The New Nation - Internet Edition

The Secondary Education Access and Quality Enhancement Project (SEAQEP), which will provide stipends to both poorer boys and girls in secondary education, is now being prepared with the aim to be implemented from early July 2008. A high level Task Force and a Project Preparation Team of the Government are working on the preparation based on inputs from consultation with stakeholders. The project will be supported by the World Bank.

The proposed SEAQEP will be implemented in121 upazilas. Although a follow-up to the second Female Secondary School Assistance Project (FSSAP II) of the Government which ends on 30 June 2008, the SEAQEP would include a number of new dimensions. It aims to provide targeted support to the poorer girls and boys; improve academic performance through incentive awards to students, schools and teachers; extend additional support to teachers and students in teaching and learning; provide water and sanitation facilities to retain girls in school and develop an effective monitoring and evaluation system.

FSSAP II has already helped more than eight hundred thousand girls with stipends that improved SSC pass rates for stipend girls from 39% in 2001 to 60% in 2007. A training program has reached 19000 stakeholders, largely from the communities, while some 6000 institutions were brought under school management and accountability training program. The Mobile Training Resource Teams (MTRTs) pilot has shown positive results. A Family Attractiveness Program to identify out-of-secondary-school girls from very poor families living in remote and economically disadvantaged areas has been introduced under this program.

It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh is now a global leader in girl's education, thanks to a Government stipend program since 1993 that supported female secondary education. The World Bank has been a keen supporter of the initiative from the start through interest-free credit.

The country's first established Kidney Awareness and Prevention Society's Kidney Screening and Research Centre is inaugurated at KAMPS premises. The people of all classes can screen their kidney from this centre with a discounted charge and also can take Doctor's advice free of charge. At the eve of this inaugural session a seminar titled. The epidemic prevalence of kidney disease arid its prevention' was arranged by KAMPS.

The session was presided by Prof. Dr. M A Samad, the chairman of KAMPS. In his lecture he described the alarming situation of kidney disease in Bangladesh. He observed that 2 crore people have been suffering horn some form of kidney diseases in Bangladesh. And about 40000 people are dying from kidney failure every year. The cost of treatment of kidney failure is so expensive that barely 5% people can continue such mostly treatment. Therefore about 95 % people dye without proper treatment. He stressed that kidney disease is very common, dreadful but fortunately preventable if detect it earlier and KAMPS has emerged to aware the people about kidney disease to prevent the kidney disease at very early stage. For this early detection Kidney Screening and Research Centre is established at Moghbazar in Dhaka.

He expected that the branches will be expanded to every district in course of time. He also expected all kinds of support from the government, private organisations and generous human being. Print and electronic media also can play a vital role to aware the mass people of the country.

The Centre was inaugurated by former chairman of press council Justice Habibur Rahman. He said in his speech that the BIRDEM started its journey from a small room. But now it is a leading organisation of the country. KAMPS also has the potentiality to reach the position where BIRDEM is now.

The chairman of Bangladesh Renal Association Prof. Dr. Harun-Ur-Rashid gave his keynote speech about 'The dreadfulness and prevention of kidney disease' and clarify the subject clearly to the audience.

The KAMPS Web Site was also inaugurated in this programme. The site was inaugurated by Lions Clubs International's Council Chairman Lion Omar Shafayat Kawsar. The Web Site is www.kampsbd.org. He said his speech about the lions clubs international's contributions to this field and assured KAMPS to give a huge donation to help the organisation to promote its activities.

Banglalink handed relief materials to the worst-hit regions of Hurricane Sidr. A convoy of six trucks containing essentials such as rice, lentils, chira and oral saline were handed to the Bangladesh Army Task Forces at Barisal and Bagerhat for onward dispatch to the most remote and worst hit areas.

Babul Haque Regional Commercial Head of banglalink (Khulna Region) formally handed over the relief materials to the Adjutant of Bagerhat Army camp at a simple ceremony.

Simultaneously the relief materials for Barisal were handed over by Maruf Mizan- Regional Sales Manager of Banglalink (Khulna Region) to Captain Kamrul of Barisal Army Camp.

As a leading Corporate, banglalink is committed to support the people of Bang!adesh at times of distress. This comes only days after the announcement that Naguib Sawiris, Chairman of banglalink's parent company Orascom Telecom Holdings has committed funds amounting to Tk. 3.5 Crores for the development and rehabilitation of post-hurricane ravaged areas of Southern Bangladesh.

Additionally, banglalink had earlier launched an SMS based donation campaign in order to provide a convenient and practical option for people from all walks of life to offer their contributions. Each SMS sent to a short-code 1010 will be charged Tk.lO and all proceeds to be contributed to the Chief Advisor's Relief Fund.

Grameenphone officials, including three members of its Management Team and a group of 14 employees, took part in the company's ongoing relief effort for the cyclone-affected people on November 22, in Shibchar Upazila of Madaripur district.

Khalid Hasan, Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, Kafil H.S. Muyeed, Director, New Business Division, and Mr. Frode Stoldal, Chief Information Officer of Grameenphone led the team.

"We are committed to help the government effectively combat this national emergency," commented B. Kafil H.S. Muyeed. "The entire Grameenphone team is united to stand by the cyclone victims. Employees are volunteering to actively participate in the relief work. We are also contributing one-day's salary towards the relief efforts," he added.

Grameenphone distributed a total of 500 family relief packs and set up two mobile medical camps in Bagla and Char Janajat village of Shibchar Upazila, in collaboration with a local NGO, Madaripur Mahila Kallayan Shangtha (MMKS).

Similar relief efforts are being carried out by the company in seven other worst affected districts of the country, namely Patuakhali, Barguna, Pirojpur, Jhalokathi, Bagerhat, Gopalgonj and Shariatpur.

A minimum of 8,500 family packs will be distributed by the company and ten medical camps are being set up. This is the first phase of the relief effort, which will be extended depending on the need.

Earlier this week, Grameenphone made a contribution of Tk. 1 crore to the Chief Adviser's Relief Fund and committed a further Tk. 2.3 crore, a contribution from Telenor Group, in organising relief and medical support for the cyclone victims.

The Annual General Meeting of Bangladesh Mobile Phone Importers Association was held on 18th November 2007. In the meeting, members agreed to dissolve the old executive committee and elected a new one. N.S.M Faruque (Managing Director of Integra Group of Companies) was elected. President of the association with Faisal Alim, Managing Director, Wintel Limited as General Secretary.S. Faruque is well known in Mobile Phone Business in the country and his involvement of this sector is a milestone for the mobile phone industry of Bangladesh. Faisal Alim, Managing Director of Wintel Limited is the pioneer Mobile Phone Content Provider in the country. Wintel Limited is famous for it's value added services in the cell phone sector of Bangladesh and also importing a quality handset for Bangladesh market. With Mr. Faisal's involvement Wintel is also popular to abroad and achieved customer's satisfaction in domestic and foreign market.

AFP, Beijing

China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL), the country's top container shipper, is planning to list on the Shanghai bourse in a bid to raise more than 12 million yuan (1.6 million dollars), the China Daily newspaper said.

The company had won permission from regulators for the listing and intends to float 2.34 billion shares, about 20 percent of its total, the paper said in a report Saturday. Parent company China Shipping (Group) will see its holding fall from 59.87 percent to 47.89 percent as a result of the listing. CSCL, which is already listed in Hong Kong, plans to use most of the funds to add 16 new vessels to its fleet of 151 ships. Eight new container ships would be bought in China and an additional eight from overseas, the report said.

Shanghai-based CSCL is the world's 10th largest container shipper and operates 74 international lines and 17 domestic lines, according to China Daily.

On 21st November, the orientation programme of the fresh students of Bangladesh Technical Education Board offered Diploma in Engineering Programme's students for the Academic Year of 2007-08, held at Bangladesh Skill Development Institute (BSDI). Professor Dr. Nitai Chandra Shutra Dhar, the Chairman of Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) was the chief guest of the programme, while Md. Sabur Khan, the Chairman of BSDI & Daffodil Group chaired the programme. The Principal of BSDI, Mohammad Nuruzzaman & the Deputy Director, KM Hasan Ripon was also present at the occasion.

At first, the principal, Mr. Mohammad Nuruzzaman gave the welcome speech and highlighted on the quality control procedure that BSDI maintains. The Chief Guest of the programme in his speech highlighted on the important of technical education and the demand of Diploma Engineers in the present job market of Home & Abroad. Md Sabur Khan also expressed that, there is no alternative of technical education in building the Manpower of 21' century. A special presentation was given on BSDI & its activities by the Deputy Director of the Institute.

The programme ended up with the Grant Cultural Programme, performed by BSDI students.