The New Nation - Internet Edition

HSBC donates $100,000 to SOS Children's Fund

BUSINESS REPORT

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Limited recently donated US$100,000 (Taka 69 lakh) to SOS Children's Village in Bangladesh for helping the unprivileged children. This is the largest donation made by the HSBC Group in Bangladesh in the aid of providing education to the unprivileged children.

SOS Children's Village is a non-governmental social development organisation that has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children for 59 years.

A total of 2,313 beneficiaries in the areas Rajshahi, Chittagong, Bogra and Khulna will be benefited through the SOS programme.

HSBC made this contribution under their Future First initiative. Future First is HSBC's global 5-year programme (2007-2012) for helping street children, children in need of care and orphans in countries where children are a major part of the country's population.

As part of the programme, HSBC will collaborate with local charitable organisations to positively intervene in the lives of children and to deliver a lasting and positive beneficial

impact. The aim of Future First is to support projects that make efforts to mainstream a maximum number of children through imparting education and life skills so that these children become productive assets in society.

HSBC Bangladesh has been working with various organizations in Bangladesh as part of its culture to give something back to the community, in which it operates in the areas of children's education, helping the disabled or needy, protecting and conserving the environment and promoting the local culture.

HSBC's initiatives in this regard have included both monetary and non-monetary support to various organizations and through HSBC's own initiatives including School of Hope, SEID Trust, The Book Group, Gulshan Literacy Programme, HSBC Environment Champions, HSBC Young Entrepreneur Awards and many others.

Prime Finance to manage IPO of Takaful Islami Insurance Limited

BUSINESS REPORT

Prime Finance and Investment Limited, a leading non-banking financial institution and full-fledged merchant bank, recently signed an agreement with Takaful Islami Insurance Limited to manage their proposed Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Md Akter Hossain Sannamat FCA, FCS, Managing Director of Prime Finance & Investment Limited, and Mr. Abul Kashem Chowdhury, Managing Director of Takaful Islami Insurance Limited, signed the issue management agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Md. Fazle Azim, Chairman of Takaful Islami Insurance Limited, was present at the signing ceremony.

Among others, Abul Kalam Azad, Senior DGM and Company Secretary, Moinul Ahsan Chowdhury, DGM of Takaful Islami Insurance Limited and AKM Nozmul Haque, Consultant, Moin Al Kashem, Senior Vice President, Ahsan Kabir Khan, Senior Vice President, and Md. Rezaul Haque, Vice President of Prime Finance and Investment Limited were also present on the occasion.

LEIC signs deal with Inani Leather: Provide training to 700 rural people in footwear making

BUSINESS REPORT

The Local Enterprise Investment Centre (LEIC) has signed a contribution agreement with Inani Leather & Footwear to undertake a six-month long training programme.

Seven hundred rural unskilled people, in Bhairab and Comilla, will participate in the programme and be trained to make export-quality leather shoe-uppers. This will allow Inani to make 4,000 pairs of shoe-uppers per day, and work as an outsourcing partner for Apex-Adelchi Footwear Limited, the leading footwear manufacturer of Bangladesh.

LEIC, a private sector development project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and managed by IDLC Finance Limited, is working with a special focus to facilitate inter-company long-term alliances.

Anis A. Khan, CEO and Managing Director of IDLC, and Zayedul Hossain Bhuyain, CEO and Managing Partner of Inani, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Syed Manzur Elahi, Chairman of Apex-Adelchi, was present at the signing ceremony as special guest. Md. Awal Hossain, Chairman of Inani, and Yongbok Jo, Deputy Managing Director of IDLC, were also present at the event.

Prime Bank's Road Show for 'Connecting Customers' on: Aim is to encourage deposit habits among clients

BUSINESS REPORT

The first ever Road Show of Prime Bank Limited showcasing different products and services of the bank is now going on. It was inaugurated at the bank's Gulshan Branch on March 19 last. This Road Show with a feature of traveling demonstration will be brought to all the 61 branches of the bank around the country, one after another.

The theme of this Road Show is 'Connecting Customers.'

"This new concept of marketing will give the customers a privilege of not going to the bank's branches, rather the bank officials will go customers door to door and provide them with all the information they need," said Ferdousi Sultana, Head of Public Relations of Prime Bank Limited, while speaking at a press meet at Eskaton Road Branch of Prime Bank in the city on Tuesday.

She said so far, ten branches came under the Road Show programme, including the Eskaton Road Branch.

Other branches that had the Road Show are-Gulshan, Mohakhali, Uttara, Pragati, Sarani, Bashundhara, Motijheel, Motijheel Foreign Exchange and Mouchak Branches.

According to Ferdousi Sultana, the main aim of conducting the Road Show is to instill deposit habits among the clients and to assist them in enhancing their standard of living through different consumer loan products.

In this way, she said customers and future customers willing to take products and services of Prime Bank would have detail insight into the service portfolios of the bank like Deposit Accounts, Retail Loan, Remittance Services, Credit Cards etc will be benefited directly.

She also said through the activities of Road Show, Prime Bank's different services and products are being taken to the doorsteps of grassroots level.

The press meet was also attended by Head of Marketing Ehsan Habib, Vice President, Public Relations Imtiaz Ahmed Siddiqui, SAVP of Marketing Abu Zafer Sharifuddin, AVP Javed Iqbal and Head of New Eskaton Branch, Prime Bank Limited Mohd Afzal Hossain.

Lankan co to invest $2m at Dhaka EPZ

BUSINESS REPORT

Sri Lankan company, M/s Screenline Embellisheres (Bangladesh) Limited is going to set up an embellishment manufacturing industry in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone.

This 100 per cent foreign-owned company will invest US$2 million (about Tk 13 crore 80 lakh) and will produce different type of embellishment products.

The company will create employment opportunity for 218 Bangladeshi and 12 foreign nationals.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and the M/s Screenline Embellisheres (Bangladesh) Limited in BEPZA Complex, Dhaka recently.

Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Chairman of M/s Screenline Embellisheres (Bangladesh) Limited signed the lease agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Bay Developments opts for GP Business Solutions

BUSINESS REPORT

Grameen Phone Ltd has recently signed an agreement with the Bay Developments Ltd to provide complete communication facilities under its Business Solutions package.

The GP Business Solutions is an integrated telecommunications service specially designed for the business entities of Bangladesh, providing customized telecommunications solutions through a consultative approach, tailored to the needs of individual businesses.

Since inception Bay Developments has been delivering projects and leading the sector towards higher standard of planning and a better quality of life. They have succeeded in carving themselves a niche at the top of the Dhaka's housing market.

Comprising of modern mobile telecommunications services for any business needs, the GP Business Solutions provides voice, text messaging and mobile data and internet services. Also on offer will be a complete Mobile-Office solution, including mobile email, mobile high-speed data access, internet access, mobile fax and more, providing the freedom to work from anywhere within Grameen Phone's wide coverage area.

According to the agreement Bay Developments Ltd is being provided complete communications solutions tailored to its needs, including voice, data and other services. Bay Developments Ltd will use the services to further improve communication amongst its different businesses, at an affordable cost.

The agreement was signed by Syed Nayeem Abdullah, Vice President, HR and Finance, and Laszlo Barta, Director Sales of GrameenPhone, on behalf of their respective organisations.

Iftekhar A Khan, Managing Director, Mahua Mahboob Khan, Director, Khandaker Omar Farhan, Deputy General Manager, Ehatasham Haider, Group Manager, Md Mamun Alam Topsy, Account Manager and Rafiqul Islam, Relationship Manager were present at the signing ceremony.

Abdus Samad Sheikh re-appointed as MD of Al-Arafah Islami Bank

Md. Abdus Samad Sheikh has been re-appointed as Managing Director of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd for the period from June 20, 2008 to July 29, 2010.

Samad has been working as Managing Director of this bank since June 20, 2005. He was also the Deputy Managing Director of this bank.

Samad Sheikh did his B.Com (Hons) and M.Com. in Accunting from Dhaka University in 1968 and 1969 respectively. He started his banking career in 'State Bank of Pakistan' under the Bank Officials Training Scheme (BOTS) in July 1970. Then he joined Agrani Bank in July 1971. In his long tenure of service, Samad held various responsible positions in Agrani Bank as Branch Manager and Zonal Head. He also worked as Divisional Head and as General Manager in-charge of International Division, Foreign Exchange Corporate Branch, Central Accounts Division, Computer System and Procedures Division, Recovery Division and Law Division.

Samad participated in a good number of professional training courses and workshops at home and abroad. He stood first in Banking Diploma Part-2 and obtained Bangladesh Bank Gold Medal in 1976. Samad visited different countries including the USA, Japan and Malaysia for professional purposes.

Brother's Gazipur liaison office opened

A colourful function was organised on the occasion of opening ceremony of the Brother Gazipur Liasion Office at the Regency Hotel, Dhaka, on Wednesday. In the opening ceremony arranged by the Brother International Singapore (Pte), Ltd, Atiqul Islam, Director of BGMEA was present. Among others, were present Brother International Singapore (Pte) Ltd's Director and General Manager Toshiaki Yiamada, Deputy Gen. Manager Yashushi Tusaka and Manager Raihan Uddin Khan.

The Brothers expressed the hope that they would continue supplying their machineries and thereby they would cooperate with local garments Industry. The function was ended with cultural programme, raffl draw and dinner.

Sanofi-aventis completes merger in Bangladesh

Sanofi-aventis Bangladesh Limited is the new entity that has been formed through the amalgamation of three legal entities-Aventis Limited, Fisons (Bangladesh) Limited and Hoechst Marion Roussel Limited. The legal integration process has taken few years after the global merger between sanofi-synthalebo and Aventis in September 2004 and finally the existing three legal entities have amalgamated as Sanofi-Aventis Bangladesh Limited on December 11, 2007. The new name of the of the newly amalgamated company has been registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms on January 31, 2008.Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical group, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. The Group is present in more than 100 countries with around 11,000 scientists and more than 100,000 employees worldwide. Sanofi-aventis has a portfolio containing a wide range of innovative vaccines and medicines, particularly in its areas of excellence and expertise such as thrombosis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, oncology, disorders of the central nervous system, vaccines and internal medicine. Sanofi-aventis Bangladesh Limited has a diverse portfolio of products ranging from widespread names like Fimoxyl, Sefrad, Clexane, Amaryl, Profenid etc to traditional names like Flagyl, Stemetil, Oracyn-K, Frisium etc to revolutionary original research product like Eloxatin, Taxotere and Lantus.

Sanofi-aventis Bangladesh Limited, being the largest global pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, is making a considerable contribution in the national economy of Bangladesh in addition to the technology transfer in the local pharmaceutical field. Apart from that, sanofi-aventis Bangladesh Limited is strongly committed as a socially responsible organization. Projects like "My child matters" carried out in partnership with UICC (International Union against Cancer) to fight against child cancer is one of the numerous examples of the organization's commitment to the society.

Sanofi-aventis Bangladesh Limited contributed a total of Taka 28.4 crore to the national exchequer in the form of Tax, VAT, custom duties etc. in 2007. The Government of Bangladesh holds 45% shares in the company.

All the business transactions and communications will now be carried out in the name of sanofi-aventis Bangladesh Limited. Doctors, chemists and institutions and other key stakeholders have been duly communicated about the merger and have been requested to update their records adapting to the new entity sanofi-aventis Bangladesh Limited. Decision about the legal merger has also been communicated to all employees through internal events.

Sanofi-aventis Bangladesh Limited has always been committed in meeting and exceeding the stakeholders' expectations and earning the respect of various institutions as the long-term professional partner of choice.