The New Nation - Internet Edition

Square Hospitals signs deal with Bangkok Hospital Medical Center

BUSINESS REPORT

Square Hospitals Ltd signed a partnership agreement with Bangkok Hospital Medical Center (BMC) of Thailand in the city yesterday.

Prof Sanawar Hossain, Director of Medical Services of Square Hospitals Ltd and Dr Kit V Arom, Director of Bangkok Hospital Medical Center signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions. Former Adviser of the Caretaker Government and Managing Director of Square Group Tapan Chowdhury, Managing Director of Square Toiletries Ltd Anjan Chowdhury and Regional Marketing Manager of Bangkok Hospital Medical Center Ms Jane Bailey were present at the agreement signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, doctors, nurses, technicians and administrative managers of Square Hospitals Ltd will get all the training and technical support they need from the Bangkok Hospital Medical Center. BMC will provide a monthly doctor consultation programme at Square Hospital and referred patients from BMC in Thailand will be able to receive follow-up treatment facilities at Square Hospital. Square Hospitals Ltd will be official affiliated partner of BMC in this country.

It was stated at the signing ceremony that BMC is one of the most technologically sophisticated hospitals in the world today.

BMC is a state-of-the-art medical campus providing comprehensive medical care through multidisciplinary team of highly trained specialists. The center has received Joint Commission International (JCI), accreditation and is known throughout the world for delivering world-class, award-winning healthcare.

City Bank for bringing more remittances in '08

BUSINESS REPORT

The City Bank Limited has targeted to fetch a large volume of foreign remittances in 2008 by using its branch network and automated remittance platform.

High officials of the bank expressed the hope while speaking at a conference organised by the bank on its Non Resident Business (workers' foreign remittance) in the city recently.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank K Mahmood Sattar inaugurated the conference, said a press release.

Representatives and branch managers from the bank's 83 branches took part in the conference. Among others, deputy managing directors Sohall RK Hussain and Raihan Ul Ameen and Head of Retail Banking Mashrur Arefin were present at the conference.

Head of Non-Resident Business Sirajuddin Mondal conducted the programme.

An orientation course on remittance business was held and the bank's newly procured automated remittance software was also launched on the day, the release added.

BGIC Managing Director wins Sheba Ratna Award

BUSINESS REPORT

AK Azizul Huq Chaudhuri, Managing Director, Bangladesh General Insurance Co. Ltd. (BGIC) has won the "Sheba Ratna Award 2008" on Education & Employment Creation, given by the Mymensingh Sheba Niketon, an institute for rendering voluntary services in furtherance of education, literature, culture, job creation, social and free medical services.

The award-giving colourful ceremony was held at Mymensingh Shilpakala Academy auditorium on February 29 last..

Prof. Dr Md Shamsur Rahman, Vice-Chancellor, Jatiya Kavi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Mymensingh, attended the function as chief guest.

AK Azizul Huq Chaudhuri received the award from Dr Capt (Retd) Mojibur Rahman Fakir (Ex-MP), Chairman, Mymensingh Sheba Niketon.

AK Azizul Huq Chaudhuri is in insurance profession for over three decades holding very high positions. For a major portion of his career he served as General Manager and Managing Director of Sadharan Bima Corporation and was also the Director of the Bangladesh Insurance Academy for sometime. After obtaining M.A. in Economics from Dhaka University, he later on obtained Fellowship (FCII)from the Chartered Insurance Institute of London and Diploma in Office Management from the Allied School of Accountancy and Business Studies, England.

Chaudhuri also received advanced training in insurance and reinsurance for about three years from England and Germany under the 'Overseas Students Training Scholarship' of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London.

For the academic excellence and outstanding performance in the Associateship and Fellowship examinations of the Chartered Insurance Institute he received the most prestigious 'Fedden Fellowship' and 'Bursary Award' of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Chaudhuri, is also a Fellow of the Federation of the Insurance Institute of India (FFII) and an Overseas Fellow of the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank, Washington.

Chaudhuri is the writer of a text book on insurance which has been widely acclaimed by various universities and institutes.

Islami Bima of Meghna Life earns Tk 28cr premium

BUSINESS REPORT

The closing session-2007 of Islami Bima (Takaful) of Meghna Life Insurance Co Ltd was held recently at the head office of the company.

Managing Director of the Company Ekramul Ameen FCA presided over the meeting.

Chairman of the company Nizamuddin Ahmed was present as the chief guest. Director, Marketing and Dev Shamsuddin Ahmed, Director Finance M A Majid, Adviser Mujib-ud-daula, Adviser Marketing Rezaul Hakim, senior executive directors, senior executives and invited senior field officials were present, among others, on the occasion.

The meeting reviewed business of Islarni Bima (Takaful) for the year 2007 and expressed satisfaction for earning Tk 28 crore premium in spite of slower economic activities in the country ravaged by natural calamities.

The meeting expressed gratitude to the senior executive director of Islami (Takaful) and other senior officials concerned for their outstanding performance.

The meeting made a clarion call to all to work sincerely to fulfil the target of Tk 50 crore in the year 2008.

National Life Ins holds executive conference

BUSINESS REPORT

National Life Insurance Company held Executive Conference 2008 at its head office in the city recently.

Founder-Chairman of the company M Haidar Chowdhury inaugurated the conference as the chief guest.

National Life Vice Chairman Abdul Monem, Executive Committee Chairman KM Habnib Zaman, directors SI Chowdhury, Tofazzal Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Mahmudul Haq Taher, Humayun Kabir, Deen M Rana and Morshed Hossain, managing director of the company and other executives were present on the occasion.

Best Air launches SMS Information Centre, Boarding Alert

BUSINESS REPORT

Best Air, one of the leading private airlines, yesterday introduced 'SMS Information Center' and 'Boarding Alert' on board of its aircrafts for the first time in Bangladesh.

It was formally announced at a press conference held at a local hotel at Gulshan in the city yesterday.

Capt. Quamrul Hasan Joarder, Director Flight Operation, Farhad Hossain, Head of Marketing and Sales, Kawsar Chowdhury, Manager, Marketing Communication and PR of Best Air and ATM Mahbubul Alam of Witel Limited addressed the press conference.

From now onwards the passengers of Best Air will enjoy boarding alert through SMS two and a half hours prior to take-off their flights. The speakers said this unique service would ensure edge of Best Air's passenger over others. A passenger only needs to keep his mobile phone set on to avail this service. One could get access from any mobile phone operating companies in Bangladesh.

Wintel Limited is the supporting partner of Best Air in this endeavor. Wintel introduces simple and easy access system of SMS for the clients.

Besides, passengers can get access to any other information related to Best Air.

The officials of Best Air highlighted various activities of the airlines. They said since the inception of the airline it has strictly been maintaining departure and arrival schedules without making any delay except in cases of natural calamities.

Best Air has been preserving its Alfa-1 seat for free for Nobel laureate Dr Mohammad Yunus.

Besides, freedom fighters also get the same privilege.

Recently, M Haider Uzzaman, Chairman of Best Air has offered the same seat to the handicapped children.

Best Air is likely to fly to foreign destinations this month. The destinations are: Dhaka-Bangkok, Dhaka-Kunming, Dhaka-Kualumpur, Dhaka-Chennai-Colombo, Dhaka-Kolkata and Chittagong-Dubai. Best Air also reduced its ticket price on Dhaka-Chittagong route with the same aircraft Boeing 737. The revised ticket price has been fixed at Tk 3,300 in place of previous Tk 3,900.

Pepsi holds annual confce at Siliguri

BUSINESS REPORT

Transcom Beverages Limited, Bangladeshi bottler of globally renowned famous carbonated beverage Pepsi, held its annual conference at Siliguri, Darjeeling in India recently.

Transcom Beverages Director Arshad Waliur Rahman, Executive Director Golam Quddus Chowdhury, General Manager Khurshid Irfan Chowdhury, Finance Manager NK Bhowmik, Factory Manager Mohsin Alam, Unit Sales Manager Pradip Kumar Halder and Market Development Manager Arif Hossain were present on the occasion.

Director of Transcom Beverages Arshad Waliur Rahman said Pepsi brands are now the number one in the beverage market of the country. He lauded the officials for achieving the target set for the company last year. Later, Golam Quddus Chowdhury discussed about different issues of 2007 and declared the sales target for the current year.

General manager and market development manager of the company also spoke on the occasion. Arif Hossain won the 'Excellence on Marketing in 2007' award for his outstanding performance, while Zakir Hossain and Abdur Rahim won the 'Best Territory Development Manager' and 'Best Customer Executive' awards respectively.

Besides, special rewards were distributed among the officials for their outstanding performance in their respective fields of operations.

The program ended with a gala cultural program as everyone sang their heart out for a successful 2008.

Conveyor Logistics inks deal with Nikisha Advertising

BUSINESS REPORT

Country's renowned freight forwarding and shipping company Conveyor Logistics Ltd and advertising firm Nikisha Advertising & Printing Company signed a contract for advertisement.

A signing ceremony was on February 24 last at the Banani Corporate Office of Conveyor Logistics Ltd.

Chairman & CEO Kabir Ahmed of Conveyor Logistics Ltd and Ms Farida Yasmin, Head of Nikisha Advertising & Printing Company signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

High officials of both the organizations AKM Abdul Awal, Md Emran Hossain, Dewan Aminul Hoque Jyoti, Anamul Hoque Shahan and Mozammel Hoque Shamim were present.

GP offers instant benefit on recharge

BUSINESS REPORT

Grameenphone (GP) has launched a special instant recharge benefit offer for its specific group of pre-paid subscribers.

Under the offer, eligible pre-paid subscribers will be able to talk up to 200 minutes at only 50 paisa per minute if they recharge any amount. They will get this benefit instantly on recharge, said a press release.

Smile mobile-mobile, Smile PSTN, Djuice and Business Solutions pre-paid subscribers who had not been using their connection for at least 30 days on February 29 or whose subscriptions had been de-active for at least 30 days on February 29 are eligible for this offer.

Eligible subscribers can enjoy a rate of 50 paisa per minute, for up to 200 minutes, to call any GP number, until April 14 on any recharge amount. The offer started on March 2 and would continue until April 14, 2008, the release added.

First pvt varsity to start full-fledged own campus

BUSINESS REPORT

Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology has created a unique history among private universities in the expansion of higher education in the country by building its own full-fledged campus. This new campus will usher in a new dimension in running the academic activities of Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology (AUST) established by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM). The long cherished desire of Dhaka Ahsania Mission has at last turned into reality.

DAM President Kazi Rafiqul Alam said this at the handing over ceremony of AUST at Tegjaon in the capital on March 3 last. He emphasised on further accelerating the already earned quality and fame of AUST at home and abroad through continuous hard efforts by all concerned.

AUST vice-chancellor Professor Dr Anwar Hossain, while speaking at the ceremony, said this picturesque university building of 4 lakh 20 thousand sft area covering 10 storeys, including two basements built on five bighas of land will work as a model for the private universities. He hoped that by April 2008, this new campus will be humming with academic activities.

AUST treasurer Dr Kazi Shariful Alam, Architecture and Planning Faculty Dean Professor Dr M A Muktadir, Business & Social Science Dean Professor Dr SM Kabir, Head of Arts and Science Deptt Dr. M Sahabuddin, EEE Deptt. Head Professor Abul Hossain and engineer-in-charge of the project and DAM Engineering Unit Head Ziaur Rasul, among others, were present on the occasion.