Malaysia to hire more Bangladeshis

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/finance/85243-malaysia-to-hire-more-bangladeshis.html

Malaysia to hire more Bangladeshis
Author / Source : STAFF REPORTER

DHAKA, DEC 17: The Malaysian government has given a green signal to recruit more new Bangladeshi workers after completion of the legalisation process of 2, 80,000 migrants within  January next. Malaysian home minister Hishammuddin Hussein gave the signal recently during a meeting with Bangladesh high commissioner to Kuala Lumpur AKM Atiqur Rahman following  talks with heads of mission of India, Nepal, Myanmar and Indonesia on legalisation process of migrant workers of those countries.

The Bangladesh envoy said the Malaysian government would finalise a framework to recruit Bangladeshi workers. The Kuala Lumpur mission is carrying out ground work to facilitate the recruiting process, Rahman said. “Before hiring Bangladeshi workers, the Malaysian home ministry wants to legalise all migrants within the shortest possible time,” he  said, adding that a bright future for Bangladeshi workers lies ahead.

Bangladesh High Commission will sit with senior officials of Malaysia next week to discuss about the legalisation process. The recommendations of the meeting will be submitted to the Malaysian home ministry.

Bangladesh mission will sit with the Malaysian home minister finally in next January, according to sources.

“If all things go alright, by the end of January or the first week of February Bangladeshi workers may get chance to fly to Malaysia to try their fortune,” said an official.

Around 2,80,000 illegal Bangladeshi workers have registered their names with Malaysian government that started on August 1 with fingerprint under the 6P-Programme. Of them, 185,000 have applied for passports and the Bangladesh mission has issued 1, 60,000. Around 95,000 workers are yet to apply for  passports. Every day around 4,000 passports are being delivered, the high commission sources have said.

Under the 6P-Programme, the Malaysian government will legalise 300,000 undocumented Bangladeshi workers by allowing registration. Later, they will be given fresh work permit.

BD scores better in human dev than other S Asian nations: Amartya

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BD scores better in human dev than other S Asian nations: Amartya

NEW DELHI, Dec 17 (agencies): Bangladesh, along with Nepal and Bhutan, has scored better than other South Asian countries in areas of human development.

Nobel Laureate and noted economist Amartya Sen said on Friday, while addressing Delhi Economics Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), that India’s track record of dealing with the human development issues is worse than neighbours like Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Prof Sen expressed his views at the Economics Conclave in favour of balanced liberalisation and economic reforms.

“I do not think that there is any conflict in liberalisation …. Each time you have to see if it is doing good for the people or not,” he said.

Laying stress on economic reforms, he said they were not just about doing enough to address issues which were of great importance to those who relatively prospered. The formula that worked only for 20 per cent of the people of the country is not right, he added.

Commenting on the challenges being faced by the government of India at present, he said :”In a democracy, you have to carry the party, the coalition and the political system, including the opposition with you”.

“The tragedy is that not only China, but even Bangladesh is now doing better on almost every one of these social indicators than India is doing …. Every country Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are ahead already,” Professor Sen said.

“We (India) need to maintain economic growth as growth generates public revenue and with public revenue we need to do things such as health care, immunisation, education…the government has to do a lot more,” he added.

Professor Sen said that among the six South Asian countries, India has slipped to fifth position from second in 1990 on parameters like education, life expectancy, immunisation, maternal mortality, etc.

Only Pakistan is below India on human development index, he said, adding that “because…(it has) its own problems connected to terrorism”.

India has higher percentage of child under-nourishment than any other country in the world, even in Africa, Prof. Sen added.

LG, Butterfly eye electronics plant in Bangladesh

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=214401

LG, Butterfly eye electronics plant in Bangladesh
Star Business Report

South Korean electronics giant LG Electronics and local Butterfly Marketing are likely to set up a factory with a total investment of $500 million to assemble electronics products in Bangladesh, according to an official.

The first phase of the project will start next year with a joint venture entity to assemble refrigerator, Mustafizur Rahman Shazid, director (sales & marketing) of LG products distributor Butterfly Marketing Ltd, told The Daily Star by phone.

A number of electronics products such as television, microwave oven, air-conditioner, washing machine and other home appliances will be made at the factory to cater to the local market, now growing at 10-15 percent a year, according to the official. The factory will be set up at Bhaluka in Mymensingh, said Shazid.

He said the factory will employ around 5,000 people in the county after the completion of the project.

Earlier in the day, a delegation of LG Electronics called on Industries Minister Dilip Barua at his office and shared its intention to invest in Bangladesh, according to a statement issued by the industries ministry yesterday.

LG Electronics Vice President Junhwan Kim was present, among others, at the meeting. The delegation appealed to the government for allocating 100 acres of land in a special economic zone that the government plans to establish in future to promote investment.

RMG export earnings may cross $40b by 2020

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=159515&date=2011-12-16

RMG export earnings may cross $40b by 2020
Nizam Ahmed

The export earnings of the country’s garment sector are likely to cross $40 billion mark by 2020, if few challenges the industry is facing are addressed in the coming years, exporters and global market monitors said on Thursday.

The challenges being faced by Bangladesh garment industry are poor port performance, weak road network, slower transportation, inadequate supply of utilities including electricity, gas and fuel oil and rising labour cost, garment manufacturers and exporters said.

“For next 10 years Bangladesh garment sector is likely to grow by 9.0 percent and by 2020 the export value is likely to touch $42 billion,” said global online business journal McKinsey Quarterly.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau, garments exports rose by 43 percent to more than $17.9 billion in Fiscal Year 2010-11 and in the current FY the export target for garments has been fixed at some $20.29 billion.

“To rapidly increase the export earnings we need further improvement of infrastructure, ports efficiency, road-network and supply of utilities including electricity, natural gas and water,” Syed Nurul Islam, vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) told the FE.

Despite improvement of the situation in the last few years, the authorities concerned should continue the development efforts further, he added.

“With present level of power supply and constraints in other relevant fields we are earning some $20 billion a year. The export can touch $50 billion if facilities are improved,” said Nurul Islam who has been elected President of Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently.

Due to lack of proper port efficiency and wider highways exports are often delayed, other exporters said.

However, the authorities concerned have started upgrading a national highway connecting the country’s main Chittagong port with the capital Dhaka and the project is expected to be completed by early 2014, officials of Roads and Highways Department said.

The power situation also improved but the shortfall still remains at around 2,000 mega watt (mw) as the peak-hour demand rose over 7,000 mw, officials of Bangladesh Power Development Board said.

Authorities concerned are still struggling to augment gas supply through new exploration.

“In the coming years the (garment) industry is likely to face a 30 per cent hike in labour cost, in addition to expenses to be required to increase capability of workers,” McKinsey Quarterly said.

According to BGMEA officials, currently a new entrant earns around taka 3,500 per month. There are more than 5,000 garment factories employing some 4.0 million workers comprising more than 80 per cent female workers.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia separately advised the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association to look after the needs of workers.

Their advice came when the two leaders attended separate sessions of BGMEA during its recently three-day international exposition in Dhaka.

In addition to the rising labour cost, the garment sector in the country will have to continue to face additional cost for inputs as the country has no base of raw materials.

Moreover the industry is also likely to be adversely affected by political instability as the major parties continue to pursue a confrontational politics, traders said.

However the prospects for the country’s garment sector increased further after India allowed duty-free and quota-free access of Bangladeshi garment products to its market.

Recent closer of many garment factories and shift in investment from garment to other sector in China due to improved socio-economic status and higher labour cost, Bangladesh is getting wider scope to replace China, the world’s largest garment supplier, in the coming days, industry sources said.

Western Marine to build 4 oil tankers for local firm

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/others/84969-western-marine-to-build-4-oil-tankers-for-local-firm.html

Western Marine to build 4 oil tankers for local firm
Author / Source : STAFF REPORTER

CHITTAGONG, DEC 15: Western Marine Shipyard (WMS) Ltd, one of the country’s leading shipbuilding companies, will build four oil tankers for local buyer Nurjahan Group. The keel-laying ceremony of the four oil tankers was held on Thursday at the western Marine Shipyard located at the bank of river Karnaphuli under Kolagaon union of Patiya Upazila.

Representatives from Nurjahan Group and Germanischer Lloyd  Bangladesh, and 13 honorary consuls of Bangladesh from 12 different parts of the world were present during the keel-laying.

The thirteen consuls were Kazim Ozer from Istanbul, Turkey; Zerrin Cakmakoglu from Izmir, Turkey; Ataur Rahman from Auckland, New Zealand; Peggy Kalaydjian from Cyprus; Stéfan S. Gudjonsson from Reykjavic, Iceland; Peter Daae from Oslo, Norway; Tuomas Mantysaari and Harry Blässar from Helsinki, Finland; Patrick Swolfs from in Antwerp, Belgium; Amine Laraqui from Casablanca, Morocco; David Kim from Incheon, S Korea; Christian Pelo from Genova, Italy; Dasho Rinchen Dorji from Phuentsholing, Bhutan.

The consuls are paying goodwill visit to have a firsthand knowledge of Bangladesh’s shipbuilding industry.

The contract for building the tankers was signed between Nurjahan Group and the shipyard on July 18. The four oil tankers with a capacity of 1350 dwt each will be used by the Group to ferry edible oil within the country, said a press release on Thursday. After visiting Western Marine yard, the consuls said they were highly impressed seeing the significant advancement of the industry.

Will Bangladesh replace China in low-value manufacturing?

http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/12/15/bangladesh-a-chinese-stitch-up/

Bangladesh: a Chinese stitch-up?

Bangladesh could be this decade’s great usurper if it manages to sidle into the low-value manufacturing gap China is leaving in its wake as it moves up the value-adding ladder. And if a report by McKinsey, the consultancy, is correct the ready made garment sector is one place where Bangladesh is ready to strike.

Continue reading at: http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/12/15/bangladesh-a-chinese-stitch-up/

LG wants to invest $500m in Bangladesh: ministry

http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/business/43588.html

LG wants to invest $500m in Bangladesh: ministry
Staff Correspondent

The industries ministry on Thursday said South Korean LG Electronics had expressed interest to set up an electronics product manufacturing unit at Bhaluka in Mymensingh with an initial investment of $500 million.

A delegation of LG expressed the interest to set up the unit that would manufacture home appliances like refrigerator and LCD television at a meeting with industries minister Dilip Barua at his office in Dhaka, said a press release of the ministry.

The delegation expected that the plant would create jobs for 5,000 people.

Vice president of LG’ home appliance biz strategy department Junhwan Kim, manager Nathan Park, business manager of LG Singapore branch Allan Kim and Dhaka office managing director Jung, among others, were in the delegation, said the press release.

The LG delegation appreciated the investment environment of the country and said investment in Bangladesh is relatively profitable because of its internal market condition and low-cost labour, it said.

The company also expressed interest in setting up a larger electronics manufacturing unit in Bangladesh.

EPZ to get 2 new investments

http://thenewnationbd.com/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=25671

EPZ to get 2 new investments
Business Report

A local Bangladeshi company is going to establish a central effluent treatment plant (CETP) in Comilla Export Processing Zone and two fully foreign owned Chinese companies M/s. Trillion Gold Ltd and M/s. Million Gold Ltd  will set up a eyelashes, beard and wig manufacturing industry in Uttara Export Processing Zone with an invest $ 5.048 million, which will create employment for 226 Bangladeshi nationals.

100pc local owned Bangladeshi company M/s Sigma Engineers Ltd will invest $ 4.872 million aiming to treat every year 5,475.000 cubic meters liquid effluent of the zone.

KNITEXPO in Tokyo next month

http://thenewnationbd.com/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=25673

KNITEXPO in Tokyo next month
Business Report

Next to BATEXPO, the country’s knitwear manufacturers and exporters will hold their 6th ‘Knitwear Exposition-2012′ in Tokyo from January 25 to 27, a press release of the association said.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association will hold the event with a view to expanding the market outreach to the highly expensive and sensitive buyers market in Japan.   It will be part of the government efforts to support the government’s policy of expanding and diversifying the markets, besides part of a market strategy to reduce the industry’s dependency on European and American markets.

Many foreign buyers had already confirmed their participation in the fair. A total of 32 stalls have been so far confirmed, the press release said.  Japan imports $27 billion worth of readymade garments every year. Recently, the Japan government has awarded two stage GSP facilities to the Bangladeshi knitwear sector and market analysts say it may bring new opportunity to the country’s textile exports to the Japanese market.

RMG export may cross $30b in next 3 years

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=159311&date=2011-12-14

RMG export may cross $30b in next 3 years
Batexpo receives $66.35m spot orders
FE report

Export earnings from country’s ready made garments (RMG) might cross $30 billion within next three calendar years, industry leaders said.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) leaders at a post-BATEXPO-2011 press briefing at BGMEA conference room in the city on Tuesday said that the sector had the capability to earn more than $30 billion subject to having moral support and sufficient infrastructural development.

The audience in the press conference was also informed that the industry has received spot orders over $66.35 million worth of readymade garments in the BATEXPO-2011 which is $1.35 million higher than that of the last year’s fair. In the BATEXPO – 2010, the country had got spot orders worth $65.00 million.

“We are happy to inform that we have succeeded in completing the fair successfully with attractive spot orders worth $66.35 million which is more than our expectation despite the recession in the developed countries,” President of BGMEA, Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin). said.

Mr Mohiuddin also said, “The number of visitors, including buyers and their representatives, in the fair was beyond our expectation.”

A total of 175 buyers and 3015 representatives of buyers have visited the fair which is also higher than that of last year.

“Besides, a total of 15,690 visitors have visited the fair. In the last year’s BATEXPO fair, a total of 14,990 visitors had visited the fair of which 162 were buyers and 2,870 were their representatives”, the press conference was told.

The BGMEA president also said, “A good number of prospective buyers from Latin from some other new countries have visited the fair and gave orders to some of our local garments owners.”

The BGMEA leaders have emphasized on skill development, infrastructural development and development of compliance for a sustainable growth of the industry.

The sector leaders have also informed that the buyers have emphasized on arranging such fair twice a year. Besides, they have also informed the audience that the buyers have demanded several overseas fashion shows for exposure of Bangladesh garment items.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the three-day BATEXPO-2011 fair arranged by BGMEA from December 10 to 12 and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia attended the concluding ceremony.

Vice -president of BGMEA, Siddiqur Rahman, Director of BGMEA, Atiur Rahman Dipu, chairman and director of BGMEA, Md Nasir Uddin and others were present at the press conference.

Apparel makers get $66.35m export orders from ‘BATEXPO 2011′

http://www1.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=2&id=214262&date=2011-12-13

Apparel makers get $66.35m export orders from ‘BATEXPO 2011′

DHAKA, Dec 13 (BSS) – The country’s apparel makers got export orders worth 66.35 million US dollars from the just concluded three-day annual exposition ‘BATEXPO 2011′ that ended here on Monday (December 10).

“Bangladesh received spot orders of apparel products worth $66.35 million from foreign buyers,” Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said this at a press briefing in the association’s conference room here today.

Mohiuddin said the country also received $1.58 million as stock lot orders from the mega Readymade Garment (RMG) event.

Last year, the spot and stock lot orders were worth $63.50 million and $1.50 million respectively.

Mohiuddin said as many as 15,690 people visited the fair besides 175 foreign buyers and 3,015 representatives.

BGMEA organized the Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition (BATEXPO) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.

Dhaka prefers economic coop deal to FTA with KL

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=159315&date=2011-12-14

Dhaka prefers economic coop deal to FTA with KL
Doulot Akter Mala

Dhaka will send a proposal of signing an economic cooperation agreement instead of free trade agreement (FTA) with Kuala Lumpur, considering revenue aspects and incorporating manpower export issue.

The government has estimated a significant amount of revenue loss, if FTA is signed with Malaysia.

“We are working on an economic cooperation agreement. Very soon we will send it to the Malaysian government,” commerce secretary Ghulam Hossain told the FE Tuesday before leaving to Geneva for joining the WTO (World Trade Organisation) conference.

Bangladesh will not be benefited without a service agreement with Malaysia, he added.

According to an estimation of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), if FTA is signed with Malaysia, the government will lose Tk 29.94 billion tax, of which, Tk 9.88 billion as customs revenue and Tk 20.06 billion as supplementary duty (SD).

Earlier, Malaysia sent a template with its proposal of signing FTA with Bangladesh. However, following strong opposition of the revenue board, the Ministry of Commerce has recently taken the move to send a ‘counter template’ to Malaysia, preferring signing of an economic cooperation agreement instead of FTA, a senior NBR official said.

“We have opposed the move of signing FTA with Malaysia, as a large number of importers will be diverted to Kuala Lumpur from China for importing duty-free products,” said a senior revenue board official.

Bangladesh customs will lose a significant amount of revenue, if such an agreement is signed, posing a threat to achieving the import revenue collection target, he also said.

Besides, the NBR is not in favour of signing any trade agreement with Malaysia without incorporating the manpower export issue, he added.

There is a huge trade imbalance between Bangladesh and Malaysia. Bangladesh imported goods worth $1.762 billion from Malaysia in the fiscal year 2010-11, while it exported goods worth $43.87 million in the same fiscal.

Bangladesh mainly imports edible oil, vegetable fat, machinery, mechanical equipments, electrical goods, base metal, wood and wood articles, sulphur, organic chemicals, plastic, textile and textile articles from Malaysia.

On the other hand, major export items from Bangladesh to Malaysia include knitwear, woven garments, tobacco, home textile, raw jute, jute goods, dry food, agro-products and frozen fish.

BDCOM launches ‘NOMADIX’ to provide Wi-Fi hotspot

http://www1.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=2&id=214207&date=2011-12-13

BDCOM launches ‘NOMADIX’ to provide Wi-Fi hotspot

DHAKA, Dec 13 (BSS) – BDCOM Online Limited has introduced ‘NOMADIX Access Gateway’ in the country to facilitate Wi-Fi hotspot services to the internet users.

The NOMADIX system is a dedicated network appliance placed at the edge of the network providing universal mobile connectivity, advanced security and policy-based traffic shaping for the subscriber.

“The system does not require any kind of software set up in the computer for internet access,” BDCOM managing director Sumon Ahmed Sabir said today at the product launching ceremony at National Press Club.

The NOMADIX of the United States, a subsidiary of NTT DOCMO, is the most accepted gateway globally that provides Wi-Fi hotspot in different areas such as hotel, shopping mall, airport and rail station, he added.

BDCOM has an agreement with Innovative Data Solution (Pvt.) Ltd. (IDS) of Sri Lanka, the distributor of NOMADIX in the SAARC Region. It will also provide IntraSERV Billing and Management solution system.

Having over 50,000 units over the past ten years, the Nomadix access gateway is the market leader in magnetizing access to the internet at public venues, said IDS chief executive officer Jeremy Fernando.

“The NOMADIX Service Engine (NSE) software has been developed in house resulting in more than 100 patents in 15 unique areas of functionality which are required for public access network,” he said.

Nomadix Gateway has been deployed in a variety of venues by companies such as china Netcom, Best Western, Hilton, Marriot, NTT-ME, Red.es, Korea Telecom, Reliance Telecom, Motorola, Intercontinental Hotel Group and Starwood.

Export earning posts 17.33pc growth

http://www.newstoday.com.bd/index.php?option=details&news_id=46811&date=2011-12-12

Export earning posts 17.33pc growth

Country’s export earnings during the first five months (July-Nov) of the current fiscal year stood at $ 9709.75 million, showing a growth of 17.33 percent, driven by good performance of RMG, frozen food, leather and leather products, reports UNB.

The figure is 3.55 percent lower than the strategic target of $ 10067.35 million, according to the latest figures released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

The export growth in November, however, witnessed a slight growth of 2.40 percent compared to the figure of November last year fetching $ 1591.24 million, but fell 16.95 percent short of the target of $ 1915.95 million.

The total exports during the last fiscal stood at $ 22924.38 million, exceeding the target by 23.92 percent and crossing well over the annual target of $ 18,500 million.

When contacted, Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) president Abdus Salam Murshedy apprehended that the export growth might slow down in the coming months due to the present economic situation in the EU and the USA.

He said the EU and the US accounted for over 80 percent of the country’s total export, but their demand in the recent times has declined so as the price.

He also cited insignificant improvement in power and energy situation, fuel price hike, high bank interest rate and liquidity crisis for which the export-oriented sectors, including RMG, cannot gain their full competitiveness.

Urging the government to give priority to the export-oriented sectors, the former BGMEA president also emphasised the need for forming an immediate task force to face the economic ‘meltdown’.

Murshedy also suggested that the task force should comprise representatives from the export-oriented sectors like RMG, leather and jute.

According to the EPB statistics for the July-November period, knitwear fetched the bulk of the earnings with $ 3997.30 million, representing a 13.14 percent growth over the same period last year while woven garments earned $ 3566.17 million, a growth of 23.64 percent.

The export of home textiles totalled $ 307.71 million with a healthy growth of 37.26 percent; footwear exports earned $ 159.60 million, primary commodities $ 485.02 million, frozen foods, including frozen fish, shrimps and others $ 306.48 million, and agricultural products $ 178.54 million.

The export trend for leather and leather products and plastic products maintained their upward trend during the July-November period.

Leather exports totalled $ 130.70 million, while leather products $ 28.89 million, cotton and cotton products together earned $ 43.06 million, plastic products $ 37.12 million while rubber exports fetched $ 4.18 million.

The country also earned $ 15.02 million from ceramic exports, and clock, watches and parts combined to earn over $ 12.84 million.

The export of jute and jute goods in July-November period declined totaling $ 410.30 million, registering a minus 5.60 percent fall. Raw jute exports fetched $ 113.66 million with a 21.65 percent decline, jute yarn and twine $ 193.24 million, jute sacks and bags $ 84.85 million and other items brought in some $ 18.55 million.

Engineering products, including iron and steel, bicycle and electronic products fetched almost $ 135.33 million.

The export of man-made filaments and staple fibres totalled $ 27.59 million, caps $ 15.17 million while other manufactured products earned the country $ 29.65 million.

The export of ships, boats and floating structures, which notched an eye catching 332.98 percent growth in the last fiscal, bagged $ 22.67 million.

The export of handicrafts totalled $ 2.08 million, while paper and paper products $ 10.85 million, furniture $ 7.89 million, chemical products amounted to $ 56.76 million, pharmaceuticals $ 18.75 million while ores, slag and ash bagged $ 13.56 million- a 50.67 percent growth during July-November.

Specialised textiles, including terry towel, notched a negative growth of 21.22 percent, earning $ 55.08 million during July-November while export of petroleum by-products accounted for just $ 128.55 million.

Solar units changing power scene in char areas of N-districts

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=158987&date=2011-12-12

Solar units changing power scene in char areas of N-districts
Our Correspondent

RANGPUR, Dec 11: Introduction of solar power in the rural areas of Rangpur, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts has ushered in a new hope for the people as electricity supply is not adequate in these areas. As the Rural Electrification Board cannot supply electricity to the ‘Char’ areas, people of these areas are becoming interested in using solar power.

About 8,000 solar power units have brought about a revolutionary change in the lifestyle and economy of more than 40,000 people of 300 inaccessible char villages of the districts, villagers and NGO officials said. According to sources, several NGOs including RDRS, BRAC, Grameen Shakti, Protyasha and Aspect with the help of Infrastructure Development Company Ltd. (IDCOL) have so far set up the solar power units at a cost of Tk. 12000 to Tk 40,000 per unit on cash or down payment. They provided necessary equipment and technical assistance for solar power generation. The people of Char Nazirdah, Pallimari, Chatra, Monneya, Majirah in Kounia upazilas under Rangpur district said they have changed their lifestyle by using solar power.

People of Hatia, Bazar, Baraburi, Gunaigachh, Char Santosbiram and Kamar Damarhat Char villages in Ulipur Upazila under Kurigram district are now using 100 solar units provided by BRAC and other NGOs on easy installments.

Char people of 50 more villages under Sadar, Aditmari, Kaligonj and Hatibandha upazilas of Lalmonirhat district have also changed their lifestyle through utilizing the facilities of solar power plants in groups from Protyasha, BRAC and Aspect. Solar power users expressed their satisfaction over the continuous supply of power by using solar technology. Some said sellers usually give them 15 years guarantee.

Other users said the village people who earlier did not have a single road for plying a rickshaw are now regularly enjoying Television programmes with the help of solar power.

Local people said the demand for solar power is increasing at adjacent char villages and called for setting up of higher capacity solar power units.