The New Nation - Internet Edition

BGMEA annual show begins on Nov 6 in city

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will hold its three-day annual international event "Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition" (BATEXPO'08) at Hotel Sonargaon from November 6.

Latest developments in quality and fashion of readymade garments and textile products of Bangladesh will be displayed in the three-day show to attract foreign buyers and businessmen, a press release said.

Contraceptive use rises to 56 pc in three decades

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh made remarkable achievements in increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate to 56 percent from 8 percent over the last three decades. But to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), the country should attain an increase in contraceptive use by more than 25 percent up to 2015.

The increase in users of contraceptive was possible due to higher use of temporary methods. But the use of permanent and long-term methods has decreased during the period, a recent study of a research organization showed.

The study conducted by the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT), Mitra and Associates, and ORC Macro 2007, showed that the majority of modern contraceptive method acceptors currently use pills even though more than half have already completed their desired family size or in case when they want no more children.

According to the study report, the current family planning programme has not been successful in motivating couples who do not want any more children in accepting long-term and permanent contraceptive methods.

"There is a little emphasis on the balance in the effective use of contraceptive methods while the imbalance in the method- mix is being considered as one of the reasons for the delay in reaching replacement level fertility," it said.

Since high discontinuation of contraceptive methods is one of the programmatic issues persistent in many developing countries, women in Bangladesh frequently discontinue contraceptive pills, injectables and IUDs because of side- effects, the report said.

Experts in their survey report suggested training for the service providers to increase their knowledge and skills in managing contraceptive side-effects. They also need training for providing reproductive health (RH) services too, particularly reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Programme efforts should, therefore, be strengthened to educate couples about probable side-effects of contraceptive methods and to enhance the service providers' capacity to deliver family planning (FP) services based on clients' eligibility as well as life cycle needs.

The Population Council has undertaken an operations research study under the Demand Based Reproductive Health Commodity Project (DBRHCP) to test a service delivery model, which is intended to enhance the rational use of modern contraceptive methods among rural women in Bangladesh, it mentioned.

The NIPORT is implementing the project with four partners with financial assistance of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and technical assistance by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Meanwhile, donor contributions for contraceptives and condoms for HIV prevention globally amounted to $223 million in 2007, a five per cent increase over the 2006 total of $212 million, according to a new analysis by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

"This is despite a growing unmet need for such supplies, as more couples use modern methods of contraception and world population continues to increase," the experts commented in the report.

Contained in donor support for contraceptives and condoms for STD and HIV prevention in 2007 the, the report showed that funding for these supplies had virtually stagnated since 2001, when it peaked at $224 million.

According to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals report for 2007, globally some 200 million women have an unmet need for effective family planning.

The report also showed that donor investments in the female condom marked a six fold increase from nearly $2 million in 2001 to almost $13 million in 2007. In addition, it said, 85 per cent of donor support in 2007 was allocated to three types of supplies: male condoms, oral contraceptives and injectables.

Income from ICT likely to surpass $300m by 2011

BSS, Dhaka

Income from IT enabled service (ITES) will go up to US$ 150 million from the present US$ 7 million in Bangladesh by 2011, speakers told a press conference here on Saturday.

"There exists a 300 billion US dollar global market for ITES. If we could tape only .50 percent of the service, the country's income from the sector will stand at US$ 150 million by 2011 from the present US$ 7 million," Habibullah N Karim, President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), said.

Quoting a survey of the Geneva-based International Trade Centre, he said if the software service included, it is likely to surpass US$ 300 million by the period.

Karim said Bangladesh could be turned into a middle-income country if it gives proper attention to the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

BASIS arranged the press conference in connection with the BASIS SoftExpo 2009, the biggest ICT event in the country.

The five-day BASIS SoftExpo 2009 will be held at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre on January 27-31, organisers said at the press conference.

The head of the government is expected to inaugurate the gala IT exposition. The theme of the BASIS SoftExpo 2009 is "Linking People With Technology."

The main goals of the fair are to help create a global platform showcasing the immense potentials, resources and skills available in Bangladesh, increase the share of ICT in Bangladesh's GDP, create job opportunities for placement of skilled ICT professionals locally and internationally and facilitate the matchmaking of local and global clients with Bangladesh IT companies, the organizers said.

Rasheda inaugurates weeklong photography exhibition in city

BSS, Dhaka

Adviser for Cultural Affairs Rasheda K Chowdhury on Saturday said an artist can depict the culture and civilization of a country through his or her brush and colour.

The adviser said this while inaugurating a weeklong International Photography Exhibition at the National Museum auditorium here as the chief guest, an official handout said.

The show was jointly organized by Asia-Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO (ACCU) in cooperation with Japanese embassy here.

A large number of visitors, including Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Masayuki Inoue and director general of ACCU Kunio Sato, were present on the occasion.

A total of 80 important photographs from 38 countries have been put on display in the show.

The exhibition will remain open for public from 10 am to 7 pm everyday until October 17.

Rahat Khan honoured for literary works

BSS, Dhaka

Litterateur Rahat Khan, who has traversed a long way embellishing and invigorating the literary arena, was honoured here yesterday marking his fifty years as a writer covering a variety of creative works.

Speakers showered praise on him for his multifaceted talents and he was greeted with flowers, songs and gifts at a small but lively gathering at Bangladesh National Museum.

The 68-year-old Rahat Khan, also Editor of the daily Ittefaq, was visibly moved by the sentiments expressed by his seniors, friends and admirers, who congratulated him for his long journey in the field of Bengali literature and wished further success in the years ahead.

Presided over by noted educationist Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, National Professor Kabir Chowdhury was the chief guest on the occasion.

The speakers included Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique of Dhaka University, writer Anwara Syed Huq, Chief Editor of BSS and columnist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Rahat Khan's college days friend Prof Jatin Sarkar, eminent singer Prof Nasheed Kamal, writer Ata Sarkar and Executive Editor of the daily Ittefaq Syed Tosaraf Ali.

They were unanimous that Rahat Khan has established himself as a leading figure in the realm of Bengali literature over a span of five decades negotiating an arduous phase.

He was initially engrossed in teaching in the college and switched over to journalism, which later took him to the zenith of success in his career.

But, the speakers agreed, his genius found truly enchanting expression as a litterateur and the path remains still unending as he has more to contribute in this field.

A suave and humble Rahat Khan thanked "Amra Surjamukhi", the organisation that arranged the programme and those who attended it as he sought blessings for the rest of his life.