The New Nation - Internet Edition

BKB disburses loans of Tk 41.83 crore in Pirojpur

UNB, Pirojpur

Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) disbursed Tk 41.83 crore loans among 43,467 people here in the last fiscal year.

Of the total loans, Tk 25.28 crore was given for crop cultivation, Tk 4.74 crore for fish project, Tk 2.98 crore for livestock, Tk 21 lakh for purchasing farm equipment and Tk 8.62 crore for other sectors.

The bank also realised Tk 31.28 crore outstanding loans during the same period.

Asian University for Women names Malaysian as provost: First Regional Women's University for Underserved Students

CAMBRIDGE-The Asian University for Women (AUW), scheduled to open its undergraduate programs in August 2009 in Bangladesh in the 2009, has named Dr. Hoon Eng Khoo as the university's first Provost.

A graduate of Smith College and a Malaysian national, Dr. Khoo holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of London and served on the faculty of the medical schools at the National University of Singapore and at the National University of Malaysia.

In naming Dr. Khoo, Vice Chancellor Nancy Dye said: "As an esteemed colleague, Dr. Khoo will serve as chief advocate for the academic needs of students and as champion of faculty rights and responsibilities."

Dr. Khoo's personal background reflects the mission of AUW. Born into a modest family of a mother whose studies were interrupted after four years of primary school and a father who became a teacher, she rose to Vice Dean at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where she also held positions as Associate Director of the Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning; and Deputy Head (Preclinical) of the Medical Education Unit. In 2006, she was given an Excellent Teaching Award by NUS.

She was awarded a scholarship by Smith College, which led her to take her first plane ride and enroll in the prestigious U.S. women's institution. Upon completion of a degree in Biochemistry, she won a scholarship to complete her PhD at St. Mary's Medical School, of Imperial College of Science and Technology in London. In both her native Malaysia and Singapore she has set up non-governmental organizations in environmental protection and women's rights while remaining active in advocacy projects for HIV / AIDS support organizations.

"I will do my best to ensure that the Asian University for Women builds a strong foundation for its mission to encompass both the progressive liberal arts and requisite professional training in developing eligible young women," Dr. Khoo said. "We will recruit students of strong ability who may not otherwise have had an opportunity for higher education, and we are actively recruiting faculty to help fulfill this potential."

Her many leadership roles in the sciences, pedagogy, teaching, and administration of multicultural, multidisciplinary institutions have led her to co-author three books. Basics of Medical Education is about to be re-printed in a second edition. Her Practical Guide to Medical Student Assessment, published in 2007, continues to receive strong reviews.

Dr. Khoo will speak on "Preparing Young Women in Asia to Overcome History," Saturday, October 18, 2008, at the Inaugural Ceremonies for the Asian University for Women. The Honorable Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Advisor, and Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammed Yunus will also offer remarks. This ceremony occurs at the China Friendship Convention Center in Dhaka from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Grameenphone signs deal with Friendship

Grameenphone Ltd has recently signed an agreement with the Friendship to provide complete communication facilities under its Business Solutions package.

Grameenphone 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 or organization.

Friendship was established in Bangladesh by Yves Marre and Runa Khan Marre in 1998, to identify and reach the poorest of the poor and the most marginalized communities. With an aim to provide essential basic services in the most inaccessible and hard to reach areas Friendship works in the chars and riverbank 'areas of northern Bangladesh mostly in Gaibandha and Kurigram. Friendship also operates in five other districts (Bogra, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Tangail and Pabna). Their ongoing project is Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital (Floating Hospital) at Gaibandha.

Grameenphone Business Solutions, comprising of modern mobile telecommunications services for any business, needs, provides voice, text messaging and mobile data and internet services. Also an offer is a complete Mobile-Office solution, including mobile email, mobile high-speed data access, internet access and more, providing the freedom to work from anywhere within Grameenphone's wide network coverage.

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

The agreement was signed by Ms Runa Khan, Executive Director, Friendship and Khandaker Omar Farhan, Deputy General Manager of Direct Sales (Dhaka) of Grameenphone Ltd, on behalf of their respective organizations.

Ruhul Amin (AED, F&A), Parvez Mahmood (Manager, Management & Logistics), Shazidul Islam (Asst Public Relations Officer) of Friendship and Muhammad Jannatul Haque (Group Manager), Md Fakrul Abedin (Relationship Manager) and Ms Farzana Sharmin (Account Manager) of Grameenphone Ltd were present at the signing ceremony.

Magnum Marketing holds annual dealers' confce

The Annual Dealers' Conference-2008 of Magnum Marketing Ltd, the sole distributor of world-renowned Japanese brand Hitachi electronics home appliances, was held in a city hotel recently.

Masayuki Inoue, ambassador of Japan in Bangladesh, was present as the chief guest on the occasion and distributed prizes among the dealers who made outstanding performance during the year 2007-08.

Among others, President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hossain Khaled and Managing Director of Hitachi Home Electronics Asia (S) Pte. Ltd, Singapore Masanori Iwanaga attended the function as the special guests and spoke in the prize giving ceremony.

On behalf of Magnum Marketing Ltd, its Director Mian Ashique-E-Mustafa made a welcome speech, General Manager Mahmudun Nabi Chowdhury and Managing Director Mian Ahmed Kibria also spoke on the occasion.

SIBL board meeting held

BUSINESS REPORT

The 176th meeting of the Board of Directors of Social Investment Bank Limited (SIBL) was held in the Board Room of the bank on September 1, 2008. 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, Chief Financial Officer Walid Mahmud Sobhani and Board Secretary Mahamud Hassan were present at the meeting. Important decisions on various activities of the bank were taken.

Warid offers 20 pc bonus talk-time on first recharge

BUSINESS REPORT

Warid Telecom is offering 20 per cent special bonus talk-time for its Zem prepaid customers who will recharge their account first time after purchase of the connection.

The Zem subscribers can top-up their accounts via E'ZEE Load and scratch card to enjoy the bonus talk-time.

The maximum bonus talk-time that the subscriber can get is Tk 60.

The subscribers could use the bonus talk-time for making calls to other operators only.

Warid Telecom believes the new promotional offer will encourage valued subscribers to recharge their accounts for enjoying the bonus talk-time.

Warid Telecom, a subsidiary of UAE-based Abu Dhabi Group, launched its commercial operation in Bangladesh in May 10, 2007 as the sixth the mobile phone operator. Within one year, the company became fourth largest operator by acquiring nearly 3.5 million subscribers through spreading its network to all the 64 districts.

4 more Berger Color Bank outlets opened in Ctg

BUSINESS REPORT

A total of four Berger Color Bank outlets were inaugurated recently in Chittagong.

Managing Director of Berger Paints (BD) Ltd Ms Rupali Chowdhury inaugurated Uncommon Hardware at Hathazari, Tohid and Brothers at Fatikchari, Macca Hardware Store at Chandgaong Road, and Asha Hardwar Store at Baizid Bostami Road in Chittagong on Sunday.

Mohsin Habib Chowdhury, GM, Sales and Marketing, Syed Abu Abed Saher, GSM and Branch Manager of Chittagong were also present at the inauguration ceremony. Among others high officials of Berger Paints and eminent personalities were present.

The new ColorBank outlets have been inaugurated keeping in mind the increasing demand of Color Bank shades from Berger.

Through ColorBank, Berger offers customers with their dream colors from an array of more than 5,000 shades that can be produced in 5 minutes. ColorBank products which are environmental friendly, lead free are available in through all ColorBank outlets across the country.

Speakers at the inauguration of free Treatment Centre: Treatment, rehabilitation of drug addicts important to combat crime

Treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts are important to combat crime. Due to easy access to drugs it has spread widely as a serious social disease. At present, 20,000, out of about 50,000 drug addicts in the country, take drugs through syringes.

Speakers said this at the inaugural ceremony or the 3rd 40-bed free Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Center of Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) with the financial and technical support or Family Health International at 32-34 Johnson Road of old Dhaka on September 3.

Speakers further said that DAM has given free drug addiction treatment to 1459 addicts and helped their rehabilitation in old Dhaka and Mymensingh from 2005 with the financial and technical support of Family Health International. Out of the drug addicts who received free treatment from the mission, majority of them have returned to normal life.

Meanwhile, 96 persons have been provided with jobs, technical training were given to 939 persons and 33 HIV patients have been provided with free drug addiction treatment and service. Moreover, Ahsania Mission is going to start a drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation centre for the female in the capital this year.

Additional Secretary of the Home Ministry Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid, who was the chief guest inaugurated the treatment center. Presided over by DAM Program Director Shafiqul Islam, Family Health International Country Director Misti McDowell was present as special guest and DAM Assistant Director AKM Abdur Razzak, Project Manager Iqbal Masud and Family Health International Program Officer Sheikh Jahangir Hossain were present on the occasion.

It may be mentioned that DAM has been operating one 100-bed treatment centre at Gazipur, one 60-bed free treatment centre at Johnson Road in old Dhaka and one 35-bed rehabilitation and treatment centre in Mymensing town. Since 1990 DAM has been conducting anti-drug activities through 402 sub committees in 150 upazilas of 54 districts in Bangladesh.

Seminar on Call Center held at NUB

Seminar on Call Center held at Business Campus auditorium, Northern University Bangladesh recently. This Seminar jointly organised by Northern University Bangladesh and North South University (NSU).

Sr. Lecturer Salauddin Sumon was the Moderator of seminar where Prof. Dr. Nurul Islam, Dean, Faculty of Science of NUB, Lecturer Monirul Alam, Joyonto Kumar Deb of SYSTEL solution were the participants on discussion and Mizanur Rahman.

Mosiur Rahman, Asst. Professor, NSU presented the keynote paper at the seminar.

Speakers of the Seminar said that at present call center is very important sector. There is a great opportunity to run it in Bangladesh. And if we use this opportunity properly, we must be benefited from this sector.

Run by a call center it is possible to earn more foreign currency than RMG sector without export any raw materials. Besides these, there is also some Scope to created job and increase our technical business.

Deal signed between IBBL and MoneyGram

An agreement of remittance arrangement was signed recently between Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited and MoneyGram Payment Systems, Inc, USA. Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Managing Director & Head of International Banking Wing of IBBL and Ms. Carolyn J. Anderson, Vice President of MoneyGram Payment System Inc., USA signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

As a result of this agreement Bangladeshi expatriate from 180 countries of the world can remit their money at lower cost within 10 minutes through MoneyGram from their 1 lac 56 thousand agent office/location. Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has by now signed remittance Agreement with 79 Banks and Exchange Houses of the world including the USA.

Through different modernised technologies along with larger banking channel and internet facility of IBBL now ensures the reception of money sent by the expatriates to the recipients in a shorter period than before.

Teenagers sweep greater Mymensingh Fair and Care Beauty Fair

Kohinoor Chemical Co. (Bangladesh) Limited recently kicked off a 3-week-long massive promotional campaign for its fairness cream Fair and Care titled as "Data Hatem Taii" along with Fair and Care Beauty Fair for greater Mymensingh (Mymensingh, Netrakona, Sherpur, Jamalpur and Kishoreganj) aiming at ensuring greater involvement of the shop owners and the consumers. The final part of the long campaign marked as Fair and Care Beauty Fair was held on 29 August 2008 at Hotel Amir International at Mymenisgh dedicated only for female participants. A marked multitude of enthusiastic participants from across the greater Mymensingh region swept through the many splendors of the day-long Beauty Fair. Unique attraction of the fair included meeting with Fair and Care TV Commercial's lead beauty model Saina, health, fashion and fitness tips, horoscope, mehedi decoration, hourly Raffle Draw and instant distribution of attractive prizes, lifestyle glimpses of the Miss World pageantry and of course, a wide demonstration of Kohinoor Chemical's Tibet and other beauty/healthcare products.

Women from all walks of life, especially teenagers crowded the first-ever Beauty Fair ever held at Mymensingh. A selection from among the pretty faces attended the Fair was instantly called in "Look of the Day" photo sessions, that indeed added a unique spice to the day-long Fair for the beauties.