The New Nation - Internet Edition

Fake recruiting agent arrested in Barisal

UNB, Barisal

A fake recruiting agent was arrested from the bus stand of Banaripara upazila of the district on Saturday night. Police said Alhaj Maulana Muhammad Maksudur Rahman alias Saiful was collecting money from the people of Banaripara bus stand area assuring them of good jobs abroad. Police said they arrested him from the area at about 10:00 on the basis of complaints by the local people. Police also recovered a fake visa, fake bank-cheques, rubber stamps of different Middle East countries, false ID card of a Saudi Embassy staff and other forged documents from his possession. On primary interrogation, Maksud confessed that he cheated many people in the name of sending them abroad.

Govt seeks $350m WB loan for energy sector

BUSINESS REPORT

The government has sought a loan of more than $350 million from the World Bank to boost its power sector and build pipelines to transmit natural gas to help ease its power crisis, a senior official said yesterday.

"We are almost in the final stage (of getting the loan approved) and the money will be utilised to implement a number of projects in the energy sector, including setting up a 300-megawatt (MW) power plant," a senior official of the Ministry of Energy said.

The Washington-based bank had committed initially to a $275 million loan but later raised the amount at the request of Bangladesh government, said an official at the World Bank's office in Dhaka.

With the additional funds, a 60-km pipeline will be built to carry natural gas from the Bakhrabad field to the Siddhirganj power station.

An 11-km 230kv power transmission line will also be built to supply electricity from the power station to the Dhaka city.

Following a severe power crisis across the country, the country's development partners including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Japanese government have agreed to help fund the sector.

The country has been facing power shortages of up to 1,500 MW each day, and hundreds of factories have been idled across the country.

"Since power and energy are the lifeline for the economy, we are committed to help Bangladesh," the World Bank official said.

The government also concluded negotiations with the World Bank on Sunday for a $130 million food support package.

"Food price inflation has caused enormous hardship to the poor and low-income people in Bangladesh," said Zahid Hussain, World Bank's acting Country Director for Bangladesh.

The funds would be used to buy food and to boost production. The credit from the World Bank has 40 years to maturity, including a 10-year grace period; and carries a service charge of 0.75 percent.

Bangladesh-Japan jt venture co to invest $3.72m at KEPZ

BUSINESS REPORT

Messrs Daiei International Limited, a Bangladesh-Japan joint venture company will set up an eco-parking machine manufacturing industry at CSD area of Karnaphuli Export Processing Zone.

This jointly owned company will invest about Taka 25 crore in setting up its plant and will manufacture 1300 eco-parking machine annually to export. The company will also create employment opportunities for 341 Bangladeshi, including 10 foreign nationals.

An agreement to this effect was signed between Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and Messrs Daiei International Limited at BEPZA Complex in Dhaka recently.

Prasanta Bhushan Barua, Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Vivekaanda Sikder, Managing Director of Messrs Daiei International Limited signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Unilever announces CEO succession

BUSINESS REPORT

Unilever announced that Patrick Cescau, Group Chief Executive, will retire from Unilever at the end of the year. He has served the business for 35 years and has led Unilever for the last four, initially as Chairman and then as the company's first Group Chief Executive.

The Board intends to appoint Paul Polman, 52, currently Executive Vice President and Zone Director for the Americas at Nestlé SA, as Group Chief Executive to succeed Patrick Cescau.

Mr Polman will be proposed for appointment to the Board at Extraordinary General Meetings to be convened during the autumn. He will take over as Group Chief Executive following an orderly transition.

Michael Treschow, Chairman of Unilever said: "Patrick has had an outstanding career. We are greatly in his debt for the transformation he has brought about over the last four years. The performance of the business has improved markedly under his leadership. Liked and admired in equal measure, Patrick leaves a substantial record on which to build.

"At the same time, we are very pleased to welcome Paul Polman. He is a great talent with significant international experience and an excellent track record. He has all the attributes necessary to build on Patrick's achievements. We are delighted that he has agreed to join the business and to lead Unilever into the next stage of its development."

Patrick Cescau said: "Four years ago we set out to transform Unilever and to get the business back on track. I believe that phase of work is largely complete, so now is exactly the right time to pass on the baton.

"It has been an extraordinary privilege to lead such a great business. I leave with a real sense of pride in what has been achieved, but also great confidence in the company's ability to pursue the opportunities that lie ahead."

78 variety of Iftar items on offer: 'Restraint in prices at Agora this Ramadan’

Following the teaching of Ramadan, Agora, country's largest chain superstore, is maintaining restraint in pricing its all essential commodities during the holy Arabic month.

Keeping in mind their commitment to the society, the Agora management has officially announced that it will not raise price of any item during this Ramadan, when prices of commodities normally see substantial increases.

Meanwhile, Agora has launched Iftar haats at all its outlets on the occasion of holy Ramadan this year like the previous years. Seventy-eight tantalising Iftar items of high quality are offered at the haats.

They include Shahee halim, chicken cutlet, chicken fry, chicken wings, chicken khush chillies, chicken and beef saclick, chicken and beef sharma, vegetable roll, spring roll, potato chop, piaju, beguni, Afghani kebab, hari kebab, Afghani parota, tikka parota, prone vegetable pakora, sutli jilabi, firnee, and 20 varieties of kebab and 20 varieties of dates.

Customers can buy the pure and wholesome items, which are free from adulteration, at the Iftar haats at all the Agora's four outlets - Rifles Square (Dhanmondi), Gulshan Avenue, Moghbazar More and Mirpur (Zoo Road).

The Iftar haats are welcoming a large number of customers everyday.

Prime Bank's Islami Banking Branch holds seminar

BUSINESS REPORT

A seminar on "Impact of Holy Ramadan in social purgation and economic emancipation' was organised by Islamic Banking Branch-Mirpur of Prime Bank Limited on September 11 at BCFCC.

Professor Maulana Mohammad Salahuddin, member, Prime Bank Shariah Council attended the program as chief guest.

M. Ehsanul Haque, Managing Director of the bank presided over the meeting.

Dr M Shamser Ali, Vice Chancellor, South East University and Member, Prime Bank Shariah Council, Professor Muzahidul Islam, Chairman, Department of Banking of Dhaka University and Maulana Emdadul Haque Araihajari were the speakers of the seminar.

Nasiruddin Ahmed, AMD of the bank attended the seminar as special guest and delivered welcome speech.

Senior executives of the bank and Islamic intellectuals were also present in the seminar and Iftar Mehfil and discussed the impact of Holy Ramadan in social purgation and economic emancipation.

Coffee growing gains popularity in hill dists

BUSINESS REPORT

RANGAMATI--Coffee cultivation has been gaining popularity among farmers in Bangladesh's three hill districts under mixed crop cultivation project.

Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board started the nine-year project with a view to popularize some non-traditional value added crops like coffee, orange in Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts.

So far, coffee has been produced in 400 gardens in Ruma upazila of the district. Besides, it has been cultivated in Sajek and Borkol of the district and Ramgarh and Panchhari of Khagrachhari district.

Mac Foundation collected the coffee from the farmers and has started its processing and marketing.

Abul Hossain, a coffee farmer of Ruma upazila, said 5 kg of coffee beans could be produced from each tree and 500 grams coffee could be collected after processing 1 kg coffee beans.

Hill Tracts Development Board sources said coffee plants bear flowers in February-April and matured seeds are available in December-January.

Farmers stage demo for fertilizer in Faridpur

UNB, Faridpur

Farmers yesterday staged demonstration and went berserk at Bagdi Bangeishardi village in Boalmari upazila for fertilizer.

Local sources said about 2,000 farmers came to the shop of the

sub-dealer Quddus at about 8am for fertilizer. But the dealer said it is not possible to give them fertilizer as per demand as he has only 140 sacks of urea in his stock against the demand of 300 sacks.

Later, the angry farmers failing to get the fertilizer as per their

demand confined the Bangeishardi union block supervisor Marjina Begum for two hours from 9am. Later, she was rescued by the police.

Later, the angry farmers also staged demonstration and damaged the gate of the dealer's godown. Law enforcers brought the situation under control.

Earlier on Sunday, farmers staged demonstration and put up road barricade in Boalmari upazila demanding adequate supply of fertilizer for cultivation of their land.

Several hundred farmers turned violent and staged demonstration as officials arrived at Barga Bazaar with inadequate fertilizer on the schedule date of distribution of fertilizer.

They put up barricade on Majkandi-Bhatiapara via Boalmari road near Barga Bazaar for one hour and a half at 8am to press home their demand. Later, police rushed in and brought the situation under control.

Meanwhile, police in separate raids Sunday recovered 71 sacks of urea fertilizer and 13 sacks of TSP fertilizer from different places of the upazila.

EXIM Bank DMD Mohammed Haider Ali Miah obtains Ph.D.

The Deputy Managing Director of Export Import Bank of Bangladesh Limited Mohammed Haider Ali Miah has obtained a Ph.D. Degree on 'The Role of Marketing. on Financial Performance in showing differences between the traditional & Islamic Banking in the context of Bangladesh' under the American World University USA.

Haider completed his MBA degree on 'Marketing Management' in 1999 from London Institute of Technology of Research in United Kingdom. Miah obtained pis B.Sc. (Hon's) & M.Sc from Dhaka University. He also completed a post-graduate diploma on 'Islamic Banking & Insurance' from the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance in London and 'Diploma in Banking' from the Institute of Bankers Bangladesh.

Seminar for awareness building against adulterated products

"Obliterated items have now reached every corner of our society and causing a great deal of damage to our health and environment. While it is affecting us both physically and mentally, at the same time it is affecting the potential and future of our upcoming generation. We are also being deceived and defrauded as consumers in our daily life. It is a time when adulterated and false products are allover the market and the consumers are being deceived more than often as a result. Common people are perplexed in a market where there is abundance of food items which are either lacking the quality or have crossed the expiry date. Moreover, giving products in fewer amounts through false measurement and colorful advertisements are also there to add to our miseries. So the sufferings of the consumers are increasing day by day." These were the words of Mr. Jahidur Rahman, the National Adviser for UNIDO during his speech at the opening ceremony of the two-day long seminar arranged by Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kalyan Foundation at the seminar room of Rural Health & Development Society (RHDS).

In the two-day long event chaired by RHDS' Chairperson Dr. M. M. Hossain, also participated as the chief guest the Executive Director of Rainbow Nari O Shishu Kalyan Foundation Mohammad Khairul Alam, Special Guest the Director of BEES Mr. Anirddha Alam, PKSF representative Rashal Md. Iqbal Khan, Executive Director for SHARP Md. Abdul Hye Mia, the Executive Director for SKPR Mr. Sajay Chakrabarty, the Executive Director of RHDS Mr. Mosaddek Hossain and renowned activist against the adulterated products Mr. Altaf Hossain Mahbub. All the participants and speakers urged the audience to ensure consumer rights and to become self-aware against adulterated products and their poisonous reaction. People from all levels of the community from under Ward#42 participated in the seminar.