowadays farmers are not willing to cultivate less yielding variety of rice because of less profit, said the researchers of BRRI.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said she suggested that the scientists should take into consideration such a variety that will reduce the production cost of farmers.

A new variety of rice must be tasty apart from other qualities to become popular, otherwise it will bring no positive results, the minister mentioned.

Most of the people in our country suffer from zinc deficiency while it is essential for both mental and physical growth of children.

Children of low-income family of the country are fully dependent on rice and their physical growth is hampering due to zinc deficiency, Alamgir said.

For the micronutrient deficiency, our nation is lagging behind intellectually compared to that of other nations, he added.

According to World Health Organisation, if 20 percent of children of a country do not have proper physical growth compared to their age, it is considered that people of that country are experiencing serious zinc deficiency.

“Most of the people in our country can not meet the demand for zinc,” said Mohammad Abdul Mannan, director general of BRRI. The average amount of zinc in BRRI released rice variety is 13 mg/kg which is not sufficient for human body, said Abdul Mannan.

“We are also trying to enrich the new rice variety with iron content so that people can get both iron and zinc in the same rice,” Abdul Mannan informed.

Mahabub Hossain, executive director of BRAC said, “We are very much hopeful about this new rice variety; we are also trying to keep its price within the reach of consumers to popularise it,” Mahabub said.

2-lakh tonnes additional fish production possible in rice fields in Rangpur

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=2&id=178028&date=2011-05-15

2-lakh tonnes additional fish production possible in rice fields in Rangpur

RANGPUR, May 15 (BSS) – State Minister for Land Advocate Mostafizur Rahman MP has said that 2-lakh tonnes additional fish production is possible annually through enhancing pisciculture in rice fields in Rangpur division alone.

For this, he suggested for inspiring the farmers, providing them with the latest scientific technologies, and educating them in producing quality fingerlings of high yielding GIFT Tilapia fish in their farmlands or other tiny places.

He was addressing the final workshop on ‘Enhancing the Impacts of Decentralized (Fish) Seed Production (RIU-DSP) Project organised Saturday by RDRS Bangladesh at Begum Rokeya auditorium in the city as the chief guest.

Director of the World Fish Centre from Bangladesh and South Asia Office William J Kollis chaired the workshop and Divisional Commissioner Jashim Uddin Ahmed and Principal Scientific Officer of the Department of Fisheries Dr Md Abdul Jalil, attended as the special guests.

Coordinator of the World Fish Centre Dr Binoy Kumar Barman and Head of Agriculture and Environment of RDRS Bangladesh Dr MG Neogi addressed the workshop and Kuddus Ansari from India conducted the technical session.

The workshop was informed that the UK-based DFID-funded 3- year RIU-DSP Project would be completed simultaneously by May 31 next in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

RDRS Bangladesh has been implementing the project in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts in Bangladesh.

Under the project, 18,000 fingerling producers has been produced and 21,000 targeted small and marginal farmers in these districts will now produce six crore GIFT Tilapia fingerlings and 6,000 tonnes additional Tilapia fish worth Taka 100 crore annually.

The project enabled the selected farmers producing fingerlings in the small ditches in rice fields by releasing the Tilapia broods from late March to mid-April as breeding continues till April- May when the farmers start selling their fingerlings.

RDRS Bangladesh with its 11 partner organisations have been distributing broods to produce fingerlings in the rice fields to help the poor earning profits, tackling poverty and meeting their nutrition demand by GIFT Tilapia farming and selling fingerlings.

The speakers said that pisciculture in rice fields has become popular and the farmers are becoming more interested in culturing fish because of availability of quality fingerlings at community levels using the proven technology.

The experts said that the project has been proved very effective when fish production has been reduced over the decades and suggested for conducting follow-up activities so that the involved farmers would continue the process in future.

World standard electronics products being manufactured in Bangladesh

http://www.newstoday.com.bd/index.php?option=details&news_id=27248&date=2011-05-11

World standard electronics products being manufactured in Bangladesh
Only Walton has BSTI approval

News Report

Walton Hi-tech Industries at Chandra in Gazipur is now manufacturing world standard and quality refrigerators, motorcycles and other electronics products.

Walton is the country’s sole company that has the approval from BSTI and is the capacity to manufacture two kind of refrigerators- frost and non-frost-through importing raw materials from Germany and Korea.

Many distinguished persons visited the Walton Hi-tech Industries at Chandra in Gazipur and expressed highly satisfaction seeing the standard and quality of plant.

During his visit to the manufacturing unit recently Industries Minister Dilip Barua said the Walton refrigerators and other products are more qualitative from imported one.

The minister said like Tata of India, Walton will play a positive role in building good image of the country.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader said “It is a matter of proud for Bangladesh that such kind of heavy factory has been established in the country that is manufacturing world standard fridge, motorcycle, television, AC, generator, etc”.

German Ambassador to Bangladesh Holger Michael also visited the Walton Hi-tech Industries and expressed satisfaction over the world standard manufacturing facility.

He hoped that Bangladesh would emerge as one of the refrigerator, fridger and motorcycle exporting countries in the world and through exporting the items Bangladesh would earn huge foreign currency in the coming days”.

Seeing the state-of-art-technology of the factory, the ambassador commented that “Walton products produced in the factory are also standard and qualitative like products of developed countries”

During visit to the factory Spanish Ambassador in Bangladesh Arturo Perez Martinez commented: “Every thing is very existing and well prepared to face all the challenges. I forecast a very successful future for this company”.

Kayoko Takagide Perez Martinez, wife of the ambassador, also accompanied him during his visit to the factory.

She said: “It is a matter of proud that Bangladesh is now booming up with its own products and has started to produce their own products. The manufacturing and marketing idea of Walton is very excellent”

According to sources, in business Walton has already overwhelmed Bangladesh, and begun to touch foreign countries. Walton has already begun to export its products to Asia, Middle East, African and technology developed European countries.

International Marketing Director of Walton Mizanur Rahman said “In developed countries quality is very important and keeping the quality and standard Walton brand products are being exported to different developed countries”

Exports rise 40pc in 10 months

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=185118

Exports rise 40pc in 10 months
Star Business Report

The country’s exports grew by 40.88 percent in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, riding on demands diverting form China to Bangladesh and relaxation of European Union rules.

During the July-April period, Bangladesh shipped goods worth $18.24 billion against the target of $14.88 billion, said the state-run Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) yesterday.

The government has set export target for 2010-11 at $18.50 billion. In April alone, the country exported goods worth $2.03 billion, registering a 45.56 percent rise over the same month a year earlier, data showed.

Among the major export items, knitwear products worth $7.48 billion and woven garments worth $6.70 billion were exported in the July-April period.

The exports of some products like frozen foods, agricultural products, rubber, leather goods, cotton and cotton products, jute and jute goods, home textile, footwear, building materials and vessels also witnessed a significant growth during the period.

Jalal Ahmed, vice-chairman of EPB, said the export is increasing both by value and volume after the relaxation of the Rules of Origin by the EU from January.

“Exports in terms of volume have increased more than by 15 percent during the period compared with the same period last year,” Ahmed said.

He said the orders are shifting to Bangladesh from China, as the world’s largest apparel supplier is increasingly becoming an expensive manufacturing destination for the buyers.

Faruque Hassan, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the prices of garment items increased worldwide due to hike in prices of raw materials.

The international buyers are paying extra prices to the manufacturers to adjust with the increasing prices of raw materials. As a result, the overall export is rising, he added.

The export of garments from Bangladesh might not see the same growth in June and July, as the buyers were careful about price hike of raw materials, he said.

Echoing Hassan, president of Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh Saiful Islam said the export prices of leather and leather products increased in value terms.

In July-April, overseas sales of leather products jumped by 126 percent compared with the same period a year earlier.

“The prices of leather products increased by nearly 40 percent recently for scarcity of raw materials. As a result, the export from the sector has increased,” he said.

Another 2000 MW electricity to be added to the national grid this year: Azad

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=176983&date=2011-05-10

Another 2000 MW electricity to be added to the national grid this year: Azad

JAMALPUR, May 10 (BSS) – Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad today said the government would add 2000 MW more electricity to the national grid by this year as part of its continuous efforts to stamp out acute electricity crisis.

He said this while speaking at the May 2011 meeting of Jamalpur District Development Coordination Committee at the conference room of the district administration here. The Minister is an adviser to the committee.

Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira also attended the coordination meeting as an adviser.

The Information minister said present government has increased the electricity generation in Jamalpur district to 100 MW from 30 MW.

He directed the concerned officials to perform their respective duties with utmost sincerity for implementing the government’s programmes in the development of power, education and communication sectors.

He also directed the concerned officials to take effective measures for checking dropout from the schools.

The Information Minister urged all to extend cooperation for holding the upcoming union parishad elections in a free and fair atmosphere.

Hira said the government is relentlessly working in line with the vision 2021 to take the country into the middle income group attaining self sufficiency in food and further developing health, communication and power sectors.

He urged all to utilize the allocated funds under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the current year 2010-11, maintaining transparency.

Member of the Parliament of Islampur constituency of the district Faridul Huq Dulal also spoke at the meeting while deputy commissioner of Jamalpur M Sirajuddin chaired the meeting.

Bangladeshi co invests $12.26m in Comilla EPZ

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/finance/49253-bangladeshi-co-invests-1226m-in-comilla-epz.html

Bangladeshi co invests $12.26m in Comilla EPZ
STAFF REPORTER

Dhaka May11: Vihrea Com Ltd, a Bangladeshi company, will set up a garments manufacturing industry in the Comilla export processing zone. This fully Bangladeshi owned company will invest $12.26 million in setting up their unit and will manufacture garment items. The company will also create employment opportunity for 1,565 Bangladeshi nationals, says a press release.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh export processing zones authority and Vihrea Com Ltd in BEPZA Complex, Dhaka on Wednesday. Md Moyjuddin Ahmed, member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and M Irfan Syed, managing director of Vihrea Com Ltd, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Major General A T M Shahidullslam, ndu, psc, executive chairman, Md Shawkat Nabi Secretary, AZM Azizur Rahman, general manager (Investment Promotion) and other officials of BEPZA were present at the signing ceremony.

Tk 71.74b for power sector likely

http://www.daily-sun.com/?view=details&type=daily_sun_news&pub_no=213&cat_id=1&menu_id=3&news_type_id=1&index=0

Power Sector in Next Fiscal
Tk 71.74b for power sector likely
Mazharul Anwar Khan

The government will propose to allocate Tk 71.74 billion for the development of the power sector in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the next fiscal year.

The power sector would have 53 projects in the upcoming ADP, of which only six are newly taken, sources at the Planning Commission said.

Earlier, the Planning commission had formulated the next year’s ADP of Tk 460 billion.

The Power division has been allocated the fund as per the direction of Finance Division.

However, over Tk 100 billion was sought for the power sector.

Of the power development projects in the ADB, 17 are related to power generation, 23 projects for power distribution, eight for transmission and five are related to other development in power sector, according to the sources.

The newly included projects are– Bhola 250 MW combined cycle power project, Hatia fuel-based power project, Solar Irrigation pump project, Gopalganj Rural Electricity Project, Power Connection to Bagerhat Cylo project and Shikalbaha duel-fuel power project, sources said.

Islami Development Bank (IDB) is likely to finance the Bhola 250MW combine cycle power plant. The government has completed a successful negotiation with IDB in this regard. The Hatia fuel based power project is now at the planning commission and waiting for the approval of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).

Taking to daily sun, officials of the Power Wing of the Planning Commission said they couldn’t allocate more fund for the power sector due to the ceiling of finance division.

The Mid-Term Budgetary Framework (MTBF) is a key barrier in terms of formulating development budget, they said.

The revised and old power generation related projects in the ADP are–rehabilitation and modernisation of Ghorashal Thermal Power Plant unit no-1&2 (revised), construction of Sylhet 90 MW combined cycle power plant and setting up transmission line (revised), construction of Chandpur 150 MW combined cycle power plant and setting up transmission line (revised), construction of Sylhet 150 MW combine cycle power plant and setting up transmission line (revised) and construction of 280 MW peaking power plant.

The ADB allocation will include projects for Construction of Khulna 150 MW peaking power plant project of North-West power generation company (NWPGC), Siddirganj 120 MW peaking power plant project of Electric Generation Company of Bangladesh limited (EGCBL), construction of liquid fuel system for Sirajganj 150 MW peaking power plant project and Bheramara combined cycle power plant (360 MW) development project.

The power sector will have projects for Construction of Haripur 360 MW combined cycle power plant and associated sub-station project (parts of EGCB, PGCB and REB), construction of Siddirganj 450 MW peaking power plant project, rehabilitation and modernization of Ashuganj power plant Unit no-3,4&5 (revised) project.

The ADB will also include a number of power transmission related projects including construction and extension of new grid sub-station (revised) for the transmission line of Power Grid Company Bangladesh (PGCB), Megnaghat-Aminbazar 400 KV transmission line project phase-I, Aminbazar and old airport 230 KV transmission line project, phase-I, Transmission efficiency improvement from re-active power compression at grid sub-station and re-enforcement of Goalpara sub-station project, Siddirganj-Maniknagar 230 KV transmission line construction project, Grid Inter-connection between Bangladesh (Bheramara) and India (Baharampur) project and Bibiana-Kaliakair 400Kv transmission line project.

Bangladesh export to USA sees robust growth in July-Feb

http://www.daily-sun.com/?view=details&type=daily_sun_news&pub_no=212&cat_id=1&menu_id=3&news_type_id=1&index=5

Bangladesh export to USA sees robust growth in July-Feb

Export earning from USA, the largest market for Bangladesh goods, registered a 35.53 percent growth in the first eight months (July-February) of the current fiscal, mostly due to buoyant performance of Readymade Garments (RMG) and frozen shrimp.

It totaled US$ 3284.51 million in 8 months compared to US$ 2423.46 million during the corresponding period of the previous year. The amount represents 23.34 percent of the country’s total export earning during the period.

According to recent statistics compiled by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), export of RMG to the US including knitwear amounted to US$ 2967.91 million in July-February compared to US$ 2249.62 million during the corresponding period of last fiscal. The RMG items including knitwear witnessed a 31.93 percent growth in the US market.

The major exports to the US market during the period were woven garment ($ 2223.58 million), knitwear ($ 744.33 million), frozen shrimp ($ 68.56 million), cap ($ 26.12 million) and home textiles ($ 113.21 million).

During the period, around 43.40 percent of the country’s total woven garment exports entered the US market, followed by knitwear 12.85 percent and frozen shrimp 20.89 percent.

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

Exports of RMG including knitwear witnessed a sharp fall of over 6 percent in the last fiscal, fetching US$ 2.9 billion as against US$ 3.1 billion in 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. —UNB

Japan’s relaxed GSP rules for apparel hailed

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/finance/49373-japans-relaxed-gsp-rules-for-apparel-hailed.html

Japan’s relaxed GSP rules for apparel hailed
Mashiur Rahaman

DHAKA, MAY 11: Export of apparel garments from Bangladesh to Japan has witnessed a significant boost in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, indicating that brighter days are ahead.

Knitwear and woven garments export was valued at US$ 59.93 million and $ 99.461 million respectively during the aforementioned time span, thereby crossing the total worth of exports that was done in 2009-10, according to the state compiled data.  To add to that Asian economic giant ‘Japan’ has further opened up its market for Bangladeshi garment makers by revising the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) rules of origin.

Japan is the biggest importer of Bangladeshi readymade garments in Asia, as per country-wise export performance data.

“We are optimistic and we welcome this move,” Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Secretary of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers’ and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said.

The new rule will create a fresh wave in export of Bangladeshi apparels to Japan, he said.

Export of apparels to Japan has witnessed a brisk growth in last couple of years. The rate of growth has been recorded at 133.02 per cent in FY2009-2010 and above 60 per cent during July-March of FY2010-2011. Apparel exports to Japan reached $173.32 million in FY2009-2010 whereas Japan’s total apparel import was worth $25.50 billion in 2009.

As per the revised declaration, the rules of origin for knitwear items (products under HS chapter 61) have been relaxed from three stages to two, that means knitwear products manufactured from imported yarn can now avail this benefit. The woven garments (products under HS chapter 62), can also avail the same benefit if one of the stage is completed locally, that means woven garments made of imported fabrics are eligible for this benefit. The revised rules have been effective since April 1, 2011.

Given our existing proximity to the Japanese market, coupled with incentive to explore the market further by the Bangladesh Government and the newly adopted trade rules by Japan, the situation has become very conducive for growth of bilateral trade, BGMEA secretary said.

Extending his thanks to the Bangladeshi Prime Minister for raising the issue of relaxation of rules with her Japanese counterpart during a visit to Japan in November 2010, he said that BGMEA and BKMEA together with the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh actively pursued for the relaxation.

According to the data compiled by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Bangladeshi knitwear exporters earned $53.06 and $22.06 million from export to Japan in FY 2009-10 and FY 2008-09 respectively. On the other hand, woven makers earned $120.26 and $52.39 million during FY2009-10 and FY 2008-09 respectively.

Govt to ink deals for 4 power plants today

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=135406&date=2011-05-12

Govt to ink deals for 4 power plants today
FE Report

The government will ink deals for four big power plant projects to generate 1,167 megawatts (mw) of electricity by private entrepreneurs at a function at Biddut Bhaban in the city today (Thursday).

Country’s largest private entrepreneur in power sector Summit Group will install three gas-fired power plants, while another plant will be state-owned.

Summit Group’s subsidiary Summit Bibiyana One Power Company Ltd will build 350-megawatt (mw) Bibiyana I power plant, Summit Bibiyana Two Power Company Ltd will install 350-mw Bibiyana II power plant and Summit Meghnaghat Power Company Ltd will build 335-mw power plant.

The remaining deal will be signed with an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for building 132-mw Khulna power plant, said a power ministry official.

Once the deals are inked, Summit will build all the three power plants within 36 months from the date of signing.

State-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will be purchasing electricity for 22 years from the Summit plants.

Around 150 million cubic feet of gas will be required daily to generate electricity from the three power plants.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Energy Issues Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury will be the chief guest at the function, while State Minister for Power Mohammad Enamul Haque will be the special guest.

3-G mobile phone in Bangladesh by this year

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/others/49077-3-g-mobile-phone-in-bangladesh-by-this-year.html

3-G mobile phone in Bangladesh by this year
BSS

DHAKA, MAY 10:  Post and Telecommunications Minister Raziuddin Ahmed Razu today said 3-G mobile phone will be introduced in the country by this year for further development of the mobile phone sector. “The 3-G mobile phone would bring revolutionary changes in the information and communication technologies including e- education and e-health,” he said while addressing as the chief guest the annual prize-giving function of Bangshal Girls’ High School here.

The telecom minister said new generation, especially the students, could play an important role in implementing Digital Bangladesh.

Highlighting various programmes taken by the government to build a Digital Bangladesh, he said country cannot lag behind in the ICT sector. “We would be able to provide laptops to the students at low cost to reduce burden of the students on textbooks,” he said.

Placing emphasis on educating the new generation in real history, the telecom minister said people, who are in favour of the Liberation War, never form a government with Razakar and Al- badr. With Headmistress of the school Jinnat Ara Saleha in the chair, the function was addressed by local parliament member Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin.