The New Nation - Internet Edition

Business Report

The miniket brand of rice price increased by taka 37 per maund in eight days from Thursday to Thursday (December 20-27), sounding a note of strong warning to all concerned. It increased by taka two between December 13 and 20, which perhaps passed beyond the notice of all. A rice trader at the retail level said, "We sold miniket at taka 31 to 32 during the holy Ramadan, and coarse rice between taka 22 and 23. These now sell at taka 37-38 and 26-27 respectively. We find abundance of supply, yet price increases; and we ourselves are perplexed."

According to BBS, about 1,16,39,389 families were involved in agricultural sector in 2004. The area of the ploughable land was 82.90 lakh hectares. One cropland covered 28.72 lakh hectares, two crops land 41.28 lakh hectares while the three crops land 10.23 lakh hectares. According to BBS, the country produced 2.83 crore metric tonnes of food grains against the demand of 2.61 lakh metric tones in the year 2004. In 2006-07 fiscal year, the country's rice production was 2.85 crore metric tonnes of which the coarse rice alone contributed two crore metric tonnes.

According to available source, the ministry of agriculture has set the new target of total food grains at 3.25 lakh metric tonnes during the fiscal 2007-08. It is often circulated that the food production will fall short of target due to the back-to-back floods in August and the 11/15 hurricane. It gathers from reports that the total loss in rice production would be between 21,39,661 and 23,63,081 metric tonnes, yet over the annual demand of 2.83 crore metric tonnes even if the wheat and the maize productions are excluded. Therefore, there could be no cause of becoming frightened and there is no acceptable cause of the rice price going high to higher.

But the situation may turn alarming if diesel does not reach the irrigation zone in North Bengal during boro season.. The country's 4.5 million hectares of land has been brought under irrigation project requiring 18 lakh tonnes of diesel. The concerned ministry/department must take all measures to reach diesel in the irrigated zone in North Bengal. In addition, care should also be taken to land the fertiliser subsidy to the genuine farmers. Otherwise, the boro cultivation may suffer in the long run, which may not be a good news. The country produced 1.60 crore metric tonnes of boro rice during the last fiscal and 1.23 metric tonnes of aus and aman rice.

However, the cost of living has been increasing day by day, which the poor, who are necessarily the most numerous, almost unable to bear. They do not think of anything but the way of survival only.

Staff Reporter

The Grameenphone Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CARE Bangladesh to introduce 'Tatho Tari' (Information Boat), a project designed to promote necessary livelihood information in the remote communities of Bangladesh.

Shuvashish P Barva, Head of GP-CSR and Hasan M Mazumder, Acting Country Director of CARE Bangladesh signed the MoU on Thursday on behalf of their respective organisations in a signing ceremony held at a local hotel in the city. The Information Boat will work, as an information hub to meet the communication needs of rural communities, especially the Char and Haor areas as people of these areas have limited acres to up-to-date livelihood and other information, said the speakers in explaining the program objective.

"As Grameenphone has their vest access to almost every corner of the country, our technical education is expected to reach and enrich livelihood to the most remote localities," said Hasan M Mazumder, Acting Country Director of CARE Bangladesh.

Speaking on the occasion, Shuvashish P Barva explained that the program will also equipped with digital content, such as daily living and agricultural information, suited for the specific areas serviced by the designated Boat.

"In the form of mobile boat, each unit will move from one place to another and would enlighten living of every communities at the riverbanks," Shuvashish added.

Skilled persons from CARE Bangladesh will provide training to the local communities, he added.

Professor Jamilur Raza Chaudhury VC BRACK University was present on the occasion as chief guest. Walter E Shepherd Team Leader USAID as special guest also has accompanied him.

The City Bank Limited opened its 83rd branch at Lotus Kamal Tower, Nikunja, Dhaka Airport Road on Wednesday (26th December 2007). Bank's Chairman Aziz Al Kaiser inaugurated the branch as the chief guest. Head of Retail Banking Mashrur Arefin conducted the programme. The Managing Director & CEO Kazi Mahmood Sattar and DMD (Business) Sohail RK Hussain spake. DMD (Operations) Raihan UI Ameen and Consultant D. H. Choudhury were also present..

Nikunja branch is a fully online branch capable of giving not only retail deposit, loan and card services but also cash management and capital market brokerage services. The chairman in his speech said that the opening of Nikunja branch is the very first step for the bank towards its onward journey. to become a prominent retail bank in the country.

Also present were senior officials of the bank and eminent people and businesspersons from the locality.

Grameenphone Ltd. embarked upon a CSR partnership with Grameen Shikhkha, an organisation of the Grameen Bank family, to provide scholarship opportunities to underprivileged, but bright students, at various academic levels.

Ms. Nurjahan Begum, Managing Director of Grameen Shikkha and Kafil H.S. Muyeed, Director, New Business Division, signed the partnership agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Md. Anisur Rahman AGM, Finance & Accounts, of Grameen Shikkha, and Shuvashish P. Barua, AGM, Corporate Social Responsibility, of Grameenphone, and other high officials from the respective organisations were present during the signing ceremony.

Established in 1997, Grameen Shikkha has been managing a scholarship program, funded by various philanthropic organisations. So far 727 scholarships have been provided to meritorious students at different levels. Grameenphone has been involved with this project since 2003 and 36 scholarships are managed under Grameenphone's fund. The new agreement between Grameenphone and Grameen Shikhka is to further strengthen this partnership and increase the number of scholarships, from Grade VIII up to graduation degree. Sixty percent of the scholarship will be targeted towards female students.

Education is one of the key focus areas of Grameenphone's social investments. Grameenphone aims to work hand in hand with the Government and other relevant development actors by working in the areas of poverty alleviation, health, education and empowerment to meet the Millennium Development Goals, set for Bangladesh, by 2015.

The Marketing & Sales Conference 2008 of ACI Pharmaceuticals was held at BCFCC on 27 December 2007, says a press release.

The Managing Director in his inaugural speech asked the participant to uphold company's core values and work for the betterment of Bangladeshi people. Chief Operating Officer, Director, Marketing & Sales gave the direction to capitalize the opportunities in order to overcome market challenges and thereby exceeding the expectations of 2008.

In the conference, awards were distributed among the sales team for extraordinary achievement. The program ended with an enchanting cultural show attended by renowned artists.

A workshop on Musharaka Documentary Bills (MDB) was held recently organised by International Banking Wing of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited at Mohammad Younus Auditorium of Islami Bank Tower.

Mominul Islam Patwary, Chairman Executive Committee of the bank was present in the workshop as the chief guest over by Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Executive President and Head of International Banking Wing the function was addressed among others by Md. Abdul Jalil and Md. Abdul Jalil and Md. Mahbubu-ul-Alam, Senior Vice Presidents. Officials of Fofeign Business of the Authorised Dealer Branches of Dhaka City participated in the workshop.

Mominul Islam Patwary in his speech as the chief guest the new investment mode would play significant role in Shariah compliance and providing standard service to the clients.

Md. Habibur Rahman in his presidential speech pointed out different aspects of the newly introduced investment mode and explained how this new mode can assist implementing Shari'ah in the banking activities.