Japan keen to set up ICT satellite in Bangladesh

http://thenewnationbd.com/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=27040

Japan keen to set up ICT satellite in Bangladesh
Business Report

With continued expansion of the country’s telecommunication network Bangladesh is looking for its own telecommunication satellite to manage things keeping pace with the growing requirement.

Japan has decided to help the country in meeting out the problem. Ambassador Shiro Sadoshima of Japan on Thursday said his country is very much interested to set up space satellite industry in the country for making orbit-delivery of communications equipment.

“Japanese government, in principal, has taken decision to set up the space satellite industry in Bangladesh,” he said at a meeting with Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at his office here on Thursday.

In next March, the envoy said, Japan government will celebrate the 40 years anniversary of diplomatic relations with Bangladesh by holding weeklong programme in which Japanese business leaders will attend the function and choose sectors for investment here.

Dr Hasan Mahmud urged the Japanese government to provide assistance to Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) to face the risks created due to global warming.

The minister also urged him to set up Japanese industry in Rangunia Export Processing Zone and assisting to the Karnafuli tunnel in Chittagong.

Terming Bangladesh as a trusted friend of Japan, the ambassador assured the minister of his country’s cooperation in this regard.

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.

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.

Cellphones must have Bangla keypad

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=33947

Cellphones must have Bangla keypad

BSS, Dhaka

The telecoms regulator has decided not to allow the import of mobile phone handsets without Bangla keypad from February next year.

“Importers and vendors will not be allowed to import any mobile phone handset without Bangla keypad after January 31,” Zia Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regularity Commission (BTRC), told BSS.

He said the commission took the decision to supplement a national campaign to promote Bangla and make ICT equipment-friendly to common people.

Sources said at present, some vendors are selling cell phone handsets with Bangla keypad in limited-scale only for their business interest.

The BTRC chief said the commission nearly finalised a guideline to issue an order that would allow only cent percent

Bangladeshi companies and vendors to import cell phone sets to promote local entrepreneurship.

Welcoming the BTRC’s move, Bangladesh mobile phone importers association secretary Foysal Alim said that the regulator should have taken the decision earlier for the interest of local entrepreneurs.

At the same time, the telephone regulator has taken another decision to install EIR (Equipment Identification Register) server to every cell phone operators for detecting the duplication of handset IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number.

Currently, there are a huge number of handsets in the market with fake IMEI number.

Sources said some foreign handset manufacturing and cell phone companies including Grameenphone and Banglalink have marketed cell phone sets directly under its own brand for long time. But, they could not run the job after the implementation of new BTRC guidelines.

At present, around 50 local importers are importing cell phone handsets from different countries.

Industry insiders alleged that the handset manufacturing and cell phone companies have made huge profit through marketing the substandard handsets in the country.

The regulator, however, has kept a provision that the cell phone companies would import high quality multi-media handset by taking prior conditional permission from the BTRC.

Our own laptop

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=206379

Doel
Our own laptop

Fauzia Sultana

Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS), Bangladesh, where analogue phone sets were manufactured long before the digital dominance, will now be the hub for assembling Doel netbooks and laptops.

Named after the national bird, Doel is the first ever laptop brand to be assembled in Bangladesh, which is believed to revolutionise the high tech industry of the country. With the aim to bridge the communication gap between our people and ICT, by providing laptops at an affordable rate, this initiative provides scopes to build capacity, train local manpower and strengthen the country’s ICT expertise.

Doel netbooks and laptops come in four different models: Primary, Basic, Standard and Advanced. The first three models are netbooks, and the Advanced model is a laptop. While the primary model is designed for simpler applications like e-booking or playing games, the advance model comes with all kinds of modern apps, at an attractively low price.

There are also variations in design and the netbooks and laptops come in four different coloursred wine, silver and the usual black and white. Starting from Taka 10,000 (less than $150)-27,000, the prices of the different models are well within the reach of the average and low income population of the country.

Compared to the laptops and netbooks available in the market within this price range, Doel netbooks and laptops come with a better configuration of components that are imported from Malaysia and China.

Financed by the Government of Bangladesh, these netbooks and laptops are being assembled at the state-owned telecommunications manufacturing unit, TSS. Gonona Technologies Limited, a local IT company has been providing IT solutions and consultancy services, designed the product and is assisting the set up of the manufacturing line at TSS in co-operation with TFT, a Malaysian based company.

A worker assembles a Doel notebook at its production facility at the Telephone Shilpa Sangstha. Photo: Courtesy

On asking Nazmul Chowdhury, managing director and CEO of Gonona, why should someone buy a Doel netbook/laptop, when there is a variety of choices in the market, he shares, “Not only are Doel netbooks and laptops cheap, but they are sophisticated too. Besides, every netbook or laptop comes with a warranty of one year. And since it is assembled here, quality control of the laptops can be monitored closely and efficiently.”

The unique feature of Doel netbooks and laptops is the operating system (OS). The OS is designed in both Bangla and English. “Since computer literacy in the rural areas is low due to incompetency in English, we decided to design the OS in Bangla to help people in the rural areas learn easily. However, it can always be changed to English, when needed,” adds Nazmul.

Be it for educational purposes, business or simply because it’s a fashion statement, everyone wants to own a stylish netbook or laptop. And many a times this longing is conquered by the price tags. But with the launching of Doel netbooks and laptops in Bangladesh, this scenario will soon be history!

PM unveils first Bangladeshi laptop

http://www.theindependentbd.com/paper-edition/frontpage/129-frontpage/74856-pm-unveils-first-bangladeshi-laptop.html

PM unveils first Bangladeshi laptop

Author / Source : STAFF REPORTER

Dhaka, Oct 11: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled Doel, the first laptop manufactured in Bangladesh, at a ceremony in Dhaka’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), on Tuesday morning.

Recalling her election pledges, she said the inauguration of the distribution and marketing chain of Doel is a big step towards implementing the “Charter for Change”, to build a digital Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister also asked the education ministry to take effective steps to introduce computer notebooks in schools, to free students from the burden of carrying heavy books. The Prime Minister said that after assuming power, Awami League has broken the monopoly of a private company in the cellphone business, and made mobile phones available to common people, at cheap rates.

She listed every measure taken by the government to implement its electoral commitment in creating a “Digital Bangladesh”. “We’re committed about building a technology-oriented and knowledge-based Bangladesh by 2021,” she said.

“Every part of the country will be brought under e-governance, while telecom systems will be made up-to-date, to cut digital divide,” she added.

She said that steps were taken to manufacture optical fibre in state-owned Bangladesh Cable Industries, in Khulna. This would help the high-speed internet services industry, she added.

The Prime Minister said the government has also taken initiatives to enhance the bandwidth capacity of submarine cable, to 140 gigabyte, from the existing 7.5 gigabyte, and reduce the charge of every megabyte of bandwidth to Tk. 10,000, from the current Tk. 27,000.

She also said that 3G mobile services would be made available in remote areas. It would provide better cellphone services to 17 lakh Teletalk subscribers and 48 lakh 2G subscribers. The Prime Minister mentioned that the postal department is being rehashed and said, “These positive trends should continue in future and everybody should put their best efforts in implementing the programmes.”

Telecommunications minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju presented a set of four models of the Doel laptop and also the electronics appliances produced by Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) in the last two years, to the Prime Minister.

The state-run TSS, in collaboration with 2M Corporation Ltd, Dhaka, and TFT Technology, of Penang, Malaysia, has produced four models of “Doel”, which have been priced at Tk. 10,000, Tk. 13,500, Tk. 22,000, and Tk. 26000. The laptops have been named after the country’s national bird – Doel (Magpie Robin).

Of these laptops, Primary Model 2102 has been named keeping in mind the Language Martyr’s Day on February 21, while Basic Model 0703 signifies Bangabandhu’s historic March 7 speech, Standard Model 2603 points to the country’s independence day on March 26, and Advanced Model 1612 is a reminder of the National Victory Day on December 16.

Moasir Hossain, general manager of TSS, told The Independent that, so far, the state-run company has produced 3,400 laptops. “Today, the marketing chain of these laptops have been launched. The first lot of these laptops will be distributed among various government organisations”, he added.

He said that it is possible to produce 10,000 laptops, every month, with current capacity.

When asked whether common people would be able to buy these laptops, Hossain said these will be made available in the market, after meeting up government demand.

Sources said the education ministry, alone, has ordered 1.5 lakh laptops, for distribution in different schools. Thus, the chance of having these laptops marketed, within the next two years, is very thin, they added.

Mohammad Ismail, TSS managing director, said that these laptops are products of an initial project, worth Tk 1.84 billion. “Apart from some small microchips, 90 components, including the motherboard, are being manufactured in the TSS factory,” he added.

He said that the primary models, with prices between Tk. 10, 000 and Tk. 13,500, sport a 10-inch LCD screen, VIA processor, and the Android operating system. The advanced models – priced at between Tk. 22,000 and Tk. 26, 000 – have 14-inch WXGA LED backlit screen, Pentium processor, and Linux operating system.

PM unveils locally assembled laptop

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=206111

PM unveils locally assembled laptop

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launches Doel laptops at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka yesterday. State-run Telephone Shilpa Sangstha assembled the laptops priced at Tk 10,000 to Tk 26,000. Photo: PMO

Star Business Report

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday unveiled a locally assembled low-cost laptop — Doel — in a major step towards spreading the uses of ICT across the country as part of her election promise to make the country a “Digital Bangladesh”.

The much-talked Doel laptop will be available in four different models at Tk 10,000, Tk 13,500, Tk 22,000 and Tk 26,000.

The laptops will hit the market next week.

State-run Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) assembled the portable computer in collaboration with Dhaka-based 2M Corporation and Malaysian TFT Technology.

TSS, a state enterprise under the telecom ministry, plans to manufacture 10,000 laptops every month.

The prime minister also highlighted various steps her government has taken for the advancement of the country through launching web portals, setting up e-centres at district levels and withdrawing tax on computers.

At the launching ceremony at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city, Hasina said her government is successfully progressing to implementing its “Digital Bangladesh” vision through the expansion of the information and communication technologies.

She asked the education ministry to take effective steps to introduce netbook computers (small laptops) on a massive scale at all schools to free the students from carrying so many textbooks.

The prime minister asked the ministry concerned to install the related e-books in the laptops for the students. At the same time, she called upon the authorities of Dhaka University to take immediate steps to set up an e-library at the country’s top educational institute.

In her speech, Hasina said the new generation will have to be facilitated with the blessings of science and technology.

“Our students at schools should have access to the latest technologies. I want all the students not to go to schools with bags of books on their shoulders, but only with a notebook,” she said.

Hasina said the government has formulated the ICT Policy 2009 and ICT Act 2009 in the last three years to give the ICT sector a boost. Computer E-labs have already been set up at one college and one school in every district, she added.

The government in collaboration with the Chinese government has taken a project to provide 3G (third generation) mobile services in the country, the prime minister said.

Once the 3G service is available, more than 17 lakh subscribers of state-run mobile operator Teletalk would get high-speed communication services, while 48 lakh users would get 2.5G services, Hasina said.

Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, telecom minister, Hasanul Haque Inu, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the telecom ministry, and Sunil Kanti Bose, telecom secretary, also spoke on the occasion.

Established in 1967, the TSS currently manufactures telephone sets only. It, however, has started manufacturing laptops and also plans to make mobile phone handsets.

Tk 10,000 Bangladeshi laptop hits market in week

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=206165

Doel
A huge digital step forward
Tk 10,000 Bangladeshi laptop hits market in week

Abdullah Mamun

The first Bangladesh-assembled laptop ‘Doel’ will hit the market in seven days though Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched its marketing yesterday.

The public limited company Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS), which was tasked to produce the laptop, has already readied six thousand netbook and laptop for marketing.

TSS has been producing three types of netbook and one type of laptop.

Netbook is a tiny computer device like laptop with comparatively low storage capacity. Its price would be cheaper than that of laptop. The price range has been set between Tk 10,000 and Tk 26,000 depending on configuration of each device.

The government has taken the project of producing locally assembled laptop and netbook with an aim to make this significant technology available to people at a cheaper price.

TSS Managing Director Mohammad Ismail told The Daily Star now they import 90 percent components of netbook and laptop, and within six months it will come down to 40 percent only.

The company, under the telecom ministry, is equipped enough to assemble 10,000 to 11,000 laptops or 15,000 netbooks per month. After assessing the market demand, the company will decide which one would be produced more, he said.

It was planned initially to supply the laptop and netbook to the public service sector especially to the state run educational institutions on priority basis.

The company was even ready to supply the devices but it did not receive any demand order from the public sector entities. So, the TSS has decided to sell the readied products in the local market, said the TSS managing director.

The portable computer devices are competent enough to connect with any kinds of internet modem. Built-in WiFi is also available in all the four models. WiFi is a wireless system that provides internet bandwidth for indoor use.

“This is a great achievement for us. Finally, we have got our own brand laptop,” said Mustafa Jabbar, president of Bangladesh Computer Samity.

The assembling of laptop is a step towards implementing the government’s ‘Digital Bangladesh’ vision. But without internet connectivity, it is just a typewriter, he observed.

He said internet service is still very expensive and rare in the country especially for the students. The only way to get fast broadband connectivity is 3G technology, which should be provided soon.

Jabbar also said that professional people should be engaged in content development that could be made available through internet.

Interested people will get detail configuration of the products visiting TSS’s website: http://www.tss.com.bd

Local laptop ‘Doel’ comes next week

http://www.theindependentbd.com/business/others/74187-local-laptop-doel-comes-next-week.html

Local laptop ‘Doel’ comes next week

DHAKA, Oct 7: Post and telecommunication minister Rezauddin Ahmed Razu on Friday said that the country will see the unveiling of the locally produced laptop named-‘Doel’ within this week.

He said the prime minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the laptop (price ranged from Tk 10,000 to Tk 26,000) on October 11. The minister was speaking as  chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the two-day long delegates conference of the Institute of Diploma Engineers (IDB), Bangladesh held at the IDB headquarters in Dhaka.

Razu also told the gathering that the government would go for an agreement with a Hong-Kong based company by December 16, this year to manufacture mobile handset locally which would have a battery charged for 7-15 days with a single charge cycle. He also said that the 3G technology will start by March 26, next year.

About the progress made during the tenure of this government, the minister said that the 113 years old Post Office Act had been amended and a total of 8,600 post offices across the country now have started digital money transferring.

He also said that the government is planning to establish a new engineering university.

Related Links:
http://www.tss.com.bd/doel_laptop.htm
http://www.tss.com.bd/laptop_plant.htm

UK power company plans expansion in Bangladesh

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=203806

Business Interview
UK power company plans expansion in Bangladesh
T&R high-up shares his views on solar power and the company’s future plan with The Daily Star

Steve Bandey

Md Fazlur Rahman

A UK-based power company plans to set up a solar panel manufacturing plant and a diesel-run power generator producing plant in Bangladesh to expand its business and help the country meet the soaring demand for energy, a top official said.

“My immediate plan is to do something quickly as Bangladesh is growing very fast and so the demand for solar energy products. I’m not going to wait,” said Steve Bandey, managing director of Transformers & Rectifiers Ltd (T&R).

“I would like to form joint partnership with local companies so that we can work together,” Bandey told The Daily Star in an interview in Dhaka.

“We believe we could probably achieve something in three to five years. We will work on phases. It is just how quickly we can utilise everything we already have.”

Set up in 1951, the T&R specialises in designing and manufacturing of custom-made power supplies ranging from 4 to 36 megawatt.

The company started manufacturing diesel-run generators in 1975 and made a foray into the solar energy sector after much analysis in 2010.

During his fifth visit to Dhaka, Bandey also met secretaries of the implementation monitoring and evaluation division, local government, planning, power and also the chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board. Bandey also gave a presentation for engineers at the Dhaka City Corporation about his plan.

“I have received very positive response from them. The officials have showed eagerness. They were very positive. They want to support me. It will definitely help me move forward,” he said. “I think it could be very good for Bangladesh because it will offer employment.”

“I recognise the need for power here and it is very urgent. So I want my company to start manufacturing solar panel here as such panel would be very important for the country’s future power generation. I also like to bring in diesel generators to Bangladesh.”

Bandey said solar power has become a reality for Bangladesh, as half of its population is still out of the electricity network.

“With the investment and hopefully in shared partnership, I would like to set up solar plants with a capacity of 50 megawatt. That is our long-term plan. Once completed, the plant will last over for 30 years.”

He said solar panel could be very useful in areas where there is no electricity supply. “We want to see this panel is used by local households and businesses.”

Bandey is also bullish about the country’s investment climate. “I am here for the fifth time this time. But I can see a lot of positive change now. So far I have faced no obstacle. It is very pleasant feeling.”

He said he chose Bangladesh as the base of his company’s next industrial initiative, as the country is full of talented engineers. “I believe there are a lot of talent engineers in Bangladesh, who need a bit of help and confidence. I believe we can have a very, very good manufacturing unit here. I want to tap their talents.”

He said some of Bangladesh’s textile factories and even military establishment have bought generators from his company.

T&R has presence in Asia, Africa and Latin America. “We used to be the biggest company in Africa. But the Chinese have flooded the continent with cheaper products. I do not want to compromise with the quality.”

“So, I am moving to other emerging markets, where quality products will be sold well. I will transfer technology and knowledge and use the talent of the host country,” said Bandey.

The British electrical and mechanical engineer said the prices of the final products would be much cheaper compared to other neighbouring countries, as the products will be manufactured locally.

He plans to set up five solar energy-run power plants, with capacity of 50 megawatt each in the next three to five years.

Bandey said in the next five years the price of a single unit solar energy would to equal to that of conventional energy. “The country will require more solar panel at that time, as the country’s stock of gas will deplete and imports of hundreds and thousands tonnes of oil will be challenging.”

He said although he plans to work in Bangladesh, he personally has not set any target. “As long as I get support from the government I will continue to work in Bangladesh.”

He also denied giving any figure about his investment plan. “It will depend on how much I am allowed to invest.”

Bandey also said Bangladesh’s clients should not worry about the cost of solar system. “The initial cost is higher and it is expensive too. But in the long run it will be hugely beneficial.”

“Bangladesh has much sunshine as anywhere in the world. We believe with fossil fuel running out, power will be more expensive by the day. As the technology moves on, the solar panel will be cheaper and a lot more economical.”

The T&R top official also plans to introduce windmills in the country’s coastal areas. “Bangladesh will benefit hugely if it can set up windmill in its about 70 kilometre of coastal areas alongside the solar system.”

“In the coastal areas and Chittgong, wind power could be very effective especially in certain times of the year. The problem with wind power it is not reliable as solar.”

“Like solar, wind power could be very, very useful. If we combine the two, especially in the coastal areas, we believe Bangladesh will benefit much.”

Bandey also plans to introduce solar irrigation pump to slash farmers’ dependency on the grid network or heavily subsidised diesel.

He said Bangladesh would be able to save tens of thousands of pounds if the company manufactures equipment in the country.

“Solar panels are a long-term project. I want to manufacture solar for irrigation.”

Bandey said his company is ready to start working in Bangladesh. “I hope we can start something this year. If we become successful in our first operation, we will do more.”

fazlur.rahman@thedailystar.net

UK entrepreneur keen to invest in generators, solar panel plants

http://www.daily-sun.com/details_ds-uk-entrepreneur-keen-to-invest-in-generators,-solar-panel-plants_342_1_3_1_2.aspx

UK entrepreneur keen to invest in generators, solar panel plants

Steve Bandey, managing director of T&R Limited, is speaking at a function in the city on Wednesday.

Staff Correspondent

British generator and solar panel manufacturing company T&R Limited has showed keen interest to invest in power related sector in Bangladesh.

The UK-based company has aimed to invest in Bangladesh to install factory for manufacturing generator and solar panels locally in a bid to help provide Bangladesh people with the items at low costs.

“My objective for investing in Bangladesh is to utilise its skilled and cheap workforce to boost production,” the visiting T&R managing director Steve Bandey said Wednesday.

“T&R Limited is doing business in Africa, Asia, Europe and America after it was established in 1951. Steve Bandey is visiting here in response to the invitation of local company Cardiac Presision Ltd and Home Street Builders.

T&R Limited showed interests in investing in partnership for Diesel Generator Manufacturing Plant by providing technical support and consultancy, training local engineer, and design and management. It also showed interests at solar panel manufacturing plant, 5x50MW solar power plant to be implemented in 2-5 years, solar power irrigation and wind power generation.

Steve Bandey said that his company wants to make the products available in the peoples’ doorsteps at cheap rates and for this he was interested to manufacture those locally.

“Price is a very important factor to popularize any kinds of product in a developing country,” observed Steve.

Offering products at cheap rates is only possible when the products are manufactured locally, he said.

“We aim to provide our products at low prices as the local engineers are very highly skilled that might help us produce high quality products at low costs,” he said.

He said his company’s target is to export their products within 4 to 5 years after making investment in Bangladesh. “Local skilled engineers and lobourers would contribute a lot in boosting the production,” he added.

T&R power at their expected Diesel Generator Manufacturing Project would do fabrication locally in the first phase, control system in second phase and new design in the third phase. Later, it will train local engineers.

About renewable power and energy, Steve said: “We will design the solar panel locally with the technological support of a British university.”

“If we could design and manufacture the solar panel locally, it might help us supply the product at local market at cheaper rates compared to the imported cost,” he said.

“We have a plan to install five solar systems with capacity of 50 megawatt (MW) each and it would be possible within three years,” said Steve, adding: “I want to continue investment without interruption if favorable environment is ensured.”

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”

Govt to introduce tax incentive for electronics industry: Barua

http://www.newstoday.com.bd/index.php?option=details&news_id=26523&date=2011-05-04

Govt to introduce tax incentive for electronics industry: Barua
News Report

Industries Minister Dilip Barua said the government would introduce tax incentive for electronic industry of the country. The ministry will propose for such a measure to be included in the next budget.

Dilip Barua said this while visiting the Walton Hi-tech Industries at Chandra, Kaliakoir in Gazipur on Tuesday.

The minister also unraveled five new models of non-frost Walton refrigerators during the visit at the plant.

He said Bangladesh has gained the reputation of an exporting country of refrigerators and motorcycles thanks to companies like Walton.

Walton has given Bangladesh the name of a exporting country as like Toyota and Tata helped branding Japan and India respectively in the field of electronics.

Mizanur Rahman, Walton director and international marketing expert, Humayun Kabir, director PR and media and Enayet Ferdous, media adviser of Walton accompanied the minister when he went round the state of the art factory, set up on a 20 acres of land at Chandra.

Lauding Walton’s effort, Dilip Barua has
Calling on expatriate Bangladeshis to come to see the Walton Hi-tech Industries at Chandra, Dilip Barua said that Bagladesh is no longer lagging behind in electronics item manufacturing.

The minister also pledged that the government would impose high import duty on electronics products which are now manufactured in Bangladesh and would reduce import duty on raw materials to help local companies to sustain and compete in international market.

After meeting the local demand the company has began go beyond borders. The company has already exported its products to Asia, Middle East and African countries. It also wants to export its products to France, Italy, Germany, Spain and other European countries, he mentioned.

Mizanur Rahman said, “Electronics industry has been included in the export item list and Walton has made Bangladesh known to the world through exporting its products to different countries”.

Walton brand televisions, fridges and motorcycles are being exported to Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait of Middle East, Ghana of Africa and India, Nepal and Bhutan of South Asia. It has also formally launched the marketing activities of its products to the USA and UK, he mentioned.

Walton is going to manufacture some other electronics products at its own factory in the country very soon, he said.

Media Adviser Enayet Ferdous said the export item list should be diversified for the development of country’s economy, and Walton has been able to do it successfully. In future, the electronics industry will go ahead side-by-side the export-oriented garment sector through earning huge amount of foreign currency, contributing to national economy and creating employment opportunity in the country.

Japan Solartech to make panels, batteries in Ctg

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=182364

Japan Solartech to make panels, batteries in Ctg
Star Business Report

Japan Solartech (Bangladesh) Ltd will start manufacturing solar panels and batteries in Bangladesh in December, eyeing the local market and exports to foreign countries.

The company is a joint venture between UING Corporation, a unit of Japan’s U-TEC Group, and Trade Service International, a trading company and distributor of TOTAL Lubricants in Bangladesh. U-TEC is a manufacturer of solar products and energy-efficient home appliances.

Japan Solartech has selected Chittagong as the production centre.

“Japan Solartech will be a hub for manufacturing solar products and energy-efficient home appliances in this region,” said Masayuki Uchiyama, chairman of U-TEC Group.

Uchiyama spoke at a seminar, “Total solar solutions: A road to sustainable energy” organised by Japan Solartech at Dhaka Hotel Sheraton on Monday.

“We will sell the products not only in Bangladesh; we will expand our sales to countries around Bangladesh very soon and gradually move to the developed countries.”

Speaking as the chief guest, Industries Minister Dilip Barua welcomed the U-TEC Group for investing in the solar systems sector in Bangladesh.

The minister said the venture would help transfer the state-of-the-art technology to Bangladesh, and its solar solutions would not only generate power but also ensure long-term efficient storage of it.

“The solutions will not only help mitigate the existing power problems but also ease government’s efforts to further improve education, information and communication technology and health infrastructures,” said Barua.

Hospitals, clinics, and education institutions can be run through solar-powered appliances to make those services available to a wider population, he added.

The company has recently installed its first hybrid (5KW) solar system at the Gulshan branch office of EXIM Bank.

U-TEC is producing over 8 million solar modules equivalent to around 200MW every year in its factories operating in Japan and China with an annual turnover of $1.7 billion.

Rafiqul Islam, deputy managing director of Japan Solartech, made a presentation on Solar Solution: A road to sustainable energy, and Mike Kataoka, director of SANYO Asia Pte Ltd, made presentation on Solar Evolution: Introduction of high efficiency modules in the seminar.

Abul Kalam Azad, secretary for the ministry of energy, power and mineral resources and Takanori Uehara, chargé d’ affaires of Japan embassy to Bangladesh, also spoke.

Satellite in space by 2013

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=181169

Satellite in space by 2013
Targets telecoms minister
Unb, Dhaka

Post and Telecommunications Minister Razi Uddin Ahmed Raju yesterday said Bangladesh will launch satellite into space by 2013 for development of the country’s telecommunications sector.

“The homemade laptop computer worth Tk 15,000 will be available by June next,” he said at a seminar at Mirpur cantonment in the capital in the afternoon.

Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) organised the seminar titled ‘Roadmap to Digital Bangladesh: Role of ICT Education’.

PM’s Personal Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan read out a key-note paper on the session.

Army Chief General M Abdul Mubeen and MIST commandant Major General M Habibur Rahman Khan, among others, addressed the seminar.

Razi Uddin Ahmed Raju said the government is committed to reach the service of ICT at thresholds of all people in the country.

Referring to the government’s initiatives, which were taken over the last couple of years to expend the telecommunications, he said the present government believes in works, not in words.

Prof Mohammad Kaykobad, Department of CSE, BUET and Prof M Lutfar Rahaman, Dean, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, Daffodil International University also presented papers on “Roadmap to Digital Bangladesh-Role of ICT Education” and “Roadmap to Digital Bangladesh-WEB Security Attacks: Analysis of Incident” respectively.

The speakers emphasised on the role of Information and Communication Technology Education for the attainment of Digital Bangladesh and realising the present Governments Vision-2021.

The speakers expressed their concern on the information security in using the ICT facilities.

Senior military & civil officials, academicians and students of MIST participated in the seminar.