The New Nation - Internet Edition

Warid allows prepaid subscribers to decide call rate

BUSINESS REPORT

For the first time in Bangladesh Warid Telecom offers its subscribers to choose call rate according to their choice. From now on the Warid subscribers can say "With Zem prepaid I decide my call rate."

Under this new offer the Warid Zem prepaid subscribers can choose from four alternative tariff options -- Zem Startup, Zem 24hrs, Zem 1 Sec and Zem FnF - and switch between them once a day without any charge.

In the Zem Startup feature, the subscribers will get Tk 0.99/minute call rate from 9am to 5pm and Tk 1.80/minute in regular hours to any operator. The subscribers will get Tk 0.99/minute day and night call rate in Warid FnF numbers. For other operators' FnF, they will get Tk 0.99/minute call rate from 9am to 5pm and Tk 1.20/minute in regular hours.

In Zem 24 hrs, the users will enjoy Tk 0.80/minute day and night call rate to any Warid numbers and Tk 1.50/minute to other operators. Besides, the customers will get Tk 0.60/minute call rate to Warid FnF and Tk 1.20/minute to other FnF.

In Zem 1 Sec, the customers have to pay two paisa/second for Warid to Warid calls and three paisa/second for other operator calls. They will also enjoy Tk 0.70/minute call rate to Warid FnF numbers and Tk 1.40/minute to other FnF.

In Zem FnF, the users will get Tk 1.20/minute call rate for Warid-Warid calls and Tk 1.80/minute call rate for other operators. The customers will also enjoy Tk 0.25/minute call rate to Warid FnF number and Tk 0.49/minute call rate to other operator's FnF number.

Now all Zem connection comes at a price of Tk 99 with Tk 50 bonus talk time. The fastest growing mobile company in the country streamlined its prepaid portfolio to serve consumers more comprehensively

It is worth mentioning here that apart from all standard facilities and Value Added Services (VAS), the Zem connection is also powered with ISD and BTTB incoming and outgoing facilities - something unique in prepaid category in the country.

Warid Telecom has expanded network to 61 districts in six months of operations recording the fastest subscriber growth by a mobile company in Bangladesh. Warid Telecom has emerged as a standard setter in the industry as the company has given many firsts to the country's telecommunications sector such as introduction of NGN Technology, 20 FnF, one second pulse from the very first minute for prepaid subscribers, below Taka 1 call rate to other operator, SIM Genie and payment of license fee to government coffer.

GP to fund pilot cervical cancer vaccination program

Grameenphone Ltd will fund, for the first time in Bangladesh, a pilot vaccination program to prevent cervical cancer among economically disadvantaged young women.

The vaccination program will be administered by Bangladesh Medical College Hospital in collaboration with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University and Harvard University. It will be jointly conducted by a committee headed by Professor Shaila Khatun, Professor Samina Chowdhury and others.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women.and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in many developing countries. It affects relatively young women and it is the largest single cause of years of life lost to cancer in the developing world. The Human Papillona Virus (HPV) accounts for a great majority of all cervical cancers worldwide. The HPV vaccine has recently been found to have the potential to prevent cervical cancer among women.

"This pilot vaccination program to prevent cervical cancer among poor young women is a great initiative. This vaccine has only recently been introduced in some developed countries like the United States, Canada and Europe and this is perhaps the first it is being planned to be administered in any developing country," said Professor ABMF Karim, Professor Emeritus, Vrije University, Amsterdam, and Chairman of the Oncology Club and Adviser of the SAARC Federation of Oncologists. "As this type of cancer is more prevalent among poor women in our country, it is quite appropriate to target this group," he added.

Under the pilot program, the HPV vaccination will be administered among 30 economically disadvantaged young women.

The Harvard Medical School will conduct an impact study on the vaccination program. This pilot study of evaluating the HPV vaccine in Bangladesh was proposed by Dr. Bimalangshu Dey and Dr. Annekathryn Goodman both from the Harvard Medical School. The study is designed to look at the cost implications and feasibility of possible integration of the program into routine vaccination schedules for women aged between 11 and 26 years.

Additionally, issues of culture and parental attitudes will be studied. Dr. Dey is from Bangladesh and is also a Hematologic Malignancy & Bone Marrow Transplantation specialist at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Goodman is currently the head of the Gynecological Oncology Department at the Massachusetts General Hospital and a leading authority in the field of cervical cancer prevention.

"Such a program will not only carry clinical potential and academic merits, this will also open up a new avenue for greater clinical and scientific collaborations with foreign institutions worldwide. The benefits from such an initiative will be diverse and limitless," observed Dr. Dey.

Nokia opens care centre in Narayanganj

Nokia opened its 28th Care Centre at Nayan Super Market on BB Road in Narayanganj recently. Conveniently located at the heart of the town, the Care Centre in Narayanganj is equipped to handle after-sales service for Nokia users.

Nokia Emerging Asia's Care Manager Riad Rouf said, "We are delighted to open a Care Centre in Narayanganj, a major commercial hub of the country. We believe this will enable us to provide after-sales support and service to the vast number of Nokia users in Narayanganj."

Nokia's customer care network in Bangladesh allows Nokia customers to benefit from Nokia's globally acclaimed care services at global customer service standards.

The senior management of the Nokia Care team along with Nokia Care Partner, Mobile Technic (BD) Ltd were present at the opening ceremony Nokia has plans to continue to expand its Care Centre network throughout Bangladesh in the coming months providing Nokia users with complete after-sales service and solutions.

Beximco Pharma awards merit scholarships

Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL), a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer and exporter of Bangladesh, launched a 'Merit Scholarship Scheme' for the children of its factory employees.

Nazmul Hassan, Chief Executive Officer of Beximco Pharma, handed over the scholarship awards to this year's recipients in the 'Annual Cultural Function' of BPL factory in Tongi on March 22, 2008. The scholarships are awarded in four categories, namely for outstanding achievements in Primary Scholarship Examination, Junior Scholarship Examination, A+/A grade holders in Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary School Certificate Examinations.

On this occasion Beximco Pharma CEO Nazmul Hassan said:

Beximco Pharma has been a people oriented organisation from its very inception and has always believed and acted upon the philosophy that it is the human factor, not the machines that make up the company and keep it running. At Beximco Pharma its employees are always regarded as the most valuable of all resources and it's a core belief at BPL that, giving the employees bigger share of the values will ensure bigger values in return. In line with this, BPL maintains many schemes for the welfare of the employees and this 'Merit Scholarship Scheme' is the recent addition.

I hope this scheme will take the prevailing hale and hearty employer-employee relationship at BPL to a higher ground."

Eli Lilly donates insulin to DAB for diabetics

The world famous pharmaceuticals company Eli Lilly & Co. has donated a large number of insulin to DAB for the treatment of diabetics in Bangladesh. Yesterday a donation ceremony has been held at BIRDEM auditorium.

In that ceremony Cem Colakoglu, Managing Director of Eli Lilly Pakistan has formally handed over ten thousand and five hundred vials of insulin to Prof. AK Azad Khan, president, Diabetic Association of Bangladesh.

This insulin will be distributed among the deserving patients of Bangladesh through the Social Welfare Department of DAB. Prof AK Azad Khan has eminently appreciated this great endeavor of Eli Lilly.

On the other hand the management of Eli Lilly has promised to keep on their commitment for the welfare of diabetics of Bangladesh.

Among others, Secretary General of DAB Md Sayef Uddin, the Director General of BIRDEM Prof Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, Prof Dr AR Khan, Marketing Director of Eli Lilly Pakistan Rana Azfar Zafar and the local partner Managing Director of Intematiorial Agencies Swapan Kumar Modak were present in the ceremony.

Liberia, a huge potential market for Bangladeshi exporters

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh can earn huge foreign currencies by exporting various goods, especially medicines, to the West African country of Liberia.

"There is a huge scope for exporting various Bangladeshi goods, including medicines, cement and matches, to the West African country," said Brigadier General Monawar Hossain, former sector commander of Bangladesh Sector-3 in Liberia.

Medicines available in the war-torn country are very expensive. The price of a paracetamol tablet in Liberia is Taka 15, where it is only Taka 0.70 in Bangladesh, he said.

Brigadier General Monawar said Bangladeshi businessmen could avail the opportunity by exporting the medicines.

Ar present, Lebanon and India are dominating the medicine markets of the country where a single pharmaceutical industry is not set up.

Besides, Bangladeshi businessmen can invest in other sectors like cement, plastic products, matches and agriculture in Liberia, Brigadier General Monawar said.

A small quantity of Bangladeshi fruit juice and other goods, produced by Pran Group, are now being exported to the war-ravaged country, he said.

Though the Liberia's land is very fertile, thousands of acres of farmland remained abandoned there for a long time as local people are less interested in cultivation.

There is a huge number of palm gardens across the West African country but the gardens turned into jungles as nobody is there to clean it.

Liberia, a country rich in scenic beauty as well as natural resources, unfortunately has been the victim of one of the longest civil wars in the world. The effect of this conflict has devastated the country's economy.

At least 80 percent people of Liberia are now jobless as there is no work ready for them.

Liberia, home to 3.5 million people, is almost peaceful following the general elections held in 2005 and disarmament of the rebels, bringing an end to a 14-year-old civil war.

But the war-torn country is yet to reestablish its national power supply, seaport operation, land telephone system, public bus service, railway service and other major economic activities.

HR Textile declares 8.50pc dividend at 23rd AGM

The 23rd Annual General Meeting of H.R. Textile Mills Limited was held on March 23 last at Trust Milonayaton, 545 Old Airport Road, Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka-1206. The company declared 8.50% dividend for the year ended 30th September 2007, which has been approved in the AGM.

Two Singer Plus customers win air tickets

Under the ongoing special campaign "Discount Bhorpur, Shei Sathe Summer Tour" at all Singer Plus Shops across the country Mrs. Nabila Rahman of Dhaka and M A Zahed Monjur of Chittagong have won air tickets on March 20 (Thursday) for Malaysia and China after buying an air conditioner and a television set respectively.

Winner from the Bangla Motor Singer Plus Shop Mrs. Nabila Rahman formally received the Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur-Dhaka air ticket from Area Manager of Singer Bangladesh Limited Mr. Asghar Hossain recently.

Winner from Sheikh Mujib Road Singer Plus Shop in Chittagong Mr. M A Zahed Monjur formally received the Dhaka-Kunming-Dhaka air ticket from Area Manager of Singer Bangladesh Limited Nayeem Chowdhury

Under the campaign launched on March 15, buyers of air conditioner, refrigerator, colour television, IPS, generators and fans will get a coupon enabling two buyers every week to win air tickets to Malaysia, China or Nepal.

The campaign which ends on April 30, 2008 also enables buyers of refrigerator/freezer and colour television to get guaranteed discount starting from Tk 500 up to Tk 10,000 through scratch card along with a special six year.

Green Delta opens 35th branch at Uttara

BUSINESS REPORT

Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd opened its 35th branch at the city's Uttara (sector-11) recently.

Managing Director and CEO of the company Nasir A Choudhury inaugurated the new branch as the chief guest, said a press release.

Adviser (HR and marketing) ASA Muiz, Deputy Managing Director Sultan Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director and CFO Nazim Tazik Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director Alauddin Gazi, Executive Director Nazrul Islam, Head of HR Syed Kaiser Ahmed, Sr Consultant Zuber Ahmed Khan, Sr Executive Vice President Md Munir Ahmed, Executive Vice President Kabir A Chowdhury, Executive Vice President HR Khadem, among others, were present on the occasion.

Nasir A Choudhury in his speech urged the local businessmen and clients to avail themselves of the modern insurance services from the new branch. The function was followed by a Doa Mahfil on the branch premises.

SIBL holds board meeting

The 168th meeting of the Board of Directors of Social Investment Bank Limited was held in the Board Room of the bank on March 24 last. Abdul Awal Patwary, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank presided over the meeting. Vice-Chairmen, Directors, Managing Director KM Ashaduzzaman , Deputy Managing Director Abu Sadek Md Sohel and Board Secretary Md. Akhtar Hussain were present in the meeting. Important decisions on various activities of the bank were taken in the meeting.

ICMAB holds discussion in Ctg

BUSINESS REPORT

The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) organised a discussion on professional matters and development of the ICMAB at CMA Bhaban at Agrabad in Chittagong recently.

President Zahir Uddin Ahmed presided over the meeting.

A good number of fellows and associate members of the ICMAB Chittagong region were present in the meeting and took part in the discussion

Chairman of Chittagong branch Council Md Saifur Rahman Mazumdar spoke about the various problems of Chittagong branch and requested the national council of the institute to look into those matters and to solve them.

Members of the region expressed their views, placed suggestions for future courses of action.

Emirates calls a world first

Emirates is the first airline in the world to commercially launch an inflight mobile telephone service, affording even greater convenience to passengers wishing to stay connected while travelling.

The first authorised mobile phone call made from a commercial flight was made today at 30,000ft enroute to Casablanca, onboard an Emirates Airbus A340-300 aircraft - the first in the airline's fleet to be equipped with the AeroMobile system.

The innovative airline will be investing some US$27 million to fit its fleet with the AeroMobile system which ensures that passenger mobile phones operate at their absolute minimum power, thereby allowing their safe use on the aircraft. A second Emirates aircraft, a Boeing 777-300, has already been installed with the AeroMobile system and will be in operation very shortly.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: "All seats across our fleet are already equipped with in-seat phones, as well as email and text messaging capabilities via the in-seat entertainment system.

"As the world leader in innovation for our customers, we are delighted to now offer them the choice of using their own mobile phones to contact friends, family or colleagues while flying with us. Our customers are already making more than 7,000 calls a month from our in-seat phones, so we will be making life easier for those for whom staying in touch has become an important part of their everyday lives."

Over the past 18 months, Emirates and AeroMobile has worked closely with regulators and telecommunications providers across the globe, fully completing rigorous testing and certification processes.

The service will only be activated when the aircraft is at cruising altitude and the cabin crew will have full control over the system, including the ability to prevent voice calls at certain times such as during night flights. The number of calls that may be made at any one time is also limited to a maximum of five or six calls, the same number as for the current in-seat phones used regularly by Emirates' passengers.

Emirates cabin staff and information videos will advise and encourage passengers to switch their phones to silent or vibrate mode when used in the aircraft.

In addition to calls, the service will also allow passengers to send and receive text messages, with charges in line with premium international roaming rates. Users will be billed on their regular phone bills by their own service providers as with any other roaming call.

AeroMobile chief executive Bjorn-Taale Sandberg said: "We are delighted to join Emirates in delivering a genuine world first for the airline industry. Emirates has set an industry-leading standard for passengers communications in launching AeroMobile services. We know that many airlines are interested in AeroMobile and will be keen to follow Emirates' lead.

"We believe that the ability to communicate efficiently, easily and safely when on board flights will become an every-day feature of business and leisure travel very quickly. We have gone to considerable lengths to ensure that all safety and regulatory issues have been fully addressed, so we are pleased that Emirates has been able to join us in being first past the post in offering a full voice call service."

Emirates and AeroMobile will be working to add further features to the benefit of Emirates' passengers. These include the ability for BlackBerry®-type email and other GPRS data applications later in 2008 and also to integrate AeroMobile with Emirates' award-winning ICE inflight entertainment system.

On aircraft where the AeroMobile system is not installed, existing rules banning the use of mobile phones by passengers remain in force at all times. Mobile phones must remain switched off for the duration of the flight in accordance with current aviation regulatory requirements, and passengers must continue to follow the instructions of the cabin staff at all times regarding the use of mobile phones and other portable electronic devices.