Joel Ahmed

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/spinners-pay-price-unproven-indian-organic-cotton-292705 Reyad Hossain 24 August, 2021, 10:50 pm Last modified: 25 August, 2021, 10:36 am Spinners pay price of unproven Indian organic cotton At least 18 millers now fear huge losses following possible order cancellations as their buyers seek TCs as proof that the raw materials they collected from the spinning mills are made of organic cotton A number of Bangladeshi spinners who imported organic cotton from India are in trouble as they are yet to get the authentication certificate – called a transaction certificate (TC) – from their suppliers in more than a year now. At least 18 millers now fear huge losses following possible order cancellations as their buyers seek TCs as proof that the raw materials they collected from the spinning mills are made of organic cotton. The millers have repeatedly tried to reach out to the suppliers to get the certificates – which are supposed to be provided within a month of the procurement, but to no avail, according to Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA). The BTMA said some of the Indian suppliers had provided TCs for the supplied cotton, but the certificates were later proven fake and subsequently withdrawn by the Control Union. The mills manufactured yarns and fabrics with the procured cotton and supplied those to factories nominated by local and foreign buyers and now some buyers have started seeking compensation from the millers for their losses on sales of products made with fabrics of uncertified cotton. Against this backdrop, last month, the BTMA sent a letter to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, the Cotton Association of India, the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICCB) and other parties concerned, seeking measures to this end. In the letter, the BTMA says its member mills have become victims of fraudulent activities and such unethical practice needs to be stopped. "Since BTMA's member mills import cotton from India frequently, this kind of incident may deteriorate the existing bilateral relationship between Bangladeshi spinners and Indian cotton suppliers as the issue relates to huge financial implications," BTMA President Mohammad Ali Khokon said. "We apprehend that this may lead to a misunderstanding between both countries as well," the BTMA president added. The yarn made of organic cotton is sold directly to local garment entrepreneurs along with garment or textile factories nominated by foreign buyers, which are then exported abroad. Bangladeshi importers say they import most organic cotton from India as the price is relatively lower in that country. A small amount of organic cotton is also imported from other countries. According to the BTMA, Bangladesh imported 7.5 million bales of raw cotton in FY20, and more than a quarter of it came from India. But, the BTMA does not have information on the amount of organic cotton imported during this time. According to the importers, Indian suppliers are not giving transaction certificates for 16,100 tonnes of organic cotton imported by 18 Bangladeshi companies against 23 LCs. Certificates were issued to only three importers, which were later revoked as they were fake. As per Tuesday's rate, the import price of conventional cotton is $1.05 per pound, while that of organic cotton is $1.78 per pound. If the latest market price is taken into account, the cost of 16,100 tonnes of organic cotton would be around $63 million. Envoy Textile Mills Limited, one of the largest textiles in the country, imported 600 tonnes of cotton from two Indian companies – Agritech Industries Pvt Ltd and Glossy Impex Pvt Ltd. But, the mill has not got any TC from Agritech Industries. Glossy Impex provided Envoy with the certificate, but it was later proved to be fake. Md Ataur Rahman, head of supply chain (cotton and yarn) at Envoy Textile, told The Business Standard, "We have already exported fabrics manufactured with that cotton and supplied to foreign buyers. But we could not give them the transaction certificates as we did not get those from the Indian suppliers. "We think the organic cotton that Indian suppliers provided us is fake. That is why they cannot provide us certificates." Maksons Spinning Mills Limited and Israq Textile Mills Ltd have also fallen victim to anomalies of Indian cotton suppliers. "I imported 1,500 tonnes of cotton. They provided the TC but it was later cancelled. Many like me faced the same problem. We have already contacted our trade body, but have not got any solution," said Fazlul Haq, owner of Israq Textile Mills Ltd. According to BTMA sources, they have identified at least nine Indian cotton exporters who are not certifying organic cotton or giving fake certificates. The list includes Agrotech Industries Pvt Ltd, Gujarat Cotton Corporation, Axiata Cotton Limited, Glossy Impex Pvt Ltd, Ghanshyam Agro Resources, Basil Commodities Pvt Ltd, Kratos Impex Ltd, Sri Salasar Balaji Agrotech Private Limited and Narendra Overseas. An investigation, carried out by the Global Organic Textile Standards into organic cotton fraud in India, also revealed 20,000 tonnes of cotton were incorrectly certified as organic through a scam abusing the Indian government certification system, just-style reported November 2020. Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told TBS, "The certification problem apart, the price of organic cotton has also recently gone up. That is why we are discouraging our members to take orders for organic cotton-made clothing." "The demand for organic cotton-made garments has increased worldwide. The price of this cotton is around 40% higher than the normal cotton. Cotton production requires a lot of fertilisers and pesticides, which are harmful to the human body. But organic cotton does not use any harmful chemicals," he said.

Downsides of development: 3 mega projects centering Dhaka airport

https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/hi-tech-relief-perennial-pain-2159481?amp Published on 12:00 AM, August 24, 2021 Mahmudul Hasan Hi-tech relief from perennial pain Working women getting sanitary napkins through local startup’s IoT-powered vending machines Easily accessible and inexpensive sanitary napkins made available through IoT-enabled vending machines, such as this one at Fakir Fashion’s Narayanganj factory. Photo: Collected Getting her period at work has always made garment worker Roksana Aktar uncomfortable. Sanitary napkins had never been an affordable option for her. She only knew of using rags or sometimes garment waste called "jhoot". Aktar saw the unhygienic substance being used by many of her colleagues at different factories she had worked in the past 18 years. Some skipped work for the day altogether. But relief has come for Aktar and her current 6,300 female colleagues, thanks to Fakir Fashion installing three sanitary napkin vending machines at its Narayanganj factory in May. "Now when I get my period, I just touch my office ID on the machine and a sanitary napkin comes out," Aktar told The Daily Star recently. "It is similar to or easier than withdrawing money from an ATM," she said. Moreover, the price of the hygiene products is subsidised by the factory, so an employee has to pay just Tk 12 to avail one packet containing five menstrual pads. Fakir Fashion says it plans to introduce them on all their premises. The internet of things (IoT)-based dispensers were built and installed by local tech startup Vertical Innovations. "It is completely locally made. So our production cost is very low," said Rezwan Ahamed Noor, the startup's CEO. Branded "Jyoti", the machines come in three models: lite, pro and standard. The startup charges Tk 15,000, Tk 20,000, and Tk 30,000 respectively for installation and supplies and replenishes stocks. All their vending machines are connected to a cloud server, sending data such as inventory status round the clock, which does away with the machines ever having to run out of products, and enabling remote operations. "All users with ID cards are registered at the central system. We can allocate weekly, monthly, daily consumption limits. Only authorised users can make purchases," said Noor. "There are over three million women garment workers in the country and they have been facing a lack of availability of sanitary napkins at their workplaces," he said. Setting up the vending machines solves this problem and provides the opportunity for female garment workers to easily avail inexpensive sanitary napkins, he added. The startup aims to go beyond garment factories to other workplaces and educational institutions as well. Launching in 2020, Vertical Innovations first installed one machine at Banchte Shekha, a Jashore-based development organisation for women and children, in November that year. This year it installed 11 more machines at Zaheen Knitwear's, Riyadul Muslimat Shishu Shikkhaloy, WaterAid Bangladesh, Fakir Fashion, YWCA Higher Secondary Girls' School and Sajgoj. The company, comprising 12 persons, including embedded system and software engineers, is in the process of deploying three more machines in three schools in Rangpur by this month. "The IoT is one of the major driving forces of the 4th industrial revolution," said Noor, who is also one of the company's three co-founders. The entity's future plan is to set up the country's largest IoT-network of sanitary napkin vending machines, reaching all workplaces where women are present. It is also planning to provide another machine named "Nityo" that would dispense grain. This will facilitate programmes such as the government's open market sale of daily essentials, with customers simply having to use national identity cards. Vertical Innovations also provides industrial automation solutions using IoT. Based on sensor-collected data such as of temperature, pressure, flow control, pH and arsenic concentration, the startup can provide a complete analytical dashboard to industries to monitor and manage their industrial processes.

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/matarbari-port-faces-land-acquisition-hiccup-292780#.YSXgWmlz6aQ.facebook Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury 25 August, 2021, 12:00 pm Last modified: 25 August, 2021, 12:00 pm Matarbari port faces land acquisition hiccup Cox’s Bazar district administration is yet to hand over the land to the project implementation agency The Chattogram Port Authority under the Ministry of Shipping is constructing Matarbari Deep Sea Port at Moheshkhali upazila’s Matarbari and Dhalghata area in Cox’s Bazar. Photo: TBS The Matarbari Port Development project, a Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) funded fast-track project of the government inaugurated in 2020, is now caught in land acquisition delay as Cox's Bazar district administration is yet to hand over the land to the implementing agency Chattogram Port Authority. The port authority in June paid Tk75.11 crore land acquisition cheque to the district administration, and subsequently reached out to Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner multiple times. But the district administration neither replied to the letters from the port authority nor handed over the land in the last two and a half months. "By sending letters and making verbal requests, we have repeatedly asked the district administration to hand over the acquired land to us. But it has not been responding," said Mir Zahid Hasan, director of the Matarbari Port Development project. He noted that the land accusation delay could set back the overall implementation time for the project. On 2 June, the Chattogram Port Authority – the implementing agency of the Matarbari Port Development project – handed over the cheque to the district admin as acquisition value for around 283 acres of land in Cox's Bazar. The district administration was supposed to disburse the amount to the land owners and immediately hand over the land to the port authority. Sources at the Chattogram Port Authority have said that three letters have been sent to the Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner seeking possession of the land – two in June and the last one in August. "Matarbari Port Development is a fast-track project and the Prime Minister's Office monitors it regularly. Therefore, an immediate handover of the 283 acres of land is requested," read the letters. Project officials said as many as 229 people have plots at the project site, and some of the owners are still residing on the land. The land owners are yet to be notified by the district administration about receiving the money for their plots and moving away. "Lockdown delayed us," said Al Amin Parvege, additional deputy commissioner (Revenue) of Cox's Bazar, adding the department is now preparing a list of the plot owners. He did not mention any specific date for the handover, but said it would be "soon". Matarbari Deep Sea Port is being constructed at Moheshkhali upazila's Matarbari and Dhalghata area in Cox's Bazar. The Chattogram Port Authority under the Ministry of Shipping is implementing the work. On 16 November 2020, the Chattogram Port Authority inaugurated the project at a press briefing at its office. Ships with an 18.5 metre draft will be able to dock at the port once its construction is completed in mid-2025. The port will be hosting cargo carriers with a capacity of 8,000-10,000 containers. The initial design of the deep seaport supports 8 lakh containers per year while the capacity could be enhanced further with additional jetties. Currently, 92% of the country's trade is conducted through Chattogram port, which has been struggling to cope with the growing volume of trade by sea.

https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/entrepreneur-ready-make-her-silicon-valley-designed-robots-bangladesh-292774#.YSXIbGhM7DQ.facebook Sheikh Rafi Ahmed 25 August, 2021, 10:15 am Last modified: 25 August, 2021, 10:23 am This entrepreneur is ready to make her Silicon Valley-designed robots in Bangladesh Rudmeela Nawsheen wants to pioneer robot manufacturing in Bangladesh and revolutionise agriculture with a blockchain-based transparent supply chain Rudmeela Nawsheen wants to manufacture robots in Bangladesh. Photo: Courtesy As industries become more capital-intensive, automation is the next frontier to remain competitive in the global economy. Rudmeela Nawsheen, a Bangladeshi-born US expat, recognised this reality and wants to nurture Bangladeshi young talents and tech enthusiasts so that they can take charge in the future. But that is not all. She also wants to manufacture robots in Bangladesh with local talent and create a hospitable ecosystem for tech and robotics enthusiasts. She wants to create a bridge for talent between Silicon Valley and Bangladesh. "I want to bring together the best of both countries (USA and Bangladesh) and build something that we can sell globally," Rudmeela proudly said. But who is she? And what is her plan to pull this off? Rudmeela Nawsheen, originally from Bangladesh, finished her A-Levels from Scholastica and went on to pursue Electrical Engineering degree at the San Jose State University in California, US, followed by Masters of Science in Digital Communication and Multimedia. She graduated with summa cum laude honours. She built her first company in 2016. It is an XR (Extended Reality) company that, by definition, focuses on augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality as well as animation and game development. It is called ConfigVR. Later, she went on and founded ConfigRbot which is a Robotics and AI company. Both ConfigVR and ConfigRbot are silicon-valley based start-ups that operate in both Bangladesh and USA. She is the founder and CEO of both entities. As of writing this feature story, Rudmeela has launched six robots. Apart from the educational robots, she has launched sanitising robots, humanoid robots, robotic arms, and so on. These robots have a wide range of applications from household hygiene to the industrial production and automation process. At first impression, Rudmeela seemed to have an aura of optimism that is very difficult to find over here. As soon as the conversation began, Rudmeela picked up one of the educational robots - more commonly known as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Robots - from the table in front of her. These robots can be found at her ConfigRbot Facebook page. "I want to encourage children in Bangladesh to take interest in the arena of robotics, programming, machine learning, and artificial intelligence from a very early age. That is why we promote and sell these educational robots and I received a great response from them as well," she explained. "Unlike Bangladesh, here we teach coding from a very early age, when children are in the fifth or sixth grade. Bangladeshi kids - except for a few enthusiastic minds - often get introduced to the world of coding and robotics only when they are in university," Rudmeela added. Currently, ConfigRbot manufactures their robots in China, India, and Singapore. However, Rudmeela wants to start assembling these robots in Bangladesh soon. "I want to shift the assembly process of ConfigRbot entirely to Bangladesh. I plan to establish an assembly plant by December 2021," she said. But she also knows that Bangladesh does not have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate or influence its youngsters to pursue a career in technology or innovate something extraordinary. Out-of-the-box ideas often do not see the light of day. Rudmeela's primary objective is to harbour a hospitable ecosystem that would accommodate tech enthusiasts in Bangladesh. "When I was in Dhaka, I felt like there were a lot of talented kids in Bangladesh. They were tech-savvy, broad-minded, and hard-working. We have a huge pool of talent but they do not have proper guidance from experienced mentors," Rudmeela said. Talent, we do have. Bangladeshi universities like Dhaka University, BRAC University, BUET and MIST have a history of commendable performances in global competitions like the "University Rover Challenge." Their prototypes often blow the minds of seasoned veterans in this field. However, these prototypes, usually, never become full-fledged products due to lack of funding and most of these talents fly abroad and never come back. "This is where I come in. Many of these kids come up with innovative ideas but cannot penetrate the glass ceilings, most students do not have the experience of working hands-on in laboratories. I want to change that. I want them to work with me on their prototypes and sell these products through my company," she said. To foster talent at the grassroots level, Rudmeela has also launched a training centre here in Bangladesh under ConfigRbot. The training centres offer courses at the grassroots level on coding, machine learning, robotics, AI as well as Chinese and Japanese language. On top of that, these courses are quite affordable and they are currently training 45 students, hailing from different parts of the country. They are also providing consultancy services to send students abroad. "When we initiate the plant, we are going to need a lot of skilled employees that we currently do not have in abundance in Bangladesh. So, I am looking forward to hiring some of the talents we acquire through our training centres," Rudmeela said. "I want to make ConfigRbot robots in Bangladesh, sell them locally and globally. I want these robots to read 'Made in Bangladesh'," she added. Rudmeela also wants to revolutionise agriculture in Bangladesh, especially in terms of the supply chain. Farmers in Bangladesh have historically been exploited at the hands of market syndicates and profiteers, while they could barely make their ends meet. This transcending cycle of disenfranchisement has continued for too long and has gotten away, thanks to the sheer dearth of transparency in the agricultural supply chain. Rudmeela, with her partner company, has come up with a solution to this problem. She believes using KrishokChain - a blockchain-based technology, tailor-made for the farmers in Bangladesh, can put an end to their everlasting misery. Most farmers who toil day and night do not even know how their produce reaches our doorsteps from theirs. Lack of training, education, or awareness often leaves them vulnerable to the hands of market syndicates, extortionists, and other forces that manipulate the market. Since the government is a centralised authority, it is often very difficult for it to take care of these problems at the grassroots level. This is where KrishokChain comes in. KrishokChain is a blockchain-based, decentralised, transparent ledger that would record all the transactions taking place across the country. This would allow farmers to be more aware of the market conditions and the prices charged in city markets for their produce. "I recently participated in a blockchain summit with Bangladesh government policymakers where I proposed KrishokChain as a solution for Bangladeshi farmers. Using krishokChain, the end-users will be able to tell where their products come from. If you buy a tomato, you would know which farmer produced that tomato and how much he received for it," said Rudmeela. Another major problem farmers face is an exclusive financial sector that fails to incorporate them in the process. Rudmilla has a plan for that as well. "We will be first in the world to connect blockchain with SMS and IVR. Financial inclusion does not exclude people without data networks and literacy. Most solutions assume people have the internet and smartphones," she said. "We would like to collaborate with different NGOs, visit centres that incorporate farming activities, create farmers' units, and train them. Then we will connect these units across the country so that farmers can communicate and trace each transaction in the supply chain." But Rudmeela is also concerned about the poor quality of internet and electricity in the rural pockets of Bangladesh. How does she plan to deal with these issues? Rudmeela said she has plans for it and will propose solutions in her upcoming visit to Bangladesh.

https://www.banglarunnoyon.net/national-news/43726 সিআরবি এলাকায় ১৮৩টি ঔষধি গাছের সন্ধান: গবেষণা নিউজ ডেস্ক প্রকাশিত: ২৩ আগস্ট ২০২১ চট্টগ্রাম নগরের ইতিহাস-ঐতিহ্যমণ্ডিত সবুজ পাহাড়ি এলাকা সিআরবির বনজঙ্গলে ১৮৩টি ঔষধি গাছের সন্ধান পাওয়া গেছে। এগুলো ক্যানসার, হৃদ্‌রোগ, উচ্চ রক্তচাপ, জন্ডিস, অর্শসহ বিভিন্ন রোগের ওষুধ তৈরিতে ব্যবহৃত হয়। এক গবেষণায় এ তথ্য উঠে এসেছে। গবেষক ও বিশেষজ্ঞরা বলছেন, সিআরবি এলাকাটি নিজেই যেন একটি ‘প্রাকৃতিক হাসপাতাল’। এখানে হাসপাতাল নির্মাণ করা হলে এসব ঔষধি গাছের বেশির ভাগ ধ্বংস হবে। চট্টগ্রাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের উদ্ভিদবিজ্ঞান বিভাগের সহযোগী অধ্যাপক ওমর ফারুক রাসেলের নেতৃত্বে বেসরকারি সংস্থা ইফেক্টিভ ক্রিয়েশন অন হিউম্যান ওপিনিয়ন (ইকো) গবেষণাটি করে। চট্টগ্রাম নগরের ২০টি এলাকার গাছের ওপর চার মাসের বেশি সময় ধরে গবেষণাটি করা হয়। গবেষণার অন্তর্ভুক্ত এলাকাগুলোর মধ্যে চট্টগ্রাম নগরের ‘ফুসফুস’খ্যাত সিআরবি রয়েছে। আগামীকাল মঙ্গলবার গবেষণার ফলাফল আনুষ্ঠানিকভাবে প্রকাশ করা হবে। জানতে চাইলে ওমর ফারুক বলেন, ‘সিআরবি এলাকাটি নিজেই যেন একটি প্রাকৃতিক হাসপাতাল। এখানে আমরা ১৮৩টি ঔষধি গাছের সন্ধান পেয়েছি। এসব গাছ বিভিন্ন রোগের ওষুধ হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয়। বনৌষধির পাশাপাশি মেডিকেল সায়েন্সের ওষুধের জন্যও এসব উদ্ভিদ ব্যবহার করা হয়। আমাদের উচিত এই গাছগুলো সংরক্ষণ করা।’ গবেষণায় সিআরবি এলাকায় মোট ২২৩ প্রজাতির উদ্ভিদ পাওয়া যায়। তার মধ্যে গুল্মজাতীয় উদ্ভিদ ৩৪ প্রজাতির। লতাজাতীয় উদ্ভিদ ২২ প্রজাতির। বিপন্ন প্রজাতির উদ্ভিদ ৯টি। ভবিষ্যতে বিলুপ্ত হতে পারে—এ রকম উদ্ভিদ ৬৬টি। এলাকাটিতে বড় বৃক্ষ রয়েছে ৮৮টি। যার মধ্যে শতবর্ষী গর্জন ও শিরীষ আছে। গবেষণায় সিআরবির চেয়ে নগরের বাটালি পাহাড় ও মুরগির ফার্ম এলাকায় মাত্র দুই থেকে সাতটি ঔষধি গাছ পাওয়া গেছে। গাছের সংখ্যা ও বৈচিত্র্যের দিক থেকে সিআরবি নগরের ২০টি এলাকার মধ্যে তৃতীয়। গবেষণার উদ্যোক্তা ইকোর সভাপতি সরওয়ার আলম বলেন, ‘চট্টগ্রাম শহর ক্রমেই বনজঙ্গলশূন্য হয়ে পড়ছে। এই উদ্বেগ থেকে বর্তমানে এখানে কী পরিমাণ সবুজ অবশিষ্ট রয়েছে, তা অনুসন্ধানের জন্য আমরা গবেষণাকর্মটির উদ্যোগ নিয়েছিলাম। আমাদের গবেষকেরা অনেক ঔষধি গাছের সন্ধান পেয়েছেন।’ গবেষকেরা জানান, সিআরবি এলাকায় যেসব ঔষধি গাছ পাওয়া গেছে, তার মধ্যে টোনা (Oroxylum indicum), অর্জুন (Terminamia arjuna), লজ্জাবতী (Mimosa pudica), আপাং (Achyranthus aspera), নিসিন্দা (Vitex nikundu), টগর (Tabernaemontana divericata), শজনে (Moringa oliefera), দেবকাঞ্চন (Bauhinia purpuria), মাটমিন্দা (Tacca intigrifolia), সর্পগন্ধা (Rauvolfia tetraphylla), বকুল (Mimusops elengi), শিমুল (Bombax ceiba), পিতরাজ (Aphanamixis polystachya), দুধকুরুস (Wrightia arborea), বাকা গুলঞ্ছ (Tinospora erispa), সোনাতলা (Diploclasia glaucescens), দুরন্ত (Duranta erecta) ইত্যাদি উল্লেখযোগ্য। গবেষকেরা জানান, টোনা ক্যানসার রোগের ওষুধ হিসেবে ব্যবহৃত হয়। জন্ডিস, শরীরব্যথা, পেটব্যথা, ডায়ারিয়া, আমাশয়, বাত, শ্বেতী ইত্যাদি রোগের চিকিৎসায়ও এ গাছ ব্যবহৃত হয়। অর্জুন ডায়ারিয়া, আমাশয়, হৃদ্‌রোগ, উচ্চ রক্তচাপ, দাঁতব্যথা, শরীরব্যথা, হাঁপানি ইত্যাদি রোগের চিকিৎসায় এই গাছ ব্যবহৃত হয়। লজ্জাবতীর মূল, কাণ্ড, পাতা, ফুল—সবকিছুরই ভেষজ গুণাগুণ রয়েছে। ফোলা, প্রস্রাবে জ্বালাপোড়া, অর্শ, কফ-কাশি, ফোড়া, জন্ডিস ইত্যাদি রোগের চিকিৎসায় লজ্জাবতী ব্যবহৃত হয়। নিসিন্দাপাতা নারকেল তেলের সঙ্গে মিশিয়ে দাদ রোগের চিকিৎসায় ব্যবহৃত হয়। লজ্জাবতী, নিসিন্দা, সর্পগন্ধা সাপের বিষ নিষ্ক্রিয়করণে ব্যবহার করা হয়। আপাংয়ের শিকড় ক্যানসারের চিকিৎসায় ব্যবহৃত হয়। লিউকোরিয়া, টিউমার, দাঁতব্যথা, কিডনিতে পাথর, ঠান্ডা, জ্বর, নিউমোনিয়া, পেটব্যথার চিকিৎসায় আপাংয়ের ব্যবহার রয়েছে। টগর জন্ডিস, ফোঁড়া, জ্বর, বদহজম, প্লীহা, লিভারের রোগ, বাত ইত্যাদি রোগের চিকিৎসায় ব্যবহৃত হয়। শজনের শিকড়, কাণ্ড, পাতা, ফুল ও ফল দারুণ পুষ্টিসমৃদ্ধ। এ জন্য একে ‘ম্যাজিক’ গাছ বলা হয়। এর রয়েছে নানাবিধ ভেষজ গুণাগুণ। প্লীহা ও লিভারের রোগ, জ্বর, ফোলা, পক্ষাঘাত, পেটের রোগ, মৃগীরোগের চিকিৎসায় এটি ব্যবহার করা হয়। দেবকাঞ্চন রক্তক্ষরণ বন্ধ, বাত, খিঁচুনি, ডায়ারিয়া, ব্যথা, আলসার ইত্যাদি রোগের চিকিৎসায় ব্যবহার করা হয়। কোষ্ঠকাঠিন্য দূর করতেও দেবকাঞ্চনের ব্যবহার রয়েছে। মাটমিন্দাপাতা রক্তক্ষরণ বন্ধ করতে ব্যবহার করা হয়। গবেষকেরা জানান, সিআরবি এলাকায় ভবিষ্যতে বিলুপ্ত হতে পারে—এমন উদ্ভিদগুলোর মধ্যে রয়েছে সর্পগন্ধা, বকুল, শিমুল, পিতরাজ, দুধকুরুস, বাকা গুলঞ্ছ, সোনাতলা, দুরন্ত ইত্যাদি। গবেষণায় চট্টগ্রাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের উদ্ভিদবিজ্ঞান বিভাগের প্রাক্তন-বর্তমান শিক্ষার্থী মো. খন্দকার রাজিউর রহমান, ইমাম হোসেন, সজীব রুদ্র, মো. আরিফ হোসাইন, সনাতন চন্দ্র বর্মণ, ইকরামুল হাসান ও মো. মোস্তাকিম অংশ নেন। ইকোর সম্পাদকমণ্ডলীর সদস্য এস এম ইউসুফ সোহেল ও সাহেদ মুরাদ বলেন, সিআরবিতে এত বৈচিত্র্যপূর্ণ ও ঔষধিগুণসমৃদ্ধ বৃক্ষ রয়েছে, তা তাঁরা আগে জানতেন না। এগুলো দেশের সম্পদ। ভবিষ্যৎ প্রজন্মের জন্য এই সবুজ রক্ষা করা সবার দায়িত্ব। সিআরবি এলাকা থেকে প্রস্তাবিত হাসপাতালটি অন্যত্র সরিয়ে নিয়ে এখানকার ‘প্রাকৃতিক হাসপাতাল’ রক্ষার দাবি জানিয়েছেন বিশেষজ্ঞসহ পরিবেশকর্মীরা। সিআরবি এলাকায় হাসপাতাল নির্মাণের বিরোধিতা করে এক মাসের বেশি সময় ধরে আন্দোলন করে আসছে বিভিন্ন সংগঠন। তাদের দাবি, সিআরবির শান্ত-কোলাহলহীন সবুজ এলাকা বাদ দিয়ে হাসপাতালটি শহরের অন্য কোথাও করা হোক। আন্দোলনরত সংগঠন নাগরিক সমাজের উদ্যোক্তা বিশেষজ্ঞ চিকিৎসক মাহফুজুর রহমান বলেন, ‘সিআরবি ঐতিহ্যগতভাবে যেমন সমৃদ্ধ, তেমনি বৃক্ষরাজিতেও অনন্য। বৃক্ষরাজির দিকটি গবেষণায় উঠে এসেছে। নগরজীবনে এত ঔষধি গাছ কোথায় পাব আমরা?’ একাত্তরের মহান মুক্তিযুদ্ধে শহীদ বীরশ্রেষ্ঠ আবদুর রবসহ সাতজনে কবর রয়েছে সিআরবি এলাকায়। পিপলস ভয়েস নামের একটি সামাজিক সংগঠন সিআরবির শতবর্ষী গাছগুলোয় শহীদদের নামফলক টাঙিয়েছে। সংগঠনটির সভাপতি শরীফ চৌহান বলেন, ‘এখানে বীর শহীদরা শুয়ে আছেন। এই গাছ ও সবুজ এলাকা রক্ষা করা হলে তাঁদের প্রতিও সম্মান প্রদর্শন করা হবে।’ ব্রিটিশ আমলে তৈরি সেন্ট্রাল রেলওয়ে বিল্ডিং এখানে অবস্থিত। এখানকার ছয় একর জমিতে বেসরকারি হাসপাতাল নির্মাণের জন্য রেলওয়ে চুক্তি করেছে।

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/bgmea-seeks-spanish-investment-in-manufacturing-non-cotton-and-technical-textiles-1629808311 BGMEA seeks Spanish investment in manufacturing non-cotton and technical textiles FE ONLINE REPORT | Published: August 24, 2021 18:31:51 Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Tuesday sought Spanish investment in manufacturing non-cotton and technical textiles. BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the call during a meeting with the Spanish Ambassador to Bangladesh Francisco de Asís Benítez Salas at the apex apparel body’s office in the capital, according to a statement. BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim also attended the meeting. The trio discussed various issues, including the progress made in implementing workplace safety and social and environmental sustainability of the local readymade garment industry, added the statement. “Bangladesh is proud to have the highest number of green garment factories in the world and more factories are in the process of achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from US Green Building Council (USGBC)”, Mr Hassan said. Apprising the priorities of the RMG industry, the BGMEA president stressed the production of value-added apparel items made from man-made fibre (MMF) and innovation in product development and process optimisation. He highlighted the potential of the industry and the need for industry upgrading, particularly in skills and efficiency enhancement areas, technological expertise, and diversification of products, especially those produced from non-cotton. Mr Hassan sought support from the Spanish embassy regarding the potential of foreign investment in non-cotton and technical textiles and high-end apparel items. They also discussed the country's LDC graduation sought cooperation from the Spanish government in this regard.

Dhaka-Aricha Highway Update 24/08/2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuOXYITFz_g

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2021/08/24/mymensingh-to-get-modern-bridge-over-brahmaputra-river Mymensingh to get steel arch bridge over Brahmaputra River UNB Published at 04:03 pm August 24th, 2021 Members of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) attend a weekly meeting at the NEC Bhaban in Dhaka on Tuesday, August 24, 2021 PID PM Hasina okays Tk3,263.63 crore project The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday cleared eight projects, including a Tk3,263.63-crore one to construct Kewatkhali Bridge over the Brahmaputra River in Mymensingh. The approval came from the weekly Ecnec meeting held with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The premier joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban, while others from the NEC conference room of the Planning Commission. “Today, the meeting approved eight projects with the overall estimated cost of Tk5,441.63 crore [only additional cost of a revised project was counted here],” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addresses a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) from Ganabhaban through a videoconference on Tuesday, August 24, 2021 | PID Of the cost, Tk3,332.72 crore will come from the public coffer while Tk2,060.98 crore from foreign sources as loans and the rest Tk47.93 crore from the own fund of an organization concerned, he said. The Kewatkhali steel arch bridge will be constructed by June, 2025 in order to establish improved road connectivity of Sherpur and Netrakona with the Mymensingh headquarters and the capital. The main project operations include construction of a 2,093-meter bridge foundation and substructure, 320-meter steel arch bridge superstructure, 1,773-meter concrete bridge and construction of culverts, construction of a toll plaza, and 33.02 hectares of land acquisition and rehabilitation.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/bangladesh/bangladesh-wont-give-duty-concession-on-third-country-invoicing-1629772631 Bangladesh won't give duty concession on third country invoicing DOULOT AKTER MALA | Published: August 24, 2021 08:37:12 | Updated: August 24, 2021 12:36:44 Bangladesh will not allow concessionary duty benefit under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) treaty in case of documentation completed in a non-member SAARC country. Officials said the restriction would be applicable to all of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. However, Third Country Invoicing (TCI) is a well-accepted model under the World Customs Organisation (WCO) for its member- countries. WCO has clear guidelines for TCI model under which importers can avail the concessionary duty benefit. However, customs wing under the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) find it difficult to allow TCI benefit for not having relevant provision in the Rules of Origin (RoO). The SAFTA Agreement also has a common RoO for determining the eligibility for tariff benefits available under the trade accord. Addressing the issue, the customs wing of the NBR instructed its all customs houses across the country not to allow TCI for deriving SAFTA benefit. The direction has been sent, referring to a letter of the MoC, to Nestle Bangladesh declining their claim for allowing TCI for concessionary duty benefit. Under the decree, dated August 19, 2021, the concessionary duty benefit would not be valid in that case even though country of origin of the products is a SAARC country. The customs would not allow the benefit on the basis of Certificate of Origin of the products from now on if invoice, packing list or other documents generate from a third country, the customs instructed to the field offices. The SAFTA was signed in 2004 and came into force on 01 January 2006. This issue came into focus after Multinational Company (MNC) Nestle Bangladesh had applied for the benefit to make import from India but on the basis of invoicing from Switzerland. The Swiss MNC, a food-and drink-processing conglomerate, has changed its operational system under which it has to complete import-documentation process from the country of its parent company, sources said. Although physical movement of goods would be from India but its documentation, including opening letter of credit (L/C), has to be completed from Switzerland. An MNC source said it has requested the NBR for the clarification which was later handled by the Ministry of Commerce. He said the government has assured them of raising the issue in the next inter-country meeting scheduled for December to update RoO between the SAARC countries. Currently, customs cannot allow the facility for not having any provision in RoO or any precedence in the SAARC member- countries. Talking to the FE, a senior customs official said the customs authority has to determine value addition of the products in the last country of export to allow the concessionary duty benefit. "There is a scope for a country, not a member of the SAARC, to enjoy the benefit that may cause loss of revenue to the public exchequer," he added. In the instructions to the field offices the customs wing asked officials to make cautious move in allowing concessionary duty benefit under SAFTA. The SAARC countries can avail the SAFTA benefit in case of procurement of raw materials around 30 to 40 per cent from a member-country, he said. However, there is a lot of such precedence of TCI in the WCO member-countries, including China, Peru. Import of Coffee in bulk form required paying 25 percent duty but with the concessionary benefit under SAFTA Nestle can enjoy 5.0 per cent. He said as the payment by Nestle would be made in its parent country in Switzerland, which is a non-member country of SAARC, so it would fall under 'non-originating criteria' for the benefit. Trade-liberalization programme (TLP) under SAFTA commenced July 1st, 2006. Member-countries maintain a sensitive list, and products appearing on the list will not enjoy concessionary duty ranging from zero to five per cent.

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/dbl-industrial-park-looks-grow-big-huge-investment-291715#.YSJ_h9JAx9k.facebook TBS Report 22 August, 2021, 10:30 pm Last modified: 23 August, 2021, 10:39 am DBL Industrial Park looks to grow big with huge investment The industrial park – to be established on 167.6 acres of land – is expected to create employment for 5,630 people and generate $500 million yearly turnover The economy of Bangladesh is seeing continuous growth because of the entrepreneurial spirit of its people and the ever-increasing investment from the industrial sectors to expand into new business frontiers, said Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, principal secretary to the prime minister. While addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of DBL Industrial Park – to be constructed at Shreehatta Economic Zone in Moulvibazar – on Sunday, he also said the government has taken up a comprehensive development plan under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for advancing towards more export-oriented economy to boost the growth. Under the plan, the Beza economic zones will play a pivotal role in building successful manufacturing hubs, he expected. The industrial park – to be established on 167.6 acres of land – is expected to create employment for 5,630 people and generate $500 million yearly turnover. A total of 10 manufacturing units will be set up in the industrial park featuring state-of-the-art technology. These are textile, spinning, recycled polyester, ceramic tiles, sanitary ware, ceramic frit, floral glass, glass processing, dry mortar and faucet units. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the launching ceremony of the industrial park was held at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, instead of the original venue located in Moulvibazar. The industrial park will be constructed by DBL Group, one of the leading business conglomerates of the country. Besides creating a good number of employment opportunities, this industrial park will manufacture raw materials and finished products for domestic and export markets, the company stated. Dr Ahmad Kaikaus attended the foundation laying ceremony as the chief guest while Shaikh Yusuf Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, was the special guest. DBL Group Chairman Abdul Wahed, Managing Director MA Jabbar, Vice Chairman MA Rahim, Deputy Managing Director MA Quader, and Senior Secretary to Youth and Sports Ministry Akther Hossain, among others, also attended the event. Yusuf Harun said, "Beza is working to establish 100 economic zones across the country. DBL Group, one of the largest business conglomerates of Bangladesh, has joined this journey of economic expansion. "It will surely fulfill the goals of creating world class quality products and materials which would contribute to the country's national economy. This investment will make foreign investors more confident about investing in our country." DBL Group Managing Director MA Jabbar said: "Today, Bangladesh is at the cusp of growth led by innovation and huge investment. We are witnessing an age where technology is being effectively integrated into infrastructure at an increasing rate. Our aim is to fast forward this progress through a revolutionary change in the industrial sector of Bangladesh." "At DBL Group, we challenge conventional manufacturing methods and move the industry towards an efficient and automated platform. The launch of DBL industrial park is an important step towards achieving our vision of pushing forth the next phase of Bangladesh's growth through world-class infrastructure," he added. At the park, DBL plans to build a world-class textile mill to produce 43.5 tonnes of fine cotton yarn and rotor yarn per day, to cater for the diverse needs of the textile industry. The unit will be further expanded by the same capacity in future. The park will have a recycled polyester unit also which will produce 18 tonnes of staple fiber per day as a raw material for the spinning factory. In the industrial park, DBL aims to produce over 40,000 square meters of ceramic tiles per day in its ceramic factory unit. In another ceramic facility they will produce 90-99 tonnes of ceramic frit per day, which is a major ingredient of ceramic glaze used widely in the ceramic industry. The park will also feature float glass manufacturing, glass processing, faucet manufacturing units. The dry mortar facility of the industrial park is expected to generate $8.8m revenue per year. DBL's biggest initiation at the industrial park is the Jinnat Textile Mills Limited with two spinning factories, which will be a vital part of DBL's vertically integrated textile composite. These manufacturing units will cater to existing renowned buyers such as H&M, George, Puma, Esprit, G-Star, Decathlon, Tom Tailor, MQ Retail, NEXT, M&S, Bench, Gymboree, LIDL, C&A and Target. Total investment on the first factory will be $83.35 million with a yearly revenue of $70 million. Jinnat Textile Mills Limited will be expanded in future with 43.5 tonnes per day totaling $140 million revenue per year.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/bangladesh-targets-export-of-01m-tonnes-of-mangoes-a-year-1629774165 Bangladesh targets export of 0.1m tonnes of mangoes a year FE REPORT | Published: August 24, 2021 09:02:45 The government is going to prepare a roadmap to enhance shipments of mangoes to 0.1 million tonnes annually within the next five years. It was revealed at a workshop titled 'Improved Management for Raising Mango Exports' organised by the Hortex Foundation. The event was held at the Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Auditorium in the capital on Monday, according to an agriculture ministry release. The workshop mentioned that 25 per cent of the country's produced mangoes worth Tk 36 billion is wasted annually for lack of proper supply chain management. Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, chief guest of the event, said the ministry and its various agencies will prepare a specific action plan for making 0.1 million tonnes of annual mango shipments in the next three to five years. He also said the country produces 2.5 million tonnes of mangoes a year while only a few hundred tonnes could be exported. "We have to work to attain the export target. The concerned embassies of Bangladesh in different countries will be told to form committees consisting of different officials to help branding Bangladeshi mangoes, and find new markets," he added. The minister further added that a comprehensive programme has been taken to increase mango exports. He informed that work is underway to set up three vacuum heat treatment plants to ensure safe mangoes for shipments. Good agricultural practices (GAP) are being implemented to keep mangoes safe from production to export level, he shared. The government has also taken initiatives to issue phytosanitary certificates, Abdur Razzaque stated. As a result, mango exports have increased five times this year compared to last year, he mentioned. The keynote paper was presented by Dr Atiqur Rahman, post harvest management expert for NATP-2 at Hortex Foundation. It said the country exported 1,623 tonnes of mangoes in fiscal year (FY) '21 which was 263 tonnes in FY'20. The paper said despite a notable rise in export last financial year, the shipment volume is still very tiny compared to that of local output of 2.5 million tonnes. It said more than 25 per cent of mangoes worth Tk 36 billion are being wasted every year for lack of proper management of the fruit. In case of Khirsapat mango, the post harvest loss is 36 per cent and for Fazli mango it is 29 per cent, said the paper. To minimise post harvest loss, the total supply chain should be mordernised, and export should be boosted, said the keynote. The paper mentioned new market exploration, improved selection according to export demand, phytosanitary methods and GAP should be implemented to tap the potential mango markets. The workshop was chaired by Md Mesbahul Islam, senior secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture while Dr Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, executive chairman of BARC, spoke as special guest. Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension Md Asadullah, and Managing Director of Hortex Foundation Manjurul Hannan also delivered speeches, among others.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/faulty-study-blamed-for-dhaka-narayanganj-railway-project-cost-overruns-1629773451 Faulty study blamed for Dhaka-Narayanganj railway project cost overruns MUNIMA SULTANA | Published: August 24, 2021 08:50:51 | Updated: August 24, 2021 10:31:31 The Bangladesh Railway (BR) is going to bear an extra cost and take additional time to complete the Dhaka-Narayanganj new track-development works due to its faulty feasibility study. Sources said the BR will now either acquire 0.51 acres of land at a cost of Tk 1.33 billion or make a major change to the design of the dual-gauge track. Despite having no records, they said, the feasibility study done by the BR showed that it owns the land from Chasara. But the project work came to a halt at Chasara last year after BR failed to recover the land from Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC). "Six years after running the project, the railway authority came to know that the land is owned by NCC as recorded in 1910 as per cadastral survey (CS)," said an insider. He said the BR's study mentioned the land based on its acquisition in 1883. The BR planned to develop a 16-kilometre dual-gauge track parallel to the existing single-line metre-gauge track from Dhaka to Narayanganj based on its internal feasibility study conducted in 2014. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the Tk 3.78-billion project on January 20, 2015 which was supposed to be completed in 2018. The Power China was selected as the contractor of the project. But the project office identified the problem after completing 15-km land-development works up to Chasara last year due to wrong information provided by the people concerned without cross-checking the land records, sources said. Officials said the BR moved to resolve the problem and started revising the project with an option to acquire the land as most works from Dhaka to Chasara station have been completed. It also added new components to infrastructures in the revised development project and proposed extending the deadline for the third time until 2024 from 2021. The proposed project cost after land acquisition was shown at Tk 7.78 billion, up by 106 per cent. But sources said the Ministry of Railways in a recent meeting asked the BR to drop the idea of land acquisition and proposed merging the new dual-gauge track from Chasara with the existing metre-gauge track. However, more feasibility studies and changes to the track design would also be required for merging as the height of the new track is much higher than the metre gauge. Besides, they said, due to the single-line track from Chasara to Narayanganj Station, train movement on 1.0-km track may need to be halted when the construction work will be going on.

https://www.tbsnews.net/dropped/industry/journey-shipbuilder-exporter-loss-making-venture-292201 Omar Faruque 23 August, 2021, 10:45 pm Last modified: 23 August, 2021, 11:03 pm Journey of a shipbuilder: From exporter to loss-making venture It has assets of Tk552 crore while debts have climbed up to around Tk2,000 crore Western Marine Shipyard in Chattogram, which had gained prominence by building 150 ships in 20 years and earning remittance through exports, has almost lost its business to cash crisis. Its operation remained suspended for one and a half years before it resumed activities about a couple of months ago on a very limited scale. Western Marine has hardly received any domestic and foreign orders after failing to keep promises on a few international deliveries. The sorry state of today has little resemblance with its past record of exporting 33 ships to 12 nations, including Germany, Finland, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates, bringing in Tk1,400 crore in remittance. Wishing not to be named, a director of the company, said Western Marine Shipyard had assets of Tk552 crore at present while its debts had climbed up to around Tk2,000 crore. Land owner Chaber Ahmed has erected a wall in the middle of the yard of Western Marine Shipyard due to long-standing rent arrears. Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS Western Marine has little hope of regaining its strength after breaching its commitment to international buyers, he said. With the company going deep into a crisis, 19 banks and financial organisations are at risk over loan recovery. No financial organisations are willing to provide fresh loans to Western Marine. On one hand, the cash crunch has kept it from scaling up its operation while on the other, existing debts have ballooned with unpaid interests over the past two years. Captain Tareque M Nasrullah, executive director of Western Marine, said, "We are trying to turn around and have already delivered a tugboat to the Chattogram port. Deliveries of two ships to Dubai and other large vassals to local parties have remained halted for the financial crisis." The Business Standard, however, found the tugboat at the company's yard in a recent visit. Ataul Hakim Siddique, assistant harbor master of Chittagong Port Authority told " We did not get any tugboat from Western Marine." Debts and pending orders Western Marine had easily secured loans as a company of an emerging industry but it did not pay back despite counting profits, said AKM Saiful Islam Chowdhury, an official of Bank Asia. Deliveries of a cargo vessel of S Alam Group, a passenger vessel of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, two tugboats of Chattogram and Payra port, and a landing craft of Bangladesh Army have become uncertain following advance payments. Meanwhile, a Dubai based company, Al Rashid Shipping Limited, filed a lawsuit against Western Marine in June 2020 four months after it was scheduled to deliver two oil tankers. Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS The High Court on 19 August directed the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the payment of Tk23 crore to Western Marine by Chattogram port without receiving the delivery of a tugboat. The ACC was asked to submit a probe report within two months. The Chattogram Port Authority had inked an agreement to buy a tugboat for Tk37.75 crore and the tugboat was scheduled to be delivered by December 2018. Western Marine has been working on another order for a tugboat by the Payra port authority. Company officials think the delivery will not be possible within the time agreed upon. The need of the emerging industry Executive Director Tareque said the government had launched "Ship Building Industry Development Policy" to provide long-term loans at low interest rates. "Hopefully the company will be able to recover shortly," he added. Captain Md Anam Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association and Western Marine's independent director, said shipbuilding is a tech industry which can thrive on long-term and low interest loans. Without any government support, this industry cannot survive. Anam suggested launching a monitoring system to ensure proper utilization of loans. It takes a long time to make profits and retain a positive business growth after investing in ship building, traders in this industry said. But shipbuilders took short-term loans at high interest rates from banks and invested in long-term projects. Sometimes it takes around two years to build a ship which should be completed in six months due to unskilled workers and other obstacles, industry insiders said. Therefore, company owners have to count losses for selling a vessel at a low price or pay a penalty for failing to meet the deadline for delivery, they added. Not only Western Marine, other ship builders have also been facing similar challenges without a source of financing.

https://bangla.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/08/23/38507 Promoting child marriage and jihad by gathering, arrested 17 Tribune desk Published at 10:16 PM August 23, 2021 16 arrested for child marriage and jihadi propaganda in Kishoreganj During this time, banners, various leaflets of extremist fundamentalism and jihadi books were recovered from them Police have arrested 16 people in Mithamin upazila of Kishoreganj on charges of inciting child marriage and jihad. Police said they were detained during a rally in front of the Upazila Sadar post bungalow on Sunday (August 22nd) afternoon. According to the report of Bangla Tribune, banners, various leaflets of extremist fundamentalism and jihadi books were recovered from them at that time. The arrested persons are- Nikli Md. Anisur Rahman (43), Md. Mujibur Rahman (50), Azharul Islam (23), Md. Islam Uddin (41), Md. Raich Uddin (60), Md. Harun Aur Rashid (35), Md. Abdur Rashid (40), Md. Saidur Rahman (52), Abdus Sattar (52), Abdus Sattar (52), Md. Abdul Hasim (52), Md. Ashraf Ali (61), Md. Mojibur Rahman (52), Mizanur Rahman Khan (55) of Katiadi, Mohiuddin (32) of Ashtagram, Omar Farooq (26) of Kishoreganj Sadar, Jamal Uddin (40) and Imran Hossain (29) of Belabo upazila of Narsingdi. Sub-Inspector (SI) of Mithamin Police Station Nazrul Islam has filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act. According to police sources, at a rally on Sunday afternoon, men and women presented fabricated information about the age of marriage by misinterpreting the Qur'an and Hadith. They also spoke against the government law in this regard. Upon receiving the news, the police went to the spot and arrested them. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Mithamin Police Station Zakir Rabbani told the Bengali Tribune that their leaflets contained material to incite them to various jihadi activities, including child marriage, which is a legal offense. Initially, it was thought that the arrested persons were members of various extremist organizations. Kishoreganj District Superintendent of Police (SP) said. Mashrukur Rahman Khaled said that when they were sent to Kishoreganj court on Monday afternoon, the judge ordered them to be sent to jail. They are investigating whether they are members of a banned organization.

https://bangla.dhakatribune.com/tech/2021/08/23/38506 সাইবার নিরাপত্তা সূচকে ২৭ ধাপ এগোল বাংলাদেশ ট্রিবিউন ডেস্ক প্রকাশিত ০৯:২৫ রাত আগস্ট ২৩, ২০২১ সার্ক দেশগুলোর মধ্যে প্রথম অবস্থানে রয়েছে বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় সাইবার নিরাপত্তা সূচকে বাংলাদেশের ২৭ ধাপ উন্নতি হয়েছে। ৫৯ দশমিক ৭৪ নম্বর পেয়ে সার্ক দেশগুলোর মধ্যে প্রথম হয়েছে বাংলাদেশ। এস্তোনিয়াভিত্তিক ই-গভর্নেন্স একাডেমি ফাউন্ডেশন বিশ্বের ১৬০টি দেশের সাইবার নিরাপত্তা ও ডিজিটাল উন্নয়ন পরিস্থিতি বিবেচনায় নিয়ে এ সূচক প্রস্তুত করেছে। সূচকে বাংলাদেশ বর্তমান অবস্থান ৩৮তম। গত ডিসেম্বর ২০২০ সালের সূচকে বাংলাদেশের অবস্থান ছিল ৬৫তম। মৌলিক সাইবার হামলা প্রতিরোধের প্রস্তুতি, সাইবার ঘটনা, অপরাধ ও বড় ধরনের সঙ্কট ব্যবস্থাপনায় তৎপরতা মূল্যায়ন করে জাতীয় সাইবার নিরাপত্তা সূচক (এনসিএসআই) তৈরি করা হয়। সর্বশেষ সূচকে ৯৬ দশমিক ১০ স্কোর নিয়ে সবচেয়ে ভালো অবস্থায় আছে গ্রিস। এরপর ৯২ দশমিক ২১ স্কোর নিয়ে চেক রিপাবলিক ও ৯০ দশমিক ৯১ স্কোর নিয়ে এস্তোনিয়া দ্বিতীয় ও তৃতীয় অবস্থানে রয়েছে। সূচকে যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের অবস্থান ১৭ নম্বরে, যুক্তরাজ্য আছে ১৯তম অবস্থানে। প্রথম ২০টি দেশের মধ্যে এশিয়ার একমাত্র প্রতিনিধি সিঙ্গাপুরের অবস্থান ১৬ নম্বরে, শ্রীলংকা ৬৯তম, পাকিস্তান ৭০তম স্থানে। জাপান আছে ৩৪তম স্থানে, চীন আছে ৮৩তম স্থানে। এ অঞ্চলের দেশগুলোর মধ্যে ভারতের অবস্থান ৩৯তম। সূচকে বাংলাদশের উন্নতি সম্পর্কে বাংলাদেশের সরকারের সাইবার সিকিউরিটি নিয়ে কাজ করা বিজিডি ই-গভ সার্ট’র প্রকল্প পরিচালক তারেক এম বরকতউল্লাহ অনলাইন সংবাদ মাধ্যম বাংলা ট্রিবিউনকে জানান, সাইবার নিরাপত্তায় বাংলাদেশের সক্ষমতা দিন দিন বৃদ্ধি পাচ্ছে, যা আন্তর্জাতিক পরিমণ্ডলে স্বীকৃতি লাভ করছে। সাইবার নিরাপত্তায় বিজিডি ই-গভ সার্ট নিরলসভাবে কাজ করে যাচ্ছে। এ ধরনের স্বীকৃতি আমাদেরকে সাইবার হামলা প্রতিহত করতে উৎসাহিত করবে এবং সাইবার নিরাপত্তায় বাংলাদেশের সক্ষমতা বৃদ্ধিতে সহায়তা করবে।

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/northern-central-regions-may-see-flooding-in-late-aug-1629725945 Northern, central regions may see flooding in late Aug SAJIBUR RAHMAN | Published: August 23, 2021 19:39:05 | Updated: August 23, 2021 21:20:53 Thousands of people have been marooned in northern Kurigram and Sirajganj district as waters of rivers such as the Padma, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Gorai, Dhaleswari and Atrai have been flowing above danger marks. Medium to heavy rainfall is likely to occur in the country’s north and northeastern regions and upstream regions in India’s West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya in the next 72 hours, according to a Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) bulletin issued on Monday. Consequently, it said, the water levels of Teesta, Dharala, Dudhkumar, Brahmaputra and rivers in the upper Meghna basin may rise rapidly. Already, about 10,000-12,000 people in low-lying areas under Sadar, Shahjadpur, Kazipur and Belkuchi upazilas of Sirajganj have been stranded at homes as Jamuna waters inundated villages in the past few days, executive engineer of Water Development Board, Sirajganj, Shofiqul Islam told The Financial Express. However, the flood situation there is expected to improve in the coming days. Some 10,000 people in the char areas of Chilmari, Nageshwari and Sadar upazilas have been marooned, said Executive engineer of the board’s Kurigram office Md. Ariful Islam. The flood situation in low-lying areas of Rajbari may deteriorate in the next three days until Thursday, the board’s executive engineer there Abdul Ahad said. He could not say how many people have been affected by the current flooding. The flood situation in low-lying areas of Pabna, Manikganj, Rajbari, Faridpur and Shariatpur may slightly deteriorate, said the forecasting centre’s executive engineer M Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan. The official forecast says the flood situation may deteriorate in different parts of the north and central parts of the country between August 27 and September 5. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief said on Sunday that an amount of Tk 8.2 million was allocated for flood-affected people in 10 districts – Shariatpur, Chapainawabganj, Faridpur, Lalmonirhat, Pabna, Manikganj, Rajbari, Kushtia, Pabna, and Nilphamari.

https://www.businessinsiderbd.com/national/news/9376/westin-dhaka-now-seeks-bailout Westin Dhaka now seeks bailout Asif Showkat Kallol || BusinessInsider Published: 11:29, 22 August 2021 Update: 16:12, 22 August 2021 The parent company of The Westin Dhaka, Unique Hotel and Resorts Limited (UHRL), wants the government to bail them out as its business has been severely impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic for one and a half years. Besides, the company also wants that the Health and Family Welfare Ministry pay them their unpaid bills worth Tk 68 lakh that was accumulated for providing rooms to the health workers of Kuwait Bangladesh Moitree Hospital for their quarantine in August and September, last year. Md Noor Ali, managing director of the UHRL, recently wrote to Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, seeking his intervention to help Westin survive. The UHRL revenue declined to Tk 50 crore or 61% until March of 2020-21 fiscal year as against the revenue (Tk 157.70 crore) of the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. The revenue has been continuing to dwindle since then because of poor room occupancy due to spread of the coronavirus. "During our good days, we paid more than Tk 500 crore to the government in taxes. Now, we are having bad days and we request our government to help us survive," Ali said in the memo. The hospitality company said a number of doctors of Kuwait Bangladesh Moitree Hospital had stayed in Westin hotel during June to September in 2020-21 fiscal year as per a deal signed between the Health and Family Welfare Ministry and Unique Hotel and Resorts Limited. “We are yet to receive room tariffs for two months from the ministry,” the memo said. Since the inception of the company in Bangladesh in 2007, it paid over Tk 500 crore in taxes to the government. Of the amount, Tk 339 crore was paid from FY07 to FY17, Tk 57 crore in FY18, Tk 56 crore in FY19, Tk 38 crore in FY2020 and Tk 9.90 crore until March of FY21, respectively. Unique hotel and Resorts Limited is the first hotel to get enlisted with the Dhaka Stock Exchange, the largest bourse of the country. According to the company, it currently has more than 800 employees in its hotels and restaurants. The Westin in Gulshan has 235 rooms and Hansa in Uttara has 76 rooms, respectively. Meanwhile, in their financial statement published in fiscal 2019-2020, the Unique hotel had shown assets worth Tk 3,583 crore, while its liabilities stood at Tk 1,237 crore. Bangladesh Bank on July 15 declared a new Tk 1,000 crore stimulus package for hotel, motel and theme parks suffering from the ongoing business slowdown amid the pandemic. The owners of residential hotels and theme parks are entitled to receive easy funds, primarily to be used as working capital, with only 4 percent interest. “The hospitality industry will not be able to bounce back from such difficulties unless airlines movement gets normal,” said Akhtaruzzman Khan Kabir, CEO of Bangladesh Tourism Board. It is unfortunate that the circular of Tk 1,000 crore incentive loan is yet to reach the branches of various public and private banks, he said. Kabir said, "How could this sector that has been devastated by Covid-19 pandemic survive without an incentive loan?” he asked. According to him the industry has incurred a loss of Tk 20,000 crore because of the pandemic. “We will be able to reinstate the jobs of 9 lakh employees if we get some loan,” he said. A total of 23 lakh people are employed by the hospitality industry across the country, he said. “International standard hotels are still running below the breakeven point and that more guests are needed to reach that point.”

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/covid-cuts-chattograms-annual-vegetable-exports-tk40cr-291763 Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury 23 August, 2021, 12:30 pm Last modified: 23 August, 2021, 12:51 pm Covid cuts Chattogram’s annual vegetable exports by Tk40cr The vegetable export season starts in March and continues till November Vegetables are being loaded into the cargo space of an Air Arabia aircraft at Shah Amanat International Airport. Photo: Shamsuddin Illius Annual vegetable exports from Chattogram by air have decreased by Tk40 crore as a result of the closure of international flights amid the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. During normal times, about 3,000 tonnes of vegetables are exported to various countries in the Middle East through Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport every year. Besides, fruit exports account for about 10% compared to vegetables exported. According to the Plant Quarantine Station of Shah Amanat International Airport, 3,000 tonnes of vegetables were exported by air from Chattogram in the 2018-19 financial year, which fell by 900 tonnes to 2,100 tonnes in the 2019-20 fiscal year. In the fiscal year 2020-21, the export of vegetables further decreased by 3% to 1,100 tonnes. No vegetables were exported through Chattogram airport in 2021-22 as international flights were suspended. Vegetable exporters said the average selling price of vegetables is $2.5 per kilogram or Tk200. As such, the price of 3,000 tonnes of vegetables is Tk60 crore. The vegetable export season starts from March and continues till November when vegetables are exported to various countries such as Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. ForkanRubel, general secretary of the Chattogram Vegetable Exporters Association, said even though his company exports 900 tonnes of vegetables a year through Chattogram Airport during normal times, this amount decreased by about 3% in the last financial year. He could not yet start exporting yet in the current financial year. Due to the closure of international flights with Chattogram, a limited quantity of vegetables has to be exported through Dhaka Airport. Vegetables are collected from different parts of the country including Chattogram, Dhaka, Jashore, Gazipur, Narsingdi and Cumilla for export, he added. ShaibalKanti Nandi, deputy director of Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport Plant Quarantine Centre, said about 59 types of vegetables and local fruits are exported through the airport every year. The most common vegetables which are exported through Chattogram Airport are potato, taro stolon (commonly known as kochur loti in Bangladesh), taro root (kochu), jackfruit, lemon, ridge gourd, bean, spiny gourd, snake gourd, cucumber, red spinach, mango, etc. International flights through Shah Amanat Airport was reopened on 17 August after it was suspended on 14 April. However, private airlines, including state-owned airlines, have not yet resumed international flights. Vegetable exporters have said they would restart vegetable exports once international flights resume. Farhad Hossain Khan, Wing Commander of Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport, told TBS airport authorities have all-out preparations for the launch of international flights. The airlines are preparing to operate flights. Four to five tonnes of vegetables are being exported daily through Dhaka Airport. About 15 companies are involved in exporting vegetables from Chattogram to different parts of the world, employing at least 200 workers who have become unemployed as the export of vegetables has stopped.

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/stocks/ifad-autos-invest-tk80cr-diversify-business-291634 TBS Report 22 August, 2021, 08:35 pm Last modified: 23 August, 2021, 12:15 pm IFAD Autos to invest Tk80cr to diversify business IFAD Autos imports different models of complete Ashok Leyland’s vehicles as well CKD and spares from the company to assemble locally Highlights: IFAD Autos to acquire 40% shares of IFAD Multiproducts The firm will make the finance with its own fund Its revenue Tk657.81cr in July to March of FY 2021 Net profit Tk54.96cr during the period IFAD Autos Limited, the Bangladeshi dealer for Indian automotive company Ashok Leyland, has decided to invest Tk80 crore with a view to acquiring 40% shares of the IFAD Multiproducts Limited. The company, which has dealings in vehicles with different sectors of Bangladesh, made the decision to diversify its business. IFAD Autos imports different models of complete Ashok Leyland's vehicles as well CKD and spares from the company to assemble locally. An official said the company deems that the market of consumer goods has good potential in the country. Besides its existing products, the company has plans to launch new products. For this, the management of the company has taken this decision, he added. IFAD Autos will take approval from the shareholders in the forthcoming general meeting of the company. Furthermore, the investing amount will be financed from company's own fund. Recently, IFAD Autos Limited signed a land-lease agreement with Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) by which the company will expand its manufacturing facilities on 30 acres of land at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar. The company IFAD will invest $51 million to set up a car assembly factory, lubricant blending plant, and light engineering industry, which will create employment for about 880 people. IFAD Multiproducts Limited is one of the sister concerns of IFAD Group, having common management. From July to March 2021, the revenue of the company was tk657.81 crore. Consequently, its profit was Tk54.96 crore and earnings per share was Tk2.17. IFAD Autos Limited was incorporated on 17 February 1988. It was listed on the stock exchanges in 2015. Out of the company's total shares, sponsor and directors jointly hold 54.87%, institutional investors 26%, foreign investors 0.83%, and general investors 18.30%. The last trading price of the company's shares at the Dhaka Stock Exchange was Tk56.70 each on Sunday.

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/construction-work-laying-roadway-slab-padma-bridge-completed-291880#.YSNOEg53RiQ.facebook TBS Report 23 August, 2021, 01:25 pm Last modified: 23 August, 2021, 01:28 pm Construction work of laying roadway slab on Padma bridge completed The construction work of laying the roadway slab on Padma Bridge has been completed. The last of the 2,917 roadway slabs was laid on Monday which marks the Bridge's length 6.15 km. Dewan Abdul Quader, executive engineer of the Padma Bridge project, confirmed the matter and said, "The last roadway slab has been laid today on the span of piers 12 and 13 of the bridge." Earlier, on 20 June, the work of laying the railway slab of the two-storey bridge was completed. According to the engineer sources, 87.25% of the overall bridge project has been completed till July this year. The progress of the work of the main bridge is 94.25%. The bridge is expected to be opened to use by June 2022.

https://bonikbarta.net/home/news_description/272223/শীর্ষ-পাঁচ-ইস্পাত-উৎপাদক-প্রতিষ্ঠান- শীর্ষ পাঁচ ইস্পাত উৎপাদক প্রতিষ্ঠান মেহেদী হাসান রাহাত আগস্ট ২২, ২০২১ নির্মাণ খাতের অব্যাহত প্রবৃদ্ধির ধারাবাহিকতায় গত দুই দশকে দেশে নির্মাণসামগ্রীর বাজারও সম্প্রসারিত হয়েছে উল্লেখযোগ্য মাত্রায়। সরকারি-বেসরকারি বিভিন্ন নির্মাণ প্রকল্প ও আবাসন খাতে বিপুল চাহিদা থাকায় ইস্পাতের মতো অত্যাবশ্যকীয় নির্মাণ উপকরণে দেশী-বিদেশী উদ্যোক্তাদের বিনিয়োগও বেড়েছে। লংকাবাংলা ও ইবিএলের গবেষণা প্রতিবেদন এবং ইস্পাত খাতসংশ্লিষ্ট বিভিন্ন সূত্রে পাওয়া তথ্য পর্যালোচনায় দেশের শীর্ষ পাঁচ ইস্পাত উৎপাদক প্রতিষ্ঠানের চিত্র পাওয়া গেছে। সংশ্লিষ্টরা বলছেন, নির্মাণ খাতের আকার বাড়ার সঙ্গে সঙ্গে রড উৎপাদনও পাল্লা দিয়ে বাড়ছে। এক পরিসংখ্যানে দেখা গিয়েছে, গত আট বছরে সরকারের বিভিন্ন মেগা প্রকল্পে ভর করে দেশের নির্মাণ খাতের আকার দ্বিগুণ হয়েছে। বড় ধরনের প্রবৃদ্ধির কারণে দেশের প্রতিষ্ঠিত ও বড় কয়েকটি শিল্প গ্রুপ এ খাতের ব্যবসায় বিনিয়োগ সম্প্রসারণ করেছে। এসব শিল্প গ্রুপ ও প্রতিষ্ঠানের মধ্যে রয়েছে বিএসআরএম, আবুল খায়ের, কেএসআরএম, জিপিএইচ অন্যতম। পাশাপাশি চীনা ও জাপানি উদ্যোক্তারাও দেশের ইস্পাত শিল্পে বড় আকারের বিনিয়োগ নিয়ে এগিয়ে এসেছেন। দেশের ইস্পাত শিল্পে একক প্রতিষ্ঠান হিসেবে সবার ওপরে রয়েছে ১৯৫২ সালে তত্কালীন পূর্ব পাকিস্তানে স্টিল রি-রোলিং মিল স্থাপনের মাধ্যমে ইস্পাত শিল্পের ব্যবসায় যুক্ত হওয়া বিএসআরএম গ্রুপ। বর্তমানে বিএসআরএম গ্রুপের দুটি কোম্পানি দেশের পুঁজিবাজারে তালিকাভুক্ত রয়েছে। এর মধ্যে বাংলাদেশ স্টিল রি-রোলিং মিলস লিমিটেডের (বিএসআরএম) বার্ষিক উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা সাত লাখ টন। বিএসআরএমের আরেকটি ইউনিটে বিলেট উৎপাদন করা হয়, যেটির উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা বছরে দেড় লাখ টন। এ গ্রুপের আরেকটি তালিকাভুক্ত কোম্পানি বিএসআরএম স্টিলস লিমিটেডের বার্ষিক উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা সাত লাখ টন। সব মিলিয়ে বিএসআরএম গ্রুপের রড উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা বছরে ১৭ লাখ টন এবং বিলেট উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা ১৯ লাখ টন। দেশের পাশাপাশি বিদেশেও কার্যক্রম রয়েছে বিএসআরএমের। হংকংয়ে গ্রুপটির একটি সাবসিডিয়ারি রয়েছে। কেনিয়ায়ও বিএসআরএম বিনিয়োগ করেছে। তাছাড়া প্রতিবেশী ভারতের কলকাতায়ও কয়েক বছর ধরে ব্যবসা করছে বিএসআরএম। ইস্পাত খাতের অন্যতম আরেক শীর্ষ প্রতিষ্ঠান আবুল খায়ের গ্রুপ। প্রতিষ্ঠানটির আবুল খায়ের স্টিল বা একেএস এখন ইস্পাতের বাজারে শীর্ষস্থানীয় ব্র্যান্ড। বর্তমানে প্রতিষ্ঠানটির বার্ষিক উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা ১৪ লাখ টন। ১৯৯৩ সালে ঢেউটিনের মাধ্যমে প্রথমে ইস্পাত শিল্পের ব্যবসায় আসে আবুল খায়ের গ্রুপ। পরে ২০০৯ সালে তারা রড উৎপাদন শুরু করে। ইস্পাত শিল্পের উদ্যোক্তাদের সংগঠন বাংলাদেশ স্টিল ম্যানুফ্যাকচারার্স অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের (বিএসএমএ) তথ্যানুসারে দেশে বর্তমানে ইস্পাত শিল্পের বাজারের আকার প্রায় ৩০ হাজার কোটি টাকা। অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের তালিকাভুক্ত প্রতিষ্ঠানের সংখ্যা ৪০। বর্তমানে দেশের ইস্পাত খাতের সম্মিলিত উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা ৯০ লাখ টন। এর মধ্যে বর্তমানে ব্যবহূত হচ্ছে ৫৫ লাখ টন। যদিও করোনার কারণে গত বছর তা ৩০-৩৫ লাখ টনে নেমে গিয়েছিল। এ বছর দেশের ইস্পাত খাত কিছুটা ঘুরে দাঁড়িয়েছে। এ খাতে উদ্যোক্তাদের মোট বিনিয়োগের পরিমাণ ৫০-৬০ হাজার কোটি টাকা। দেশে নির্মাণ খাতের প্রবৃদ্ধির ধারাবাহিকতা বজায় থাকলে ভবিষ্যতে রডের চাহিদা আরো বাড়বে। তবে বিদ্যমান যে সক্ষমতা রয়েছে তা দিয়ে আগামী ২০-২৫ বছর চাহিদা মেটানো সম্ভব। একসময় রড আমদানি করা লাগলেও বর্তমানে বাংলাদেশ এ খাতে স্বয়ংসম্পূর্ণ। দেশের ইস্পাত শিল্পে ১৯৮৪ সালে যাত্রা করে কবির স্টিল রি-রোলিং মিলস লিমিটেড (কেএসআরএম)। বর্তমানে বছরে প্রতিষ্ঠানটির উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা আট লাখ টন। পুঁজিবাজারে তালিকাভুক্ত জিপিএইচ ইস্পাত এ খাতের ব্যবসায় যুক্ত হয় ২০০৮ সালে। বর্তমানে কোম্পানিটির বার্ষিক ২ লাখ ১০ হাজার টন এমএস বিলেট ও দেড় লাখ টন এমএস রড উৎপাদনের সক্ষমতা রয়েছে। সম্প্রতি জিপিএইচের নতুন প্লান্টের নির্মাণকাজ শেষ হয়েছে। যদিও আনুষ্ঠানিকভাবে এর কার্যক্রম এখনো শুরু হয়নি। নতুন প্লান্টের সক্ষমতা যোগ করলে জিপিএইচ ইস্পাতের বার্ষিক এসএম বিলেট উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা বেড়ে দাঁড়াবে ১০ লাখ ৫০ হাজার টনে। ৭ লাখ ৯০ হাজার টনে উন্নীত হবে এমএস রড উৎপাদন সক্ষমতা। ১৯৭৮ সাল থেকে দেশের ইস্পাত শিল্পের ব্যবসায় যুক্ত রয়েছে আনোয়ার গ্রুপ। প্রতিষ্ঠানটির বার্ষিক ৩ লাখ ৬০ হাজার টন সিমেন্ট উৎপাদনের সক্ষমতা রয়েছে। চট্টগ্রামের মিরসরাই অর্থনৈতিক অঞ্চলে চীনা ইস্পাত জায়ান্ট কুনমিং আয়রন অ্যান্ড স্টিল হোল্ডিং কোম্পানি বার্ষিক ২০ লাখ টন সক্ষমতার কারখানা স্থাপনে ২৩০ কোটি ডলার বিনিয়োগ করছে। এটি দেশের উৎপাদন খাতে সবচেয়ে বড় বিনিয়োগ। এছাড়া জাপানের সবচেয়ে বড় ইস্পাত উৎপাদক নিপ্পন স্টিল ও সুমিতমো মেটাল স্থানীয় কোম্পানি ম্যাকডোনাল্ড স্টিল বিল্ডিং প্রডাক্টসের সঙ্গে যৌথ উদ্যোগে কারখানা স্থাপনে ৬ কোটি ডলার বিনিয়োগ করবে। এ কারখানাগুলো উৎপাদনে এলে দেশের ইস্পাত খাতে প্রতিযোগিতা আরো তীব্র হয়ে উঠবে।

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/columns/exploiting-light-engineering-potential-1629648211 Exploiting light-engineering potential Shamsul Huq Zahid | Published: August 22, 2021 22:03:31 It is a well-known fact that the country has quite a number of sectors and subsectors that have huge export potential and what they need is necessary policy, financial and technological supports to bloom and fetch foreign exchange. The light-engineering industry (LEI) is a manufacturing subsector that truly holds the promise to be a major export earner. In the immediate-past financial year (FY2020-21), the LEI did prove it. The industry had done even better in FY 2017. In the last fiscal, the light-engineering exports fetched more than half a billion dollars. The amount was more---nearly US$700m---in FY 2017. The export revenues from the sub-sector, however, have always fluctuated, ranging between US$300m and US$500m. This highlights the fact that the LEI, despite having the potential, could not make much headway as far as the export market is concerned. The size of the global market of light-engineering products is estimated at US$7.0 trillion and Bangladesh's share has been highly insignificant in that. But sector insiders believe that a two-to threefold increase in export earnings by the LEI within the foreseeable future is possible only if entrepreneurs involved in the sector are genuinely serious about making their mark on the global market and the government is equally interested in extending all possible supports to the sub-sector. The LEI's importance does not remain confined to only export earnings. Its share in the GDP is estimated at 2.5 per cent. Naturally, with gradual expansion, its share would also go up. Moreover, it is one of the economic areas that can create substantial employment opportunities. The industry that meets nearly 30 per cent of local demand for light engineering products and earns half a billion US dollars from exports now employs an estimated 0.8 million people. It is no denying that the products that the Bangladesh LEI manufactures are more or less basic and technologically not highly advanced. The truth is micro-enterprises, numbering about 50,000 across the country, dominate the industry. The number of small and medium enterprises is around 10,000. These enterprises do neither have the financial means nor the manpower to venture into anything big or advanced. For decades, they have been using outdated machinery and low-skilled manpower. The only exceptions are bicycle and electrical goods manufacturing units. The micro-enterprises and SMEs have been supplying some goods to the country's industrial, agriculture and construction sectors. But these are mostly low-cost ones and meet only a small percentage of their requirements. There could be a sea-change in the LEI only if the enterprises now in business got finance and skilled manpower. Even if the authorities took the right measures to meet the need for finance, it would be hard to fulfil the second one. Skilled manpower is not available locally. Nor there has been an effort to develop the same. The existing technical institutions and the industry itself do not have the qualified trainers to create manpower that can produce modern and high-end light-engineering products. Export revenues are important, no doubt. But the country is heavily dependent on imports for light engineering products. It imports many basic and small tools, machinery and other products, mostly from China and India. For the LEI, it is not very difficult to produce those locally and save hard-earned foreign exchange. However, lately, there has been a wind of change. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in January 2020 declared light engineering 'the product of the year' to draw priority attention of the relevant people to the sub-sector. In line with the PM's emphasis, the industries ministry reportedly decided to set up light-engineering industrial parks in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Jeshore and Bogura. Such proactive moves on the part of the state are most welcome. But, prior to doing anything big, the government should offer all supports to the existing LE units, financially or otherwise. Since the PM's declaration, the world has experienced unprecedented havoc because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thousands of small and micro enterprises have gone out of business, a good number of them permanently. Many LE units are among those. It is difficult to say whether the affected enterprises have received any financial support from the government or not. Thus, the first and foremost job of the government will be to lend financial support to the LEI to help it regain strength. Then, there should be a well-knit strategy for developing the LEI keeping in view the demand for LE products both at home and abroad. Special measures need to be taken to create skilled manpower for the industry. Unless and until the second requirement is met, nothing will be in place.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/50-railway-stations-are-getting-facelift-with-modern-amenities-says-railways-minister-1629640920 50 railway stations are getting facelift with modern amenities, says railways minister Published: August 22, 2021 20:02:01 As part of initiative taken to modernise the railway services, more than 50 railway stations are now being renovated on the occasion of the Mujib Year, said Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan on Sunday. “The government has taken different initiatives in order to build a modern, up-to-date and advanced railway communication system,” he said. The minister said this while laying the foundation stone of a modern public toilet adjacent to the Kamalapur Railway Station here. WaterAid Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway jointly constructed the toilet, said a PID handout. “Some 52 railway stations are being renovated and modernised throughout the country on the occasion of the Mujib birth centenary. These will have modern toilets,” he said. Nurul said many projects are now being implemented and many others have already been undertaken for the development of the railway sector. “Old rail tracks and bridges are being repaired. New rail coaches and engines are being brought. The new trains would have bio toilets to avoid the pollution of the environment,” he said, reports UNB. He said the Khulna-Mongla railway and Tongi-Joydebpur double-track railway would be launched next year. Had the railway faced no brunt of Coronavirus, the sector would be more developed now, he said. The minister said the Bangladesh Railway has taken initiative to form a consultancy firm under its own management as part of enhancing the capacity. “We would be able to provide consultancy service with our own manpower and thus it would save the foreign currency,” he said. Talking about the new public toilet, he said WaterAid Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway will also construct two such toilets at the valiant freedom fighter Sirajul Islam Railway Station in Panchagarh and Ishwardi Railway Station in Pabna. The public toilet would be a friendly one to women, children and even persons with disabilities. Alongside the separate entry doors for both women and men, there would be safe water, rainwater conservation system, breast-feeding corner and solar power system in the toilets. Railway Secretary Md. Salim Reza and WaterAid Bangladesh country director Hasin Jahan also spoke at the function presided over by Director General of Bangladesh Railways Dhirendra Nath Mazumder.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/bangladesh/bb-bida-run-parallel-to-guide-equity-investment-abroad-1629685411 BB, BIDA run parallel to guide equity investment abroad SYFUL ISLAM | Published: August 23, 2021 08:23:31 | Updated: August 23, 2021 09:27:58 Two regulatory bodies run parallel preparing separate guidelines on equity investment abroad by Bangladeshi businesses, raising concern about possible clash of authority, sources said. Both the Bangladesh Bank (BB) and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) are preparing the guidebook under instructions from two separate government high-ups, according to the sources. The central bank has already prepared its draft of the guidelines and the ministry of finance has forwarded it to the law ministry for vetting, being instructed by the cabinet committee on government purchase back in June 2017. Besides, the sub-section 6 of the section 4 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947 empowered the central bank to specify, in consultation with the government, the classes of permissible capital-account transaction. On the other hand, the BIDA also has prepared a separate set of draft guidelines on the same, being instructed by its governing body, headed by the Prime Minister. In March this year, the BIDA shared the guidelines with the ministries and departments concerned for their opinion. The financial institutions division had forwarded the copy to the central bank for comment on the draft. According to sources, the BB in its comment said according to the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act only the central bank is empowered to specify the classes of permissible capital-account transaction. If any organisation other than the central bank wants to prepare guidelines on capital- account transaction, necessary amendment has to be brought first in the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, it argued. Contacted Sunday, Bangladesh Bank deputy governor Kazi Sayedur Rahman said the draft prepared by the BB was now waiting at ministry level for necessary approvals. He would not make any further comment on this matter of policy duplication in the matter of offshore investment. BIDA executive chairman Sirazul Islam told the FE Sunday his office is preparing the guidelines being instructed by its governing board led by the Prime Minister. "I am bound to carry out a task when the governing board asks for. I am carrying out its decision," he said. Mr Islam said the draft is now at the final stage and would be sent to government high-ups. "Since it will be national guidelines, it will go to the prime minister's office (PMO)." He thinks the PMO may also have an inter-ministerial meeting and then it will be sent to the cabinet division for the all-clear. Mr Islam would not comment on the Bangladesh Bank's opinion in this respect. When contacted, former central bank governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed stated that BIDA is responsible to facilitate both local and foreign investment inside the country. Handling equity investment abroad is not BIDA's task, he said. "It is central bank which has sole authority to take any decision on foreign-currency issue," said Mr Ahmed. He noted that it is also the responsibility of the central bank to check who will make the investment abroad in which sector, whether the funds will be repatriated or not, and what guarantee is given against the investment etc. Executive Director of Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) Dr Ahsan H Mansur said both the government bodies can sit together to prepare a set of guidelines instead of drafting two separate documents. "The main issue is making equity investment abroad has to be allowed by the government," he said Dr Mansur said in this case the government has to give approval on a case-to-case basis, and to companies having good reputation.