The New Nation - Internet Edition

Micro credit programme gains recognition across globe: Azizul

NATION BUSINESS REPORT

Finance and Planning Adviser Dr AB Mirza M Azizul Islam yesterday said the micro credit programme has gained recognition across the globe and many developed countries are following the Bangladesh's model of micro credit activities.

Besides contributing to poverty alleviation by creating employment opportunities in Bangladesh, micro finance has been playing vital role in general education, primary and health education, and family welfare education in the country, he said.

He was addressing as the chief guest at an award distribution ceremony of 'Citi Micro Entrepreneurship Award (CMA)- 2008" at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center in the city.

Citibank Na, Bangladesh and Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women (SFDW) jointly organized Citi Micro Entrepreneurship Awards (CMA)-2008.

Former adviser to the caretaker government and chairperson of the CMA and eminent economist Professor Dr Wahiuddin Mahmud, chairperson of CMS screening committee and founder executive director of SFDW Dr Humaira Islam, managing director and Citi country officer Mamun Rashid were present. The Adviser distributed awards in four categories--'Best Innovative Micro Business of the Year', 'Best Woman Micro Entrepreneur of the Year', 'Best Micro Entrepreneur of the Year' and 'Best Micro finance Institution (MFI) of the Year'.

The Adviser said the government is providing cooperation to the micro credit financiers through Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and NGO Bureau and this cooperation would continue in the future.

Besides, initiatives would be taken so that the Bangladesh Bank provides further assistance through other banks to the micro credit financing institutes in line to eradicate poverty and create employment in the country, he added.

He expected that the award winners would continue their efforts to contribute more to the society and the country through their merits, innovations and skills.

The award winners are Salma Akter from Pabna as "Best Innovative Micro Business of the Year", Baby Chakma of Rangamati as "Best Woman Microentrepreneur of the Year," Sabina Begum from Gazipur as 'Best Microentrepreneur of the Year' and Society for Social Service (SSS) as 'Best Microfinance Institution (MFI) of the Year'.

Taiwanese co to invest $32m in CSD, Karnaphuli EPZ

NATION BUSINESS REPORT

Taiwanese company Messrs Tai Sheng Mfg. Co. Limited will set up a furniture manufacturing industry in the extension area of CSD of Karnaphuli Export Processing Zone.

This foreign owned company will invest US$30 million in setting up their plant and will produce to export table, chair, bed, night stand, mirror, chest, dresser, TV stand, coffee table, end table. The company will also create employment opportunity for 6,690 Bangladeshi and 60 foreign nationals.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority and the Messrs Tai Sheng Mfg. Co. Limited at BEPZA Complex in Dhaka on November 19.

Md Farhad Uddin, Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Alex Lin, Manager Finance of M/s. Tai Sheng Mfg. Co. Limited signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

Brig General Jamil Ahmed Khan, Executive Chairman of BEPZA and other officials from respective organisations were present on the occasion.

EBL, Banglalink sign deal on SME development

NATION BUSINESS REPORT

Eastern Bank Limited and Banglalink yesterday signed an agreement.

Under this agreement the two companies are forming a strategic alliance to assist and develop the SME sector, a sector with high growth potential in Bangladesh.

Ali Reza Iftekhar, Managing Director & CEO, Mamoon Mahmood Shah, Deputy Managing Director & Muklesur Rahman, Deputy Managing Director from Eastern Bank Limited and Omer Rashid, CCO, Arif Mehmood Malik, Director Sales and Shibly Zaman, Head of Market Development from Banglalink were present in the signing ceremony.

This alliance of EBL and banglalink will facilitate the SME sector by providing a combination of financial and communication solutions.

This includes establishing Banglalink-EBL SME Help Line and jointly organizing events (e.g. workshops, trainings) related to SME sector development issues, etc.

EBL has long been engaged in Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Banking along with other business segments. As a bank EBL has always played leading role in development of the SME market. Currently EBL offers seven unique loan & deposit products to its SME segment customers through a 30 branches and SME center network countrywide.

Banglalink is the only telecom operator in Bangladesh to offer a special SME package that caters to the communication needs of the SMEs. It has developed the package along with useful value added services that provides the best value for money for the SMEs. Banglalink enterprise SME also has a salient feature in its nationwide sales network which delivers the package at the doorsteps of the SMEs.

City Bank organises training program on Retail Banking

NATION BUSINESS REPORT

City Bank has recently organised a two-day orientation programme focusing on Retail Banking concepts and business model for the bank's 50 new joiners.

The programme emphasised on the change in the bank's business model and selling skills of retail loan, deposit and card products.

The programme was inaugurated by Mashrur Arefin, Head of Retail Banking.

It was concluded by Raihan ul Ameen, Deputy Managing Director (Operations) with distribution of certificates.

Others present during the sessions were K Mahmood Sattar, MD and CEO, DH Choudhury, DMD (Legal and Compliance), Zabed Amin, Head of Branch Distribution, Monjurul Alam, Senior Manager (HRD) and other seniors.

New Container Yard at Ctg Port opened

BSS, Chittagong

North Container Yard, a newly constructed container yard inaugurated at Chittagong Port yesterday morning. Sheikh AK Mothar Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping formally inaugurated the Container Yard as the chief guest while Commodore RU Ahmed, Chairman Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and Captain Jubair Ahmed, member, Engineering of the CPA were among others addressed the function.

Source said, the CPA built the Container Yard on 63,000 square meters (15.49 acres) of land near the port hospital at a cost of Taka 48 crore.

The container yard have a capacity of storing 8,400 TUEs (Twenty feet equivalent unit) containers in five stacks at a time, the CPA source added.

With the CPA having capacity of 27,300 TUEs at present, the new yard will raise the total capacity of Chittagong Port to 35,700 TUEs containers.

The newly constructed container yard will be able to handle 1,70,000 TUEs containers annually, the source added.

Bangladeshi co to invest $5.132m in Adamjee EPZ

BSS, Dhaka

Sun Yad Knitwear Limited, a Bangladeshi company, will set up a garment manufacturing industry in Adamjee Export Processing Zone (EPZ).

The company will invest US Dollar 5.132 million to set up their plant and produce garment items. The company will also create employment opportunity for 1995 Bangladeshi nationals.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) and the Sun Yad Knitwear in the BEPZA Complex here today.

Md. Farhad Uddin, member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Monir Ahmed, managing director of Sun Yad Knitwear, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Brig Gen Jamil Ahmed Khan, executive chairman of BEPZA, and other officials from respective organizations were present on the occasion.

Premier Bank holds workshop on submission of returns

The Premier Bank Limited arranged two daylong workshops on 'Submission of Returns and Statements relating to Foreign Exchange and Reporting to Bangladesh Bank'. It started at the bank's Training Institute at Banani in the city on November 18 last.

Md Mokhlesur Rahman, Additional Managing Director of the bank inaugurated the workshop as chief guest while SEVP and Head of Corporate Division Dewan Anwarul Latif, EVP and Head of Credit Division Sahdat Hossain, Head of ID Shafiuddin Ahmed, Company Secretary Syed Ahsan Habib, and Principal Ashoke Bandhu Das were present at the workshop.

NBL disburses SME loan to best innovative women enterpreneur

National Bank Limited has provided a SME loan through its Gaibandha branch recently bearing minimum interest rate to a project with a view to elevate Monga and poverty of the area by creating a long-time employment opportunity of the poor people by using local potentials, says a press release.

It may be mentioned that in Tulshighat under Sadar Upazilla of Gaibandha innovation of Green Tea from Tulshi Leaf (Basil) by Mrs Monwara Talukder has created a great interest among the local people.

The entrepreneur Monwara Talukder, client of NBL won the best innovative Women Entrepreneur Award for the Year 2008 given by SME Foundation of Ministry of Industries.

Farhad Ahmad Chowdhury, Senior Vice President and Rajshahi Regional Head of National Bank Limited disbursed the SME loan sanctioned by the bank to the entrepreneur at Green Tulshi Tea Centre, Tulshighat, Gaibandha in a simple ceremony on November 13 last.

Md Rejuanul Haque Manager of Gaibandha branch was also present at that time with others.

Bangladesh Electrical Assoc polls : PGP nominated chairman post candidate Nizam Uddin Ahmed seeks blessings of all

The Bangladesh Electrical Association (BEA) Progatishil Ganotanntrik Parishad's nominated chairman post candidate Mir Nizam Uddin Ahmed and all other members are progressive.

This Parishad or Council won the last election and they resolved the various kinds of Bangladesh Electrical Association's concerned government and non-government problems.

Besides it improved the overall conditions of the Nawabpur Electric Market, Moreover, this Council helped in construction of nice footpaths on both sides of Nawabpur Electric Market Road and these the public in general were benefited in movement. As a result, now there is no traffic jam there.

On November 15, for the Nawabpur Electric Shops owner's children, of whom got the 2008 year's SSC, HSC, O' Leve/A-Level of GPA-5 (Golden), the present Bangladesh Electrical Association's Chairman and FBCCI's another Director gave them each one of 14 students Tk. 3000/ prize bonds, and to other students, each and of Tk. 7000/- as stipend.

All members of the Progatishil Ganotantrik Parishad sought the blessings so that he could be elected in the post, and they all could take part in the coming November 24 Progatishil Ganotantric Council election.

Novo Nordisk employees donate Tk 5 lakh for poor diabetic children

Novo Nordisk, a leading pharmaceuticals company, participated in a colorful rally on World Diabetes Day on November 14 last.

About 600 people participated in the rally which was organised by Diabetic Association of Bangladesh. The participants carried placards and signs saying 'Unite for Diabetes'. More than 200 diabetic children took part in the rally. This year's theme for the day was 'Diabetes in Children and Adolescents'.

On the occasion, A Rajan Kumar, Managing Director, Novo Nordisk Pharma Pvt Ltd, on behalf of Novo Nordisk employees and World Diabetes Foundation, handed over a cheque of Tk 5,47,200 to Prof Kishwar Azad and Prof A K Azad Khan, President of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh to support the supply of free insulin for poor diabetic children in BIRDEM hospital.

As part of their WDD campaign, Novo Nordisk also sponsored an art competition among children and other social awareness activities.

It is to be mentioned that Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care. It has the broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including the most advanced products within the area of insulin delivery systems. One of the most reputed companies in the world, Novo Nordisk employs more than 23,600 employees in 79 countries, and markets its products in 1 79 countries.

BTRC launches tough measures against illegal VoIP firms

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has launched tough measures against firms that are involved in call termination through illegal voice over internet protocol (VoIP). BTRC sources said they have taken a decision to instantly cancel the licences of the firms to be found engaged in illegal VoIP. Against the backdrop of rising illegal VoIP trading by some dishonest internet service providers (ISPs), the BTRC took the hard decision, the sources said. Illegal VoIP is being done in most of the cases through buying bandwidth from the ISPs, the sources said, adding some ISPs are also providing bandwidth voluntarily to the dishonest firms which are engaged in call termination through VoIP. Meanwhile, officials of the telecom watchdog BTRC in cooperation with anticrime elite force RAB seized huge quantities of illegal VoIP equipment from an ISP firm at Purana Paltan in the city on Tuesday.