BBF launches ‘Knowledge Centre’

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=115198

BBF launches ‘Knowledge Centre’
Star Business Desk

Bangladesh Brand Forum (BBF) has launched its innovative project, Knowledge Centre, yesterday.

Through its different sections, the centre aims to inspire managers to reach their full potential.

The available means of resources are: Library (books and journals), a computer centre, a video archive, a training centre and a creative centre.

Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, energy adviser to the prime minister, was present at the ceremony along with Prof Ferhat Anwar, BBF chief adviser, and Shariful Islam, founder.

Shah Masud Imam, head of corporate affairs of Standard Chartered Bank, who was also present at the event, said: “The facility is equipped with all the necessary means to gain knowledge about the business world.”

Bangladesh Brand Forum promotes brands in Bangladesh’s corporate world.

UAE to be major manpower export destination in 5 years

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=8&id=71016&date=2009-11-15

UAE to be major manpower export destination in 5 years
By Tanzim Anwar

DHAKA, Nov 15 (BSS) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) can be a major destination for skilled and semi-skilled manpower in the next five years especially in hotel management sector as this gulf country is going to invest 1.5 trillion US dollars in hotels and travelling to turn itself into one of the prime tourism hubs in the globe.

“About 100 hotels are expected to be opened by next two years and the country needs lots of skilled people in hotel management as well as utility services,” Bangladesh Ambassador to UAE Nazmul Quaunine told this correspondent in Dubai recently.

He said the Bangladesh mission has communicated the matter to all concerned offices in Dhaka including the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry to provide training for the people, intending to be employed abroad.

“It’s a competitive world, if we couldn’t manage to send skilled and semi-skilled manpower within the time, this bulk will automatically move to other countries,” he said.

Presently, the UAE is recruiting 15,000 to 20,000 Bangladeshi workers per month amid the ongoing global economic crisis, which made the country the largest manpower destination for Bangladesh.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are creating only 3000 to 2500 jobs per month, he added.

The UAE government made a rule in last May that all payment to the overseas workers must be made through banks as per the strong lobbing of the Bangladesh mission, he said.

“After implementing the rules, rights of seven lakh Bangladeshi labors in the UAE are ensured and presently no workers are facing harassment about salary,” he said.

Bangladesh needs to set up a special training center equipped with all modern facilities to provide Arabic and English language training targeting the intended semi-skilled manpower.

He said the local Bangladeshi mission formed a special team, which regularly visited the workplace of Bangladeshi labors to see their well being physically.

Investing in people key to success

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=113395

Invest in people
Says the Swisscontact chief in an interview with
Md Hasan

Bangladesh should pursue strategies followed by other countries in utilising human resources to become a mid-income country by 2016, says the president of Swisscontact.

In a recent interview with The Daily Star, Peter Grüschow says government policy support to the private sector, along with human resource development, is key to reaching the goal.

“Bangladeshis are resilient and receptive to business opportunities. But a lack of proper information among entrepreneurs remains a hurdle.”

A business friendly environment and policy incentives help people become more informed about what to do for better business, Grüschow says.

“A supportive and stable political system is very important for the development of any country.” In other countries, governments invest in developing human resources by first introducing proper education and policies.

Swisscontact is a Zurich-based organisation founded in 1959 by members of the Swiss private sector and academia for sustainable development cooperation.

The organisation aims to contribute to poverty alleviation by promoting economic and social development in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.

In Bangladesh, Swisscontact has been active since the 1980s and after a hiatus in the 1990s, it has been implementing Katalyst, a market development project funded by governments from Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK. Starting in October 2002, Katalyst is a project under the commerce ministry and GTZ-International Services is Swisscontact’s co-implementer.

Grüschow says Bangladesh has prospect of becoming a mid-income country in about seven years.

“It is a real challenge. But hope is a very powerful driver. I believe it is possible. He says large human resource capital is present in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s private sector is contributing well to economic development. But the ‘informal nature’ of the private sector entrepreneurs remains a crucial issue.

“A lack of information is one of the major reasons behind why Bangladesh’s private sector does not perform in line with how it should,” Grüschow says.

Businesses do not like to register because of a lack of adequate incentives and they are not fully aware of the benefits of doing business under a legal framework.

A lack of skills development for the labour force is another problem here along with infrastructure development.

“And of course, at the heart of all these issues is entrepreneurship development by providing proper policy support,” he says.

However, he says, Bangladesh could be a prime example for other countries for its rapid private sector development in the last few years.

Citing an example, he says the private sector led revolution in mobile telephony is now playing a vital role in economic development.

“Bangladesh is a very important country for us, as we have many projects here and have much more to do,” Grüschow says.

Grüschow, who worked for 40 years in German-based telecom giant Siemens before joining Swisscontact, said Swisscontact is keen to build its current portfolio and work in the long run in Bangladesh with development partners, including the government and the private sector.

He said he found the Bangladeshi government willing to work for poverty alleviation.

In line with the government’s priorities, Swisscontact is working here to further the development goals. “We want to contribute towards unleashing the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to create opportunities for the poor. Sustainable economic development and inclusive growth are what we want to contribute to Bangladesh.”

In addition to Katalyst, Swisscontact is engaged in different projects in Bangladesh. Slum dwellers’ livelihood development, skills development and social compliance among others are the major projects conducted by Swisscontact. Climate change and gender issues are firmly embedded in Swisscontact projects.

Grüschow says Swisscontact is planning to implement more meaningful projects in the areas of skills development, climate change and governance.

Referring to his visits to some parts of Bangladesh in the north and south, Grüschow says Bangladeshis are enterprising, which is crucial to alleviating poverty.

He says climate change is a crucial issue for Bangladesh now. The government has a role to educate the populace about the prospects and effects of climate change and ways to mitigate and adapt the risks. Furthermore, donor agencies, the private sector and civil society, have their roles in helping Bangladesh address this all too important issue.

hasan@dailystar.net

Remittance growth beats bleak forecast

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=112608

Remittance growth beats bleak forecast

Rejaul Karim Byron

Remittance growth stood at 21.23 percent in the first four months of the current fiscal year, despite bleak forecasts by the World Bank.

The July to October period measured the remittance inflow at $3.61 billion, which was $2.98 billion in the same period last year.

Bangladesh recorded $911.20 million in remittance in October, up from $887.92 million a month ago, according to central bank data. Remittance crossed the $900 million mark for the third time in 2009. The figure was $935.15 million in August and $919.10 million in June.

Due to the large remittance inflow, the foreign currency reserve is increasing. It was recorded at $9.56 billion yesterday.

The foreign exchange reserve that was $5.82 billion in June rose to $7.74 billion in July. In August, the reserve crossed $9 billion.

The WB projected Bangladesh will record remittance growth at 12.3 percent at best and the least at 8.4 percent for the current fiscal year.

The WB also said the outflow of migrant workers in Bangladesh has slowed significantly. In July, the migrant outflow dropped by 57 percent compared to the same month last year. The impact of global recession became evident in the second half of fiscal 2009, when the outflow of migrant workers declined by 47 percent.

The number of migrant workers finding employment abroad has declined by 33 percent in fiscal 2009 — a total of 650,000 migrant workers got a job abroad this year, compared to 969,000 last year.

The report also said the economic outlook in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will be decisive for Bangladesh. The GCC countries together accounted for 63 percent of total flows in fiscal 2009. Saudi Arabia was by far the largest source of remittance ($2.9 billion), followed by UAE ($1.8 billion).

The outflow of Bangladeshi workers to GCC member countries was affected by the global economic crisis. In fiscal 2009, about 4,61,000 workers immigrated to the gulf, compared to 6,57,000 in the last year — recording a 30 percent drop.

However, the report added the recent increase in oil prices to around $70 a barrel should reduce the risk of a fall in remittance from Bangladeshi workers in GCC countries.

The WB report said a regression exercise revealed the key determinants of changes in the level of remittance inflow are the number of workers finding employment abroad every year, the oil price, the exchange rate and the GDP growth rate.

The results show: an additional migrant worker brings in $816 in remittances annually, a dollar increase in oil prices increases annual remittances by nearly $15 million, depreciation of the exchange rate by one taka increases annual remittance by $18 million and remittances are higher in times of low economic growth.

A Bangladesh Bank official said the number of outbound migrant workers dropped in the current fiscal year but a large number of poor expatriate Bangladeshis are still staying abroad and sending remittance home.

Malaysia to provide training for Bangladeshi workers and engineers

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=8&id=68517&date=2009-11-03

Malaysia to provide training for Bangladeshi workers and engineers

DHAKA, Nov 3 (BSS) – Malaysia has agreed to provide higher training to Bangladeshi unskilled labourers and engineers free of cost.

Malaysia has given the consent at a bilateral discussion at summit on ‘OIC Human Resource Development’ held in Kuala Lumpur recently, a press release of the Global Economist Forum said here today.

According to the proposal, Malaysia will provide training to Bangladeshi labourers and construction engineers, welding, carpenting and tiles fittings sectors.

Enayet Karim, President of Global Economist Forum, led the summit on behalf of Bangladesh.

Members of Malaysia Construction Development Board and representatives of the OIC member countries attended the summit.

Bangladeshi national Enayet Karim now discharging the duties as President of Global Economist Forum.

In his speech, Enayet Karim urged the OIC countries to give preference in recruiting Bangladeshi manpower.

He also met with leaders of Malaysia, Sudan, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, Maldives and Brunei at a bilateral discussion, the press release added.

Oracle to train 800 local students

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/28/news0968.htm

Oracle to train 800 local students

More than 800 students from nine leading universities of the country have joined in the Oracle Academy.

The students would gain access to world-class technical curriculum and develop hands-on experience with Oracle’s industry-leading database, middleware, and applications software said a press release.

Students who participate in the Oracle Academy develop vital business and technology skills, gaining a competitive advantage as they prepare to enter the global workforce of the 21st century.

Participating universities include University of Dhaka, Dhaka International University, Northern University of Bangladesh, Southeast University, IBAIS University, State University of Bangladesh, United International University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Modern College of ICT.

The Bangladeshi students will join with more than 850,000 students at 4,400 institutions in 91 countries who benefit from their participation in the Oracle Academy.

Supporting Quotes

“The Oracle Academy provides our students with the opportunity to develop skills that are in high demand by the IT industry. As a result, they will leave the university with a competitive edge,” said Z H Jewel, Director, Institute of Information Technology, University of Dhaka.

“The Oracle Academy’s industry-leading software and curriculum will tremendously benefit our faculty and students and enrich our academic merit,” said Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, Professor and Head, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

“The Oracle Academy will enhance our curriculum and provide our students with a better understanding of the latest technologies in the marketplace,” said Mr. Mamoon A. Rasheed, Acting Chair, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, State University of Bangladesh.

“The Oracle Academy is committed to preparing students for the 21st century workforce and to providing teachers with world-class professional development opportunities,” said Natasak Rodjanapiches, Regional Managing Director-ASEAN, Oracle.

“By partnering with these nine universities, we are helping meet the increased demand for a skilled IT workforce in Bangladesh.”

Govt to introduce new departments in public universities for technical education

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=8&id=65184&date=2009-10-18&PHPSESSID=770e71197ca416cbfaf9c43eaf710171

Govt to introduce new departments in public universities for technical education

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Oct 18 (BSS) – The government is going to open new academic departments in five public engineering universities to solve unemployment problem and expand technical education.

A Taka 146.3-crore project has been taken to create necessary infrastructure and laboratory facilities in the universities.

The project will be implemented by June 2013 in five universities – Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) and Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET).

Planning Division Secretary M Habib Ullah Majumder told BSS that the project already been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in a recent meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

He said to solve the unemployment problem and create new employment facilities is one of the election pledges of the present government and work is going on to implement this pledge.

There is no alternative to technical education to resolve the growing unemployment problem, the secretary said hoped that the
new project would help expand technical educational and employment opportunities for educated manpower at home and abroad.

Habibullah Majumder said department of glass and ceramic engineering will be introduced in BUET and RUET under the University Grants Commission (UGC) to develop glass ceramic technologists in the country.

When implemented, this project would create opportunities for local and foreign students to study, he added.

The secretary further said department of petroleum and mining engineering would be introduced in CUET while department of leather engineering in KUET and department of textiles engineering in DUET.

The project includes construction of academic building, expansion of academic building, building research and workshop buildings, expansion of existing research buildings and procurement of furniture, book and journals, scientific and research equipment, teaching materials and arranging training at home and abroad.

Half a million overseas jobs by year-end

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=109926

Half a million overseas jobs by year-end
Minister says
Unb, Dhaka

Bangladesh is going to send some 5 lakh job-seekers abroad by this year-end, as new overseas job markets are being found out by the government.

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said yesterday, sounding a note of warning against any fraud on the part of manpower exporters.

“Of them, Saudi Arabia will take some two lakh Bangladeshis after the beginning of their six mega-city projects and Iraq take more than 1 lakh,” the minister told a meeting at the city’s Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training .

The labour and employment and expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry organised the meeting with the Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) leaders.

“The government has moved to sign an agreement with its labour-market countries to settle a minimum plane fare and other facilities with Bangladesh,” said the minister.

Govt to turn BIFT into full-fledged university

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/10/12/news0434.htm

Govt to turn BIFT into full-fledged university to diversify RMG products in global market: Faruk

BSS, Dhaka

Commerce Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan Yesterday said the government is trying to turn the BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology (BIFT) into a full-fledged university for diversification of RMG products in the present competitive global market.

He urged the BFTI members to select a suitable place where the planned university could be set up excepting the metropolis.

The minister was inaugurating a product development centre dubbed ‘Centre of Export and Product Development (CEPD)’ at its Bhaban here. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (INIDO) supported the setting up of the centre.

BIFT president Muzaffar Uddin Siddique presided over the function while president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam Murshedy addressed it as special guest.

International coordinator of UNIDO Bangladesh John T Smith, chief technical adviser David Holbourne and project manager of UNIDO, Vienna David Lee also spoke as designated discussants. Principal of BIFT Prof Mohammad Salek gave the welcome speech.

Faruk Khan described the RMG as one of the most important sectors considering its 80 percent contribution to the total export volume and said, it has so far created four million jobs directly or indirectly, mostly women.

The tremendous job creation of over four million for women is a shinning example of their empowerment, he said adding that a large number of rural people mostly women, who once upon a time were not able to earn their livelihood, are now leading prestigious lives besides contributing their families.

Faruk hoped that Bangladesh’s fashion, culture and tradition would be able to fulfill the world market requirement but knowledge has become inevitable to explore more international export order.

John T Smith said, the RMG sector, considered as lifeline of the economy, has a tremendous potential and that is why a remarkable performance needed to sustain in world market in strong point of bargaining.

Lee was hopeful about brining a new competitiveness of the country’s RMG products as foreign buyers will now be fully satisfied with quicker response as per their requirement either quality or standard.

Murshedy listed price competition, productivity, quality and innovation of new products as the major challenges in the sector.

In order to survive in the competitiveness, in the international market, he said, creative culture should be promoted for innovation of new products and ensure better services.

Bangladesh needed skilled manpower side by side with increasing efficiency to address the emerging challenges in the sector in the days ahead, said Prof Salek.

DAM skill dev project for garment workers

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/10/12/81342.html

DAM skill dev project for garment workers

Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), a national NGO, has undertaken a skill development project for garment workers, slum-dwellers and other underprivileged people, reports UNB.

A total of 1,320 people have already been given training under this project. Of them, 1,303 were employed in various garment factories.

Speakers disclosed this at the certificate awarding ceremony among the graduates of the Vocational Training Institute of DAM at the Bangladesh Krishi Bank Training Institute auditorium in the city Saturday.

DAM Vocational Training Institute and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) jointly organised the course completion and certificate-awarding ceremony of skill development trained graduates of Vocational Training Institute for Working Children (VTIWC).

Speakers said if the trend continued, poor and unskilled workers will be able to change their standard of living through working in standard garment industries.

Remittances register 20pc growth in first quarter

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/10/06/80863.html

Remittances register 20pc growth in first quarter

FE Report

Bangladeshis working abroad sent home a record US$2.70 billion in the first quarter (Q1) of the current fiscal, registering a 15.90 per cent growth in remittances over the same period last fiscal.

The remittances were estimated at $887.92 million in September, a fall by $47.23 million from the previous month. In August 2009, the amount was $935.15 million, according to the central bank statistics, released on Monday.

“The flow of inward remittances declined slightly in the month of September following a series of holidays on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja festivals,” a senior official of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) told the FE.

He also said the flow of remittances may stabilise this month. But it will increase in November ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha festival, he added.

Bangladesh received $2.708 billion during the July-September period of fiscal 2009-10 against $2.336 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal, the BB’s data showed.

The BB officials said the latest figure also shows that despite the slowdown of overseas jobs, the inflow of remittances maintained a healthy trend, which is a continuation of last fiscal year when remittance grew 22.41 per cent.

A total of 30,812 Bangladeshi workers found overseas jobs in September, which is 41.86 per cent down from that of the corresponding period of the last year, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) statistics.

The country’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $9.337 billion Monday due to the robust growth of remittances from Bangladeshis working abroad, the BB officials confirmed.

The central bank earlier took a series of measures to encourage the expatriate Bangladeshis to send their hard earned money through formal banking channel instead of the illegal “hundi” system and boost the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

Four state-run commercial banks and dozens of private commercial banks have also stepped up efforts to increase remittance flow from the Middle East, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy and the United States.

“We are establishing new contacts with overseas exchange houses so that our overseas workers can find it easy to send money back home,” Managing Director of the National Credit and Commerce (NCC) Bank Limited Nurul Amin told the FE.

$6.1b remittance in eight months

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=107925

$6.1b remittance in eight months
Unb, Dhaka

The country earned $6.1 billion in last eight months despite the global economic recession that affected both overseas jobs and earnings.

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain disclosed the figure yesterday when new councillors of four labour wings abroad met him at his office.

Some 3.54 lakh workers went abroad with employment in the last nine months.

During the meeting, he directed the councillors to accomplish their duties with sincerity and honesty to protect the interest of the expatriates.

Birches Group Survey finds Bangladesh compensation levels increase 19% over 2008 levels

http://www.birchesgroup.com/site/NEWSANDEVENTS/BangladeshSurveyResults/tabid/160/Default.aspx

BIRCHES GROUP SURVEY FINDS BANGLADESH COMPENSATION LEVELS INCREASE 19% OVER 2008 LEVELS

New York, N.Y. – September 25, 2009 – International human resources consultant Birches Group LLC has announced the results of their annual total compensation survey in Bangladesh.  The survey was conducted in Dhaka during the month of July 2009, capturing data from a broad cross-section of 32 employers in the local labour market, including leaders in banking, tourism, trade and services, manufacturing, consumer products, telecommunications, and international public sector organizations.

The survey results show an overall increase in total compensation of 19% in 2009 as compared to 2008.  Support staff positions increased an average of 17.3%, while professional staff salaries increased an average of 20.9%.   Senior-level managers and professionals enjoyed the highest level of increases.

The compensation mix of surveyed employers is fairly complex, with various allowances and bonuses offered on top of base salaries across all positions surveyed.  Base salary typically makes up 65-75% of total compensation from the lowest support staff position to senior management levels.  For the top leadership positions, bonuses and incentives range from 15% to 22% of total compensation; at other salary levels, bonuses and incentives account for about 10% of the package.  Festival bonuses are unique to this market, and are typically the equivalent of one to four months base salary.

Other common benefits and perquisites include cash transportation or conveyance allowances, meal allowances, and housing-related benefits.  Company-provided vehicles, offered as a cash allowance or through a lease arrangement, are frequently offered to managerial/executive level staff.

Surveyed employers reported a preference for broad-based market survey data as the basis for annual adjustments, rather than sector-specific information.

For more information about the survey results, or to obtain a copy of the full survey report, contact Birches Group in New York (+1-212-972-6970) or contact us online.

MOU on solar tech training signed

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=142755

MOU on solar tech training signed
Economic Reporter

Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) and Grameen Shakti signed an agreement at a simple ceremony held at the Manpower Bureau’s office at Kakrail recently for training of solar energy technicians.

The programme is being supported by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) under its green jobs initiative, says a press release.

Remittance drives banks to open exchange houses abroad

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=101148

Remittance drives banks to open exchange houses abroad

Sajjadur Rahman

Private commercial banks (PCBs) are scrambling to open exchange houses abroad to cash in on increasing business driven by inward remittances, officials said.

At least half a dozen banks sought permission from Bangladesh Bank to open nearly 10 exchange houses in remittance destinations, such as Canada, Italy, Singapore and the UK, central bank officials said.

Currently, eight local banks — including the state-owned four — have 28 exchange houses abroad, BB data shows.

“Exchange houses will help rout more remittances through the banking channel,” said Shah Alam Sarwar, managing director of Premier Bank that has sought to open exchange houses in Singapore and the UK.

Bangladesh received $9.67 billion in remittance in fiscal 2008-09 despite the recession that hit many countries. The World Bank has projected that Bangladesh’s inward remittances for the current fiscal year may reach $11 billion.

Bankers and experts believe a huge amount of remittance is flowing through an informal channel popularly known as hundi for its faster and cost-effective services.

The central bank encourages banks to open their own exchange houses in foreign countries to send in more remittances through the banking channel. The BB has also allowed the banks to team up with local nongovernmental organisations to fast-track services to remittance beneficiaries.

“As part of the move, the BB is a bit more flexible than before in allowing banks to open exchange houses,” said a BB official, asking not to be named.

Earlier, state-owned banks had the monopoly in opening exchange houses. The PCBs had to rely on drawing arrangements (DA) with exchange houses abroad.

Currently, 40 banks have over 800 DAs with 280 exchange houses in different countries, but the BB official said DAs alone cannot boost the flow of inward remittances.

“If a bank has its own exchange house it gives remitters a morale boost,” said Shah Alam Sarwar of Premier Bank.

PCBs which have applied to the central bank to open their own exchange houses are: First Security Islamic Bank for Canada and Italy, Prime Bank for the UK, Premier for Singapore and the UK, and EXIM Bank.

EXIM has applied to open a number of exchange houses in different countries, the BB official said without disclosing the numbers and countries.

“Bangladeshi banks have no exchange houses in Korea, Japan, Australia and some East European countries due to strict regulations there,” said the BB official.

sajjad@thedailystar.net