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https://www.thedailystar.net/business/global-economy/news/locally-made-jerseys-adorn-fifa-world-cup-3125326 Locally made jerseys to adorn FIFA World Cup Refayet Ullah Mirdha Thu Sep 22, 2022 08:30 AM Last update on: Thu Sep 22, 2022 09:15 AM Bangladesh is increasingly becoming a source not only for replica football shirts worn by fans but also kits used in practice by players of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup alongside European clubs.  The local knitters also supply jerseys for different sporting clubs globally. For instance, Chattogram-based knitwear manufacturer Sonnet Textile Industries sent 6 lakh shirts for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to be held between November 20 and December 18. "I shipped the last consignment in April this year…through buyers as I do not export directly to the FIFA," said Gazi Md Shahid Ullah, one of the company's directors. He, however, declined to state the price of each shirt. Shahidullah also said there were bright prospects for sportswear as he shipped $18 million worth of knit products from his factory a year employing 1,800 workers. Similarly, Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, managing director of Narayanganj-based knitwear manufacturer Fatullah Apparels, said he had exported 2.5 lakh shirts for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia. He also sent replica kits for supporters of different countries. This time, Ehsan has not sent any kit for the Qatar world cup. But he regularly sends official jerseys for Real Madrid Basketball in Barcelona as his factory is an officially nominated supplier of the Spanish professional basketball team. Every five months, his factory has been sending a good quantity of jerseys for the club, he said. Currently, he mainly sends jerseys made of cotton of European clubs to his buyers. The price of jerseys made from manmade fibres are higher than those made of cotton, he said. "I also think the future of garment business of Bangladesh is MMF (manmade fibre)-made jerseys and sportswear as the demand for these items has been rising worldwide because of changes in fashion and styles," he said. For instance, many office-going people wear casual dresses like t-shirts, sportwear and lightweight sweaters instead of formal woven dresses made from both cotton and manmade fibres. As a result, the demand and production of the casual dresses from Bangladesh is also increasing worldwide, especially in Europe and the US, he added. Mohammad Hatem, managing director of MB Knit Fashions, another Narayanganj-based knitwear manufacturer, said he had sent 12 lakh shirts of eight countries like Brazil, Argentina and some other European ones for the world cup football in Russia in 2018. In the previous world cup in 2014, Hatem sent 8 lakh jerseys. Hatem said he has not sent any jerseys for the world cup in Qatar so far. Regarding profits from the sale of jerseys, Hatem said buyers do not pay anything extra for these being a special kind of clothing. Recently, the local garment suppliers have been increasing the production of garment items from manmade fibres to gain better prices from international clothing retailers and brands. They are expecting jerseys and sportswear to play a vital role in achieving Bangladesh's target of earning $100 billion from garment exports by 2030. Last fiscal year, garment shipment clocked a 35.47 per cent year-on-year growth, netting $42.61 billion. Of the sum, $23.21 billion came from knitwear shipments, which was up 36.88 per cent. The knitwear items mostly comprised jerseys and sportswear, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau. 

Semicolon IT Solutions is developing international and high quality software at Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park in Jessore. Apart from creating software, the company created by four entrepreneurs is also doing digital marketing work for a startup company in the United States.In August 2019, Semicolon IT Solutions started working on the 12th floor of Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park in Jessore with a space of 1,300 square feet. The size of the office was increased to 3 thousand 60 square feet within a year due to the increasing demand for work. The company mainly develops customized software and also works on digital marketing. The organization is also providing programming, digital marketing, graphic design and web development training to develop skilled professionals.Within three years of its inception, Semicolon has exported software to Australia, the United States and Saudi Arabia. The software developed by Semicolon is also being used in various public and private institutions. In the meantime, the company has developed software for Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Water Development Board, Metrorail Line-5, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation.There are now 25 employees at Semicolon, including 12 women. The group has made $36,000 in profit during the last three years. The organization has improved by around 85% in the three years after the adventure began. A significant accomplishment for the three-year-old business is that Semicolon's software is being used in Saudi Arabia, the US, and Australia beyond national boundaries. https://scontent.ffjr1-5.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/305408827_201675902213023_3256989152596243722_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=Ndyb9acxx5gAX8WTlkY&_nc_oc=AQlFDNhI0hpsAJKKXX-6gL-iPZLc-TmEpXJG0wPrO_hvo6yD0Q5W4yD1MVQfV7AMnsevt9N4_Kc7UtJm2s29fhsp&_nc_ht=scontent.ffjr1-5.fna&oh=00_AT8ffKrKCG1DK_44o8GJd5ItVQSJmleKpo28ggW8AlGB9A&oe=632F083A

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/industry/shaking-covid-lull-bangladesh-steel-industry-eyes-global-foothold-500162 TBS Report 20 September, 2022, 10:55 pm Last modified: 20 September, 2022, 10:58 pm Shaking off Covid lull, Bangladesh steel industry eyes global foothold   The Bangladesh steel industry looks to secure a foothold in the global market with the sector beginning to bounce back from pandemic shocks, say industry leaders. Bangladesh's steel industry is worth Tk55,000 crore ($62 million) and the country is globally the second largest destination for scrap ships and one of the largest ferrous scrap consumers with imports touching 4,000,000 tonnes. Its steel melting capacity is expected to reach 13,000,000 tonnes by 2025, speakers said at the 3rd Steel & Raw Material Conference, Emerging Bangladesh, held in Chattogram on Tuesday. BSRM Group Managing Director Aameir Alihussain said that the steel industry has gone through a very difficult time due to the coronavirus pandemic, which led to an overall cost increase, including in freight charges, raw materials and transport. Then came the Russia-Ukraine war, which pushed up energy prices.   "Being a populous country, economic activities are always vibrant in Bangladesh, China or the South Asian countries. Yet people's lives are affected by the high prices of food and goods. Demand for steel is slightly down at the moment due to rising prices of everything," he said, adding, "We want to meet the domestic needs of the country and capture the world market. We are moving towards that goal." In the keynote speech, Subhendu Bose, managing director of Singapore's Duferco Asia Pte Ltd, said that between 2017 and 2020 HRC prices ranged between $400 and $600 in Asia. Meanwhile HMS Scrap prices were ranging between $230 and $400. These price bands were maintained by lackluster global growth and stable costs. "In 2021 the old price range was broken by a period of global steel deficit. Post-covid demand recovery was too sharp for steel production to keep up. In 2022 we have seen a new paradigm as demand is receding at most developed economies due to a combination of factors, including high cost of capital and high cost of energy," he added. Local and foreign experts spoke at several sessions at the conference on the current situation and prospects of iron and steel products used in the country and abroad, increase in cost of steel raw materials, crisis and overall situation, quality, current sustainable technology, ship breaking industry, modern marketing policy. Alhaj Sufi Muhammad Mizanur Rahman, chairman of PHP family, inaugurating the conference said, "Steel is the foundation of modern civilisation. The summit will play a positive role in the quality, value creation, and market expansion of the steel industry. All of us should work for the development of this industry." BSRM Group Chairman Alihussain Akberali said, "This conference is very important for the country's steel sector. Steel product exporters from different countries of the world have participated in the conference. There are the top steel manufacturing companies of the country. It creates an easy connection between all the parties. Communicating directly with so many companies around the world would be expensive and difficult for many companies in the country." The industry at present A few days after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, which started on 24 February 2022, the steel market saw a significant steel export reduction from the region. The reduction was due to both military action in the case of Ukraine and western sanctions in the case of Russia and Belarus. At present steel prices at all the main markets have stabilised, despite the state of steel consumption worsening due to sharp production cuts globally. "While consumption is going from bad to worse, production cuts have been so big that forecasting market movement in the next weeks is very difficult – the changes are happening too fast and the current supply and demand balance is not clear," said Subhendu Bose. The conference was arranged to explore key issues like the country's steel production and demand outlook, global scrap trade flow changes, especially in a post-Russia-Ukraine war situation, the ship recycling scene, key emerging sectors, price trends and a lot more. Market leaders from 29 countries, including the US, Germany, Belgium, Australia, India, Austria, Taiwan, China and Japan, attended the conference.