Bangladesh News Bangladesh Economy & Development Thread

[Isa Khan]

A large consignment of apparel products was shipped abroad from Mongla port for the first time on Thursday, paving a new corridor for garment exports, as the opening of the Padma Bridge has enhanced the use of the country's second-largest port.

The Maersk Nesna, a ship bearing the flag of Panama, left the port for Poland at 11:30am yesterday, carrying 17 containers of readymade garments made by 27 factories in Dhaka and its surrounding areas.

The ship had arrived at the port jetty on 25 July.

Swedish fashion giant H&M has taken the initiative to ship goods from Mongla port through the Padma Bridge, which will significantly reduce the lead time according to the buyers and industry people who are excited to take advantage of the time and cost savings.

"It is a memorable day for Mongla port," said Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, chairman of the Mongla Port Authority, adding, "A month after the inauguration of the Padma Bridge, garment shipments have used the bridge to reach Mongla. Garment exports through the port will only grow in the future."

Musa maintained that Mongla port is one of the many institutions in the Southern region of the country whose activities are increasing following the inauguration of the Padma Bridge by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 25 June this year.

Mustafa Kamal, director (Traffic) at Mongla port, told The Business Standard that exporters based in Dhaka and its surrounding areas did not use Mongla port for a number of reasons, especially prolonged wait for ferry to cross the River Padma.

But they have become interested in exporting garment products through Mongla port, buoyed by the potential benefits of the Padma Bridge, he said, adding that the distance between Dhaka and Mongla is only 170 kilometres, while it is 260 kilometres from Dhaka to Chattogram.

"Apparel traders are now keen to import and export goods through this port in order to save time and money, as ship handling at the port has become faster and safer," he added.

Businesses urge capacity building

Mongla Port Authority Chairman Musa told TBS that BGMEA leaders had already held a meeting with him as large apparel manufacturing companies have expressed interest in using this port.

While speaking to TBS on this issue, apparel exporters and buyers said they were excited to use Mongla port as it would significantly reduce their lead time and thus save both time and money.

Increased export-import activities through Mongla port will also reduce pressure on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and Chattogram port, they added.

Thursday's apparel shipment from Mongla port includes 5 lakh pieces of garments manufactured by Team Group.

Abdullah-Hil-Rakib, managing director of the company, told TBS that Chattogram port currently handles over 90% of Bangladesh's exports and imports and about 98% of container trade. The opening of Padma Bridge and the subsequent rise in export-import trade through Mongla port will reduce dependency on a single port and thus will reduce lead time.

Businesses, however, observed that the port needs to increase capacity, especially by boosting container handling, building container freight stations, and dredging the port channel to facilitate the berthing of larger vessels.

Besides, retailers need more frequent direct vessel operations from the port to ship their goods to Europe and other destinations.

H&M is the largest buyer of Bangladeshi apparel as about 13% of the sector's annual exports go to this company. In fiscal 2021-22, H&M purchased about $5.5 billion worth of apparel products from Bangladesh.

Ziaur Rahman, H&M's regional country manager for Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Africa region, also endorsed the fact that Mongla Port has become the closest and most comfortable port for businesspeople in Dhaka.

At the same time, he mentioned that some major infrastructure works need to be done at Mongla port and building container freight stations (CFS) is an immediate requirement.

The port authority should also increase its cargo handling capacity, he added.

"We have a biweekly vessel to Europe connection. More frequent vessel operations are needed to ship through the port," said the H&M regional country manager.

Fazlul Hoque, former president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), praised H&M's move to use Mongla port and said other brands may use this port gradually.

He also asked for increasing the port's capacity.

M Masrur Reaz, chairman of Policy Exchange of Bangladesh, told TBS Mongla port has the potential to do more business, but there remain some challenges – lack of container handling capacity and poor navigability of the port among them.

Development so far

Mongla Port Chairman Mohammad Musa said they have increased the port capacity over the last few years.

The port is now capable of handling 42 ships at a time.

It also has the capacity to handle one crore tonnes of cargo, one lakh TEUs of containers, and 20,000 cars annually.

"We completed the capital dredging of our outer bar in 2020. Besides, the dredging of the 23-km of inner bar will be completed by June next. It will allow ships with a drought of 7-9 metres to anchor at the port."

He further said they have also collected enough equipment for the fast unloading of goods from ships, which will encourage businesses to use the port, adding to the port's revenue.

"We are hopeful that we will be able to earn a record amount of revenue in the current financial year," he concluded.

Mongla sends off first RMG cargo as Padma Bridge opens new export route

A large consignment of apparel products was shipped abroad from Mongla port for the first time on Thursday, paving a new corridor for garment exports, as the opening of the Padma Bridge has enhanced the use of the country's second-largest port. The Maersk Nesna, a ship bearing the flag of...

www.tbsnews.net

Local packagers and accessory-makers are going to invest Tk5,000 crore in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar to meet its packaging demand as well as to boost direct packaging export, according to manufacturers.

The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) has already approved the investment and allotted 25 acres of land to the packagers, Md Moazzem Hossain Moti, president of the Bangladesh Garments Accessories & Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told The Business Standard.

He, however, said around 1,900 members of the association need at least 100 acres of land for the investment, which the association estimates will generate 4,000 jobs.

"We will begin the construction of the factory after getting certain authorisations from Beza. This may take six months," Moazzem Hossain told TBS.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, the country's largest industrial city, is being constructed on an area of 30,000 acres in Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas of Chattogram and Sonagazi upazila of Feni. There will be a garment village at the industrial city spanning 500 acres of land.

Moazzem Hossain said the association wants to provide packaging support to the garment village, and boost packaging and accessory export at the same time.

He said the new packaging factories in the industrial city will manufacture polybags, plastic hangers, different types of threads, twill tapes, drawstrings, padding and quilting tapes and zippers.

According to the association, there are now around 1,800 packagers and accessory-manufacturing units, mostly in Gazipur and Narayanganj. The factories supply 40 types of products, such as buttons, plastic hangers, polybags, labels, zippers, tags, tapes, thread, ribbon, rivets, laces, hooks, transfer film, paper, and ink, to export-oriented readymade garment industries.

This backward linkage sector is able to meet the overall packaging demand of the local RMG and leather sectors.

Besides, local packagers provide backward linkage support to leather, pharmaceuticals, home textile, rice and crockeries.

According to Moazzem Hossain, the packaging industry fetched the country $7 billion in the last fiscal year through the apparel channel, while annual direct packaging export to 18 countries hovers around $1 billion.

Manufacturers said the global packaging market is around $800 billion. Moazzem Hossain said they are working to boost the direct export too.

Packaging gets Tk5,000cr investment in Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar

Bangladesh accounts for $1 billion annual export to $800 billion global packaging and accessories market

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[Isa Khan]

M/s Nova Intima Limited, a Hong Kong-British Virgin Island owned ladies undergarments manufacturing company, will invest $28 million in BEPZA Economic Zone (BEPZA EZ).

Eleven companies including M/s Nova Intima have signed agreements with BEPZA to establish industries in BEPZA EZ with an investment of $243.71 million in total, according to a Bepza release issued on Monday (1 August).

In presence of Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, the Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA); Ali Reza Mazid, Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA; and Vijay Uttam, Managing Director of Nova Intima Limited signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations at BEPZA Complex, Dhaka.

M/s Nova Intima Limited will produce annually 60 million units of ladies undergarments and fabrics and accessories for producing those undergarments. Around 5,625 Bangladeshi nationals will get employment opportunities in this factory.

Mentionable, there are two other companies in Chattogram and Karnaphuli EPZ under the same owner who have invested about $22 million for producing ladies undergarments. Around 6,000 Bangladeshi nationals are working in these factories.

Among others, Member (Engineering) Mohammad Faruque Alam, Member (Finance) Nafisa Banu, Executive Director (Administration) Md. Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Executive Director (Public Relations) Nazma Binte Alamgir, Executive Director (Investment Promotion) Md. Tanvir Hossain, Executive Director (Enterprise Services) Md. Khorshid Alam and Project Director of BEPZA EZ Hafizur Rahman were present during the agreement signing ceremony.

Bepza Economic Zone gets $28M in foreign investment

M/s Nova Intima Limited, a Hong Kong-British Virgin Island owned ladies undergarments manufacturing company, will invest $28 million in BEPZA Economic Zone (BEPZA EZ). Eleven companies including M/s Nova Intima have signed agreements with BEPZA to establish industries in BEPZA EZ with an...

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As the development of the airport at CXB is moving at a rapid pace, the tourism sector and economy of the district are expected to receive a much required boost as well. We can only imagine for now, how glorious the spotting sessions there would become someday.

 

[Isa Khan]

Bangladesh has once again started to export jute-based carpets and earnings from shipment of floor coverings have been rising gradually.

Exporters fetched $36.8 million, the highest on record, from selling carpets abroad in fiscal year 2021-22, up 10 per cent year-on-year, data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) showed.

Rising awareness about the environment and changing tastes of Western customers are driving the popularity of carpets made in Bangladesh, said exporters.

This was the fifth consecutive year carpet export has grown consistently since fiscal year 2017-18, when total sales proceeds from carpets stood at $19.49 million, according to EPB data.

Exporters said Bangladesh, the world's second biggest jute producer after India, used to export carpets in the 1980s to various countries of the world, including the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Exports gradually declined in the 1990s. And in 1995, all seven carpet mills existing in Bangladesh closed down, said exporters.

Shafiqul Alam Selim, managing director of Karupannya Rangpur, attributed global warming as one of the key reasons for the increase in demand for jute carpets and other textile floor coverings in the global market.

"People are increasingly becoming more and more environmentally conscious," he said.

According to the entrepreneur, developed countries have promised not to pollute the environment on various international platforms and were insisting on the use of jute products instead of plastic products.

"If you want to save the world through the use of natural materials, the use of jute items including carpets will have to be increased. Then, our international market will expand," said Selim.

Bangladesh exports carpets and other textile floor coverings to countries such as the US, the UK, China, Germany, Australia, Denmark, France, South Korea, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, India, Uruguay, Portugal, Spain, Canada, and Ireland.

Exporters say the government was extending a lot of cooperation for the development of the sector. But the drawback is that some entrepreneurs are not capable enough to capture the international market and they need to make more improvements, they said.

Doing business sustainably in the sector is not easy since compliance to international regulations is a big factor, said Selim.

"But if someone runs businesses being compliant, they can grow. The future of business lies in the sector," he added.

Unpredictability of raw material prices and a lack of skilled workforce are two major obstacles facing exporters.

Shahedul Helal, vice-chairman of Bengal Braided Rugs, said there were a number of fully compliant factories in Bangladesh. Now many international chain stores, which earlier used to make purchases from other countries, are now sourcing products from Bangladesh, he said.

Exporters say that those who are providing backward linkage support in this industry are not compliant to regulations. This puts them in difficultly with foreign buyers and they are working to resolve the issues, they said.

In 1980, Helal, worked as a Bangladeshi agent for carpet buyers in the US, Australia and New Zealand.

He said Bangladesh has great potential to do better in the carpet sector of the world market because there were several private factories in the country which were doing business while complying with regulations.

Bangladesh making advances in carpet export

Bangladesh has once again started to export jute-based carpets and earnings from shipment of floor coverings have been rising gradually.

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Bus Rapid Transit Work in Full Swing

The construction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is going on at full throttle. The 4.5 km-long two-lane BRT Line 3 (House Building – Cherag Ali) has already been completed. The north section of BRT Line 3 is under construction, which will cover a distance of 20.2km with 25 stations from the Airport terminal to the Shibbari Gazipur terminal to carry around 4 lakh passengers per day.

PHOTO: Rajib Dhar/TBS

 

[Isa Khan]

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) has put the Tk236 crore Teletalk 5G expansion project on hold for now as nearly 80% of the project equipment would have to be sourced from abroad, which would increase the pressure on the country's depleting foreign exchange reserves.

"The prime minister thinks Teletalk's 5G project is not needed right now. [Its] 4G service needs to be ensured first in all parts of Bangladesh," Planning Minister MA Mannan told the media after a meeting of Ecnec on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting virtually from her official residence Gonobhaban.

Briefing the media later, the planning minister said, "Not just Teletalk, all mobile operators have been asked to increase their coverage of 4G."

"As the government has opted for austerity and Teletalk's 5G project is largely import dependent, the project has been dropped to reduce the pressure on the use of dollars," he added.

With the Tk236 crore project, Teletalk had planned to launch its 5G services in the capital by next year.

Whether this project can be implemented with foreign loans was also discussed during the meeting, MA Mannan said. "In this context, the prime minister said we have firstly to consider the conditions attached to the loans. Decision will be made later."

At Tuesday's meeting, seven projects, including three revised ones, involving Tk2,007 crore were approved.

Of the revised ones, the project cost of the capital's Uttara Lake development has been increased to Tk91 crore, from its initial cost of Tk53 crore.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wondered why the design of the project will be changed midway. She, however, ordered a fast implementation of the project and looking to the drainage system so that there is no waterlogging.

Other revised projects are the rehabilitation of polders along the Naf River in Ukhia and Teknaf Upazilas, and Development of Jail Training Centre in Rajshahi.

The fresh projects approved at the meeting are land acquisition, providing compensation to the victims and their rehabilitation in order to establish the divisional headquarters for Mymensingh; strengthening research activities of the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture; Procurement of Equipment and Machineries from Belarus for Selected Municipalities and City Corporations; and Extension and Modernisation of Dhaka Central Drug Addiction Treatment Centre.

Teletalk 5G expansion put on hold for now to save forex

PM Sheikh Hasina asked why should the 5G project be implemented now when 4G hasn't been properly implemented in the country

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Internationally renowned jeweller Malabar Gold and Diamond Company will begin exporting products worth $25 million from Bangladesh per year as the brand is setting up a factory in Madanpur, Narayanganj.

The factory will open a new manufacturing unit by October this year and start exports from early next year, a senior official of the project said.

The manufacturing facility, which is being set up in partnership with Nitol Niloy Group, a diversified business conglomerate in Bangladesh, is the first venture of Malabar Gold and Diamonds in the country.

"It will invest up to $100 million in the next three years and is expected to create approximately 250 jobs initially," said Abdul Matlub Ahmed, chairman, Nitol Niloy Group.
The new facility will have a production capacity of 600 kilogrammes of high-quality gold per year, utilising skilled craftsmen and the latest technologies like casting, CNC and CAD-CAM (3D).

The facility, which is scheduled to open in mid-October 2022, will include different departments for production, including CNC cutting, chains, anklets, rings, bangles, 22K and 24K coins, as well as diamond settings.

Abdul Matlub Ahmad said the initial operations of the manufacturing unit will largely focus on exports and will provide numerous employment opportunities, especially for local artisans.

"We are very excited to be diversifying our operations into the jewellery sector by partnering with this brand synonymous with trust and quality. Through this partnership, we look forward to leveraging our business expertise in the region to add further value to the economy by generating jobs and providing skill training," he said.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds is one of the largest jewellery retailers globally with a network of over 285 outlets spread across 10 countries. Malabar Gold & Diamonds currently operates 14 manufacturing units in addition to offices and design centres spread across India, the Middle East, Far East and the USA.

Recently, the government has given the initial licence to establish a refinery to Bashundhara Group at an investment of Tk5,600 crore.

Diamond World has applied to set up another refinery.

Malabar set to export gold jewellery from Bangladesh

Internationally renowned jeweller Malabar Gold and Diamond Company will begin exporting products worth $25 million from Bangladesh per year as the brand is setting up a factory in Madanpur, Narayanganj. The factory will open a new manufacturing unit by October this year and start exports from...

www.tbsnews.net

 

[Isa Khan]

The Rampal Thermal Power Plant in Khulna will go for generating electricity in October this year as 80% of its infrastructural development has already been completed, project officials said on Friday.

Besides, the first shipment of coal for the power plant from Indonesia has already arrived at Mongla Port, paving the way for electricity production this year, said the power plant's Deputy General Manager Anwarul Azim.

He also said "The first unit of this plant under the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited (Bifpcl) will add electricity to the national grid from October if all are okay. Besides, the 2nd unit will add electricity to the national grid in February 2023."

DGM Anwarul Azim said, "The Bangladesh flag-bearer "MV Akij Heritage" carrying 55,000 tonnes of coal arrived at Chattogram port from Indonesia. From there, three lighter vessels ferried 18,650 tonnes of coal to the terminal of the power plant and they started unloading it on Thursday afternoon."

"From now on, coal will be supplied to the plant on a regular basis. It will be operated experimentally from this month," he said.

At first, Bangladesh signed a contract to import 3 lakh tonnes of coal from Indonesia for the power plant.

Chairman of Mongla Port Authority, Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa said, "The arrival of ships carrying new products at Mongla port remains normal amid the turbulent situation of the world economy. The ship, carrying 55,000 tonnes of coal for Rampal power plant, arrived at Mongla port on Friday."

The income of this port will increase many times thanks to continuous use of Mongla Port for unloading coal from the power plant, he hoped.

Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khalek, who was present during formal unloading of coal at the plant, said, "This thermal power plant will be able to meet the electricity demand of the country. Besides, once the power plant is completed, it will help progress this region economically."

In order to meet the growing electricity demand of the country, the government took an initiative to construct a coal-fired power plant in Khulna's Rampal upazila. To this end, Bangladesh and India signed an agreement in January 2010.

Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), an Indian state-owned company, has been constructing the main infrastructure of the plant since 2012.

After completion of two units of the plant, it will hopefully produce a total of 1,320 MW of electricity in its two units (660 megawatts in each).

Rampal Power Plant: 80% progress, production starts in October

The first shipment of coal for the plant has already arrived from Indonesia

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The first shipment of Bangabandhu Railway Bridge's construction equipment has arrived at Mongla port.

South Korean flagship "MV Woohyun Hope" reached Mongla at 5:30pm Saturday (6 August) carrying 2350.63 tonnes of machinery products in 267 packages.

Bangladesh bought the product from Japan-based company IHI Infrastructure Asia Limited.

Mongla Port Authority Harbour Master Commander Sheikh Fakhr Uddin said that the ship left Haiphong port in Vietnam on 25 July and anchored at jetty number 7 of Mongla port.

He said the products will be unloaded by 9 August and shipped to the under-construction Bangabandhu Railway Bridge site on the banks of the Jamuna River in Sirajganj via the Padma Bridge.

The country's largest railway bridge is being constructed on the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge over the Jamuna River.

The 4.8km dual gauge double truck bridge will be built on a total of 50 pillars.

Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, Chairman of Mongla Port Authority, said, "The goods of one big mega project of the country are being imported through Mongla Port. Mongla port has now been transformed into a world-class port with the concerted efforts of the present government with the capacity of the port increased several times.

"Due to the launch of Padma Bridge, Dhaka's garment goods and other businessmen have increased interest in using Mongla port. As a result, Mongla port has been playing an important role in the national economy."

First consignment of Bangabandhu Rail Bridge machinery reaches Mongla port

The South Korean ship MV Woohyun Hope carrying 2350.63 tonnes of machinery products reached Mongla at 5:30 pm on Saturday

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[Isa Khan]

A foreign cargo ship carrying 1,280 reconditioned cars from Japan reached Mongla Port directly for the first time Sunday morning.

The Malaysian flag carrier, MV Malaysia Star, arrived at jetty 6 at 7:30am.

"The cargo ship carrying 1,280 reconditioned cars from Japan reached the port directly on Sunday. Earlier, ships that could hold only 500-700 cars, would come to Mongla Port after offloading some cars at Chattogram Port first," said Mongla Port Authority's Harbour Master, Commander Sheikh Fakhar Uddin.

Now importers are bringing cars directly through Mongla Port as the cost and distance have come down due to the Padma Bridge.

General Manager Md Wahiduzzaman of Ancient Steam Ship, Khulna, the local shipping agent for the MV Malaysia Star, said this type of huge ship has come to Mongla Port with imported cars for the first time since the inauguration of the Padma Bridge.

He also said the cars would be unloaded from that ship within by Sunday.

"Industrialists, and importers and exporters, are now showing more interest in Mongla Port as the distance from Dhaka by road has reduced due to the Padma Bridge. Recently Mongla Port has set a record in importing reconditioned cars, beating Chattogram Port," Mongla Port Authority, Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, told The Business Standard.

Now foreign ships are directly coming to the port with imported cars, he said, adding that cars can now be unloaded in less time and reach Dhaka across the Padma Bridge quickly.

First ever foreign cargo ship reaches Mongla Port directly

A foreign cargo ship carrying 1,280 reconditioned cars from Japan reached Mongla Port directly for the first time Sunday morning. The Malaysian flag carrier, MV Malaysia Star, arrived at jetty 6 at 7:30am. "The cargo ship carrying 1,280 reconditioned cars from Japan reached the port directly on...

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Local manufacturers now control 90 per cent of the once import-heavy prefabricated steel market thanks to capacity building and an increase of skilled manpower, according to industry insiders.

The domestic prefabricated steel market is currently worth around Tk 4,000 crore while it was Tk 2,000 crore in 2010, shows data from the Steel Building Manufacturers Association of Bangladesh (SBMA).

This massive growth in the industry is a result of industrialists preferring prefabricated steel for construction and other purposes due to its efficient cost and versatility.

"Local manufacturers are able to cater to 100 per cent of the domestic demand while the government uses imported prefabricated steel in different projects," said Humayun Rashid, managing director and chief executive officer of Energypac Power Generation.

Bangladesh currently needs at least 3 lakh tonnes of prefabricated steel each year.

Of the total demand, local companies provide around 2.7 lakh tonnes while the rest is met by foreign companies.

Rashid went on to say that Steelpac, a sister concern of Energypac, supplies around 12,000 to 13,000 tonnes of the product each year.

However, small-scale suppliers are finding it difficult to secure orders from the private sector due to their lack of recognition, he added.

SBMA President Jowher Rizvi said the sector has created around 2 lakh opportunities for direct employment in more than 50 active companies.

Liton Kumar Sharma, managing director of Tiger Steel Bangladesh, said the sector grew by an average of 15 to 20 per cent annually since 2010, excluding the pandemic years in 2020 and 2021.

"Still though, local companies do not manufacture the raw materials and so, the industry is import dependent in this regard," he added.

Sarwar Kamal, managing director of MacDonald Steel, said the industrial sector requires 80 per cent of the country's total demand for prefabricated steel while commercial and residential buildings take up 15 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

Kamal then informed that all the required raw materials are imported from Japan, China, South Korea, and India with import duties ranging from 32 to 62 per cent.

Abdullah Al Mahmud Faruk, project director of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpanagar (BSMSN), said a huge amount of prefabricated steel structures will be used to set up industries inside the economic zone.

While there is no estimate on just how much of the steel will be required, Faruk assumes that it will be more than one million tonnes considering the hundreds of factories and warehouses to be established inside the BSMSN within the next three to four years.

A majority of local prefabricated steel makers are receiving orders from factories inside the economic zone even though the investors of these units could import the required materials without having to pay any duty by taking permission from the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority.

Prefabricated steel structures that will eventually become fully operational factories are already visible inside the BSMSN as factory set up is ongoing in line with the project's development works, Faruk added.

Market players say the demand for prefabricated steel has been increasing due to rampant industrialisation across the country.

Prefabricated Steel: Much of the demand met by local firms

Local manufacturers now control 90 per cent of the once import-heavy prefabricated steel market thanks to capacity building and an increase of skilled manpower, according to industry insiders.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Isa Khan]

If you could look closely at the sportswear worn by top racers at the world's popular motorcycle race Isle of Man Tourist Trophy or even those worn by racers at Ireland's largest outdoor sporting event, the North West 200, you'd be surprised to find a red and green Made in Bangladesh tag.

The same tag can be seen in the Dakar Rally and other similar events. For these popular motorcycle racing events, many of the safety suits worn by the racers are made in Bangladesh.

Two factories are responsible for bringing the Bangladesh name to the global stage – Kadena Sportswear Limited in Cumilla Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and the Finix Sportswear Limited in Chattogram EPZ. Both are led by a Chinese national, who leveraged his understanding of the market demands early on.

The two factories have been producing gears for famous brands such as Harley-Davidson, Alpinestars and Revit.

Kadena's journey started in the 1990s when Ma Zhuang, a Chinese citizen, began setting up factories in China and Vietnam. In 2010, he set up a factory in Bangladesh's Cumilla to take advantage of the cheap and efficient labour, and the favourable environment for garment industries.

In August of the same year, he set up a sportswear factory and began exporting from a building he rented from the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (Bepza) on a small scale with an investment of $1 million.

Ma began with 50 workers on just two production lines of the building, exporting 10,000 pieces and earning $3 million. After that, there was no looking back.

Ma Zhuang kept increasing his range of production, alongside export earnings.

According to the company, the export revenue in 2012 was $10 million, rising to $19 million in 2014. Since then, export income has increased each year, reaching $30 million in 2016, $50 million in 2018 and $110 million in 2021.

The company is now targeting earnings of $180-190 million in 2022.

Although 100% of the production is done in Bangladesh, Kadena has marketing and business development offices in China.

At present, Kadena owns 10 plots and rents seven others from Bepza in Cumilla EPZ, having 10,000 workers in 110 production lines.

In March of this year, it inaugurated a new factory, Finix Sportswear Limited, in the Chattogram EPZ with an investment of $6 million. It has around 2,000 workers in the 27-line factory.

The company has a total annual production capacity of 6 million pieces of garments. The USA, Europe and Asia are the main markets of the company.

A total 65% of the company's total production is motorcycle safety suits, while the remaining 35% is outerwear. These include rainwear, skiwear for hills and mountains, swimming wear, down-padding jackets and sports gloves.

In addition, heating jackets and thermal products for colder countries are also made. The temperature inside these jackets is controlled through automated remotes.

Famous European brands Oakley, Amer Sport and Montbell are also catered to, with the made in Bangladesh brand being marketed worldwide.

Company's Senior Director Muhammad Abdul Mazed told The Business Standard, "The world's number one brand companies are our customers. Our products have a two-year warranty. We are the only manufacturers of these types of products in Bangladesh. Since the establishment of the factory in 2010, the focus has been on expanding the range of the company," he said.

He added that with time production capacity has increased and while production cost is high at the time, they are focusing on their marketing.

"While the production of motorcycle wear is high in our factory, the production of outerwear is slightly less. When orders for motorcycle wear slow down, outerwear production is ramped up," he said.

From Dakar to Isle of Man, motor sports mean Bangladeshi safety suits

Two factories are responsible for bringing the Bangladesh name to the global stage – Kadena Sportswear Limited in Cumilla Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and the Finix Sportswear Limited in Chattogram EPZ

www.tbsnews.net

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1557743246385614849

 

[Isa Khan]

Bangladesh Railway wants to procure 290 broad-gauge container wagons and 20 brake vans at an estimated cost of Tk372 crore to operate container trains in the southern region of the country and transport export goods to Mongla port via the Padma Bridge.

The procurement of the container wagons and brake vans is also aimed at improving regional connectivity and thus boosting regional economic development as a whole, according to officials concerned.

SM Salimullah Bahar, chief planning officer of Bangladesh Railway, said an initial project proposal in this regard has been sent to the Planning Commission from the Ministry of Railways. The proposal will be forwarded to the Economic Relations Division once it gets the consent of the Planning Commission.

Of the total project cost, Tk281 crore has been proposed to be sourced from foreign lenders, he said, adding that as the project does not require a very big amount of funds, there will be no problem in implementing it solely with government funding.

He also said the Railway has a target of going for the implementation of the project next year.

Railway officials told The Business Standard that train services from Dhaka to Bhanga through the Padma Bridge will be opened in June next year. Besides, work on constructing a railway line from Khulna to Mongla port is in the final stage.

Against this background, the railway authorities are preparing to run container trains to Mongla Port using the Padma Bridge rail link.

The demand for increasing freight traffic by operating safe, cost-effective, environment-friendly, and reliable container trains is on the rise, said railway officials, adding that Bangladesh Railway at present has 956 broad-gauge wagons, 200 of which are overaged.

According to the railway's master plan, all metre gauge rail lines in the country will be converted into broad gauge ones within the next 25 years.

Connectivity between the railway's western and eastern zones and with neighbouring countries will be strengthened through the completion of the Padma Bridge rail link project, a dedicated double line (dual gauge) railway bridge over the River Jamuna, other ongoing broad gauge and dual gauge rail lines as well as rail links to Mongla and Payra seaports, and the land ports in the country.

Officials said Bangladesh Railway procured 452 metre-gauge flat container wagons in the past, but it does not have any broad-gauge flat container wagon in its fleet.

Over the last five years, metre-gauge container trains have carried an average of 24% of total freight in the country and earned more than 34% of total freight revenue. This reality lends support to potential freight demand in the broad gauge section of the railway, they said.

But to accomplish its gauge unification plan-related subsequent activities, Bangladesh Railway is badly in need of strengthening its capacity in providing container train services in broad gauge/ dual gauge sections.

And for a smart solution to port-based regional and overseas trade, new broad gauge container trains require to be introduced in the near future, said the officials.

Railway to buy 290 container wagons for freight services thru’ Padma Bridge

Bangladesh Railway wants to procure 290 broad-gauge container wagons and 20 brake vans at an estimated cost of Tk372 crore to operate container trains in the southern region of the country and transport export goods to Mongla port via the Padma Bridge. The procurement of the container wagons and...

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Nitol-Niloy Group and USA-based Kinematics Inc will jointly manufacture insulators in Bangladesh.

With a primary investment of Tk140 crores, the first plant will be set up at Chhatak in Sylhet, said Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Md Sirazul Islam Sunday (14 August).

An agreement was signed in this regard at the BIDA office.

Md Sirazul Islam further said, "Insulators produced here will be exported after meeting the needs of the country."

"The plant will go into production in 8 to 10 months," he added.

Nitol Niloy Group Chairman Abdul Matlub Ahmad said, "We have bought land there. The factory will be set up on 12.5 acres of land."

Nitol-Niloy, Kinematics invest Tk140cr to produce insulators in Chhatak

Local conglomerate Nitol-Niloy Group and the USA-based Kinematics Inc are all set to invest Tk140 crore to manufacture export-quality ceramic insulators in Sylhet's Chhatak. To make this happen, Chief Executive Officer of Kinematics Abubaker Abdul Shakur Memon and Nitol Niloy Group Vice-Chairman...

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After the 1897 Assam earthquake, the greater Sylhet region adopted a sustainable design for buildings. Known as "Assam type" structures, they are now considered a heritage.

This heritage can be appreciated by looking at the red, steel roofs of the newly constructed terminal at Sylhet city's Kadamtali, as they are a spitting image of the traditional architecture.

Moreover, the terminal, built on around 8.5 acres of land, has all modern facilities of an international airport, except the fact that it is meant for buses. People behind the project said this will give commuters an experience they have never seen before.

Spending around Tk 67 crore, Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) under Municipal Governance Service Project (MGSP) has constructed the terminal.

Architects Subrata Das, Robin Dey and Mohammad Jashim Uddin jointly designed the terminal. Dhaly Construction completed the construction work on contract.

Architect Subrata Das, assistant professor of architecture at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, said, "Visually, we wanted people to think that this terminal represents Sylhet's heritage. And functionally, we focused on prioritising commute facilities."

"Bus terminals are normally designed with departure and arrival in the front [of the establishment] and facilities at the back," he said.

But the designers did the opposite, making facilities easily available, he added.

The departure building has 970 passenger seats, 30 VIP seats, 30 ticket counters, a breastfeeding zone, locker facility, smoking zone, prayer hall, medical bay with sick beds, restaurants and convenient stores.

The arrival building also has 200 passenger seats, food court and convenient stores along with other facilities.

A separate multipurpose welfare centre has been constructed, where bus owners, drivers and conductors will have offices and a 24-bed lodge.

Ali Akbar, superintending engineer of SCC, said, "Construction started in 2019 but works were delayed due to the pandemic."

Work will hopefully be done by the middle of this month. "We are planning to lease out facilities of the terminal by September," he said.

Sylhet City Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said, "I am very excited for the inauguration of this state-of-the-art bus terminal. Once final works conclude, people will get to use the terminal without delay."

Sylhet all set to inaugurate modern bus terminal

After the 1897 Assam earthquake, the greater Sylhet region adopted a sustainable design for buildings. Known as “Assam type” structures, they are now considered a heritage.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Isa Khan]

The government is working on a 10-year plan to build Bangabandhu Health City in the capital with the aim to revolutionise the country's health services sector.

According to the project proposal, the Health City will be constructed on 153 acres of land in the Mahakhali area with an estimated cost of $35 billion.

Through this project, all the organisations under the Ministry of Health will be brought under one roof.

A plan has been taken to build the infrastructure by dividing the project into six zones including medical, higher education, and research.

Once the proposal is completed, it will be placed before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for final approval.

The finance minister in his budget speech for the 2022-2023 fiscal year also mentioned the establishment of Bangabandhu Health City.

Earlier, the health ministry gave the responsibility of designing the Health City to a company called Professional Associates Limited. The design work has been completed recently.

Currently, there are four medical institutions - Infectious Diseases Hospital, Institute of Leprosy Control Hospital, National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH) - at the project site.

According to the design, the old and dilapidated buildings of these institutions will be demolished and modern high-rise buildings will be constructed on the project site.

Moreover, three new institutions and two hospitals have been proposed to be constructed under the project. They are – Mother and Child Hospital, Robotic Surgery Institute, Skin & VD Institute, Endocrinology Institute, and Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) Hospital.

Professor Ahmedul Kabir, additional director general (ADG) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) told The Business Standard (TBS), "Once the Bangabandhu Health City project is implemented, the health sector will be disciplined. All regulatory and monitoring institutions will be in one place."

"A lot of time is now wasted in sending letters from the DGHS to the Ministry of Health. In the Health City hall, all institutions will be in the same courtyard, and decisions can be made quickly by holding physical meetings," said Ahmedul Kabir.

In the initial plan, a goal was set for completing the construction work within 10 years. However, no date has been fixed yet for starting the work.

Officials of the health division said this project will be implemented with funding from government funds and various development partners.

Discussions with various development partners have already begun. A proposal in this regard was made to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year. They are expected to provide $1-2 billion in aid, they said.

Besides, this plan will be implemented in three phases considering the financing challenges, said the health officials, adding that not much money will be required at once.

Dr Syed Abdul Hamid, a professor of the Institute of Health Economics at Dhaka University, told TBS, "Multiple services will be available at Bangabandhu Health City hall. It is definitely an important project for the nation. But the decision has to be taken by looking at the macroeconomic conditions."

"This project will not benefit us overnight, but it will provide good support in the long term. There is no problem if this project is implemented with grant funding, but if it is with loan funding, then the decision should be made after carefully examining the cost-benefit," said the DU professor.

The medical institutions included in the Health City will only offer post-graduate degrees. There will be no hospital other than the BCPS Hospital and Mother and Child Hospital. The Sheikh Hasina Community Clinic Trust Building will also be located here.

Zone-wise infrastructure construction

Comprehensive and specific zoning arrangements have been made in the city with residential arrangements for hospitals, services, administration, institutes and research centres, and concerned public health officials.

There will be residential facilities for the staff of the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (Nipsom), and Directorate of Health, Directorate of Drug Administration.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME), Ministry of Health, Secretariat (Health Services), Secretariat (Health Education), Health Engineering Department, Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery will be in located in proposed Administration Zone.

Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Institute of Rheumatology, Sheikh Hasina Community Clinic headquarters, Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC), Biotechnology Institute, and Institute of Health Technology will be located in the Institute and Research Zone.

The proposed Hospital and Medical Services zone will include a civil surgeon office, Infectious Diseases Hospital, Institute of Leprosy Control Hospital, National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), Mother and Child Hospital, Robotic Surgery Institute, Skin & VD Institute, Endocrinology Institute, and Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) Hospital.

The Public Health zone will be constituted of the Institute of Public Health, Institute of Public Health Nutrition, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), and Nursing Institute.

The Residential Facility zone will include nursing dorms, doctor's condo, staff quarter, and doctor's quarter.

Finally, the Utility Services zone will include Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD), MOFP warehouse, National Electro Medical Equipment Maintenance, Workshop, and Training Centre (NEMEMW), and Transport and Equipment Management Organisation (TEMO).

Health City planned at Mohakhali

The government is working on a 10-year plan to build Bangabandhu Health City in the capital with the aim to revolutionise the country's health services sector. According to the project proposal, the Health City will be constructed on 153 acres of land in the Mahakhali area with an estimated cost...

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The government will now construct the country's first industrial printing park on a larger scale on 100 acres of abandoned land at Kharshur in Sirajdikhan Upazila of Munshiganj.

More than 299 factories can be set up in the project to be developed near the Dhaka-Dohar road.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the revised proposal of the project on Tuesday.

In the revised proposal, the cost of the project has been increased from Tk138.70 crore to Tk264.55 crore for setting up the park.

Earlier, there was a plan to set up the park on 42 acres of land along the Dhaka-Mawa road at Bara Barta in Sirajdikhan.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina virtually participated in the meeting from her official residence Ganabhaban while ministers and secretaries were present at the National Economic Council (NEC) Conference Rood at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

At the end of the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan, State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam and members of the planning commission briefed journalists about projects approved by the Ecnec.

They said the Ecnec approved six projects involving Tk2,504 crore including three revised ones.

The planning minister said that the prime minister has ordered the authorities concerned to bring all the country's irrigation projects under the coverage of solar power.

She gave the order while approving the canal water conservation expansion project (second phase) in the Barendra area.

The minister said that many irrigation projects have already come under solar-based energy and gradually all of them will come under the coverage of solar power.

At this time, the prime minister also said that the normal flow of water cannot be stopped by setting up sluice gates.

She issued the instruction while approving the revised proposal for the road construction project along the Karnaphuli River from Kalurghat Bridge to Chaktai Canal.

Sheikh Hasina also said that canals should be dug in such a way so that water can enter the ground under the canal. The canal floor cannot be paved with cement.

At this time, she expressed her displeasure with the paving of the Chaktai canal in Chattogram.

Larger-scale first industrial printing park construction gets go-ahead

Ecnec approves the project on 100 acres of land in Sirajdikhan

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[Isa Khan]

The government is planning to take projects for developing the agriculture sector under public-private partnerships (PPP) for the first time in order to grow more agro-entrepreneurs and reduce pressure on the state coffer, according to a decision of the agriculture ministry.

The ministry also aims to reduce post-harvest losses by increasing the number of storage facilities as well as ensure local manufacturing of various agricultural machinery through this initiative.

The agriculture ministry recently decided to ask private entrepreneurs to file their unsolicited proposals in this regard.

The agriculture ministry held a virtual meeting with various stakeholders, including from the private sector, on July 8 to discuss which projects should be taken under PPP arrangements.

Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque was present as chief guest of the meeting chaired by Agriculture Secretary Md Sayedul Islam.

The meeting decided to set up agriculture training centres, terminal markets, cold chain logistics, and agricultural machinery manufacturing and servicing stations.

In addition, they will take initiatives for molecular breeding, pesticide production and export, and seed production and export.

They also sought investments in agro-processing and to set up joint research programmes through PPP initiatives, as per a document from the agriculture ministry.

Agriculture Secretary Islam yesterday said they have already conducted two separate meetings in this regard.

"In the last meeting, we called all the stakeholders from different ministries and briefed them about our plans," he said.

"At first, we will submit our proposal to the Public Private Partnership Authority for consideration. If the proposals are viable, then they will go for tender issuing."

Private players at the meeting, who are related to the agro-processing industry and its exports, expressed their opinions about the initiative.

Parvez Saiful Islam, chief operating officer of Square Food and Beverage, said it is very important to build up basic infrastructures like cold storages to reduce fruit and vegetable losses.

He went on to say that cold chain logistics could be established in the northern region, where Square is interested to set up two cold chain centers in consultation with the agriculture ministry.

Alimus Sadat Choudhury, managing director of Alim Industries, said the necessary agricultural machinery could be made through PPP initiatives instead of importing them, which would help save a tremendous amount of foreign currency.

Echoing the same, Mahbub Anam, managing director of Lal Teer Seed Limited, said PPP initiatives for expanding local seed production would go a long way to reduce imports.

Md Waliullah, owner of Janata Engineering, said around 95 per cent of the agricultural machinery used in the country has to be imported and so, it is necessary to reduce this dependency.

Contacted, Muhammad Ibrahim, chief executive officer of the PPP Authority under the Prime Minister's Office, said the agriculture ministry is currently in the preliminary stages of forming PPP initiatives to this end.

Govt plans PPP projects to develop agriculture

The government is planning to take projects for developing the agriculture sector under public-private partnerships (PPP) for the first time in order to grow more agro-entrepreneurs and reduce pressure on the state coffer, according to a decision of the agriculture ministry.

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Jotun Bangladesh Limited (JBL), a subsidiary of Norway-based paint and coatings manufacturer Jotun Group, has opened its maiden plant inside the Meghna Industrial Economic Zone (MIEZ) with an investment of $7.6 million.

Md Jashim Uddin, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), inaugurated the plant at the MIEZ in Sonargaon area of Narayanganj yesterday.

The new plant has a total area of 8,984 square metres.

"This factory will allow us to better serve our customers and contribute further to the development of Bangladesh by creating new employment opportunities, boosting the country's gross domestic product and bringing in more foreign direct investment," said Percy Jijina, managing director of JBL.

Jotun Group is one of the world's top paint and coatings manufacturers, operating in over 100 countries with 41 production facilities that cater to the four main segments, namely decorative paint, protective coatings, marine coatings, and powder coatings.

JBL has been operating in Bangladesh for the last six years and currently employs more than 90 people. But following the opening of its new factory, the company plans to increase its workforce even further, creating hundreds of additional jobs over the next few years.

"JBL's core vision, 'Jotun Protects Properties', is aligned with Bangladesh's ambitious plans for faster economic growth by investing in mega infrastructure development projects," Jijina said.

"Through our innovation and state-of-the-art products, we work to not only enhance the appearance of assets but also ensure lasting durability, thereby saving billions of dollars in maintenance and repair costs for our project partners worldwide."

"This factory will take us one step closer to achieving our vision," he added.

Tanzib Ashan, deputy marketing manager of JBL, said Bangladesh has a very promising market and that is why more factories are being set up in the country.

FBCCI President Uddin said Norway has been and will always be a partner in Bangladesh's development. The establishment of Jotun's new factory in Bangladesh is one more example as this investment shows their long-term commitment to the local market.

He went on to say that this investment will focus on developing competitive and quality-focused local production of paint and coating items.

The nearly $471 million paint and coatings industry in Bangladesh has registered steady growth for the last decade.

"So, I hope this factory will succeed in increasing the market share of locally produced paint and coating products," Uddin added.

The FBCCI president then said the Asia-Pacific region occupies a substantial share of the global paints market with China, India, Vietnam and Bangladesh witnessing good investment in this sector.

Annual paint consumption in Bangladesh currently stands at about 180,000 tonnes with the industry recording more than 6 per cent year-on-year growth in recent times thanks to rapid urbanisation in the country, he added.

Mostafa Kamal, chairman of Meghna Group of Industries, Silje Fines Wannebo, deputy head of mission of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka, and Morten Fon, chief executive officer and president of Jotun Group, were present at the event.

Around 40 local and multinational paint and coating companies are now operating in the local market, which was once dominated imports.

The future of decorative painting in Bangladesh is bright as the market has been increasing rapidly, encouraging many foreign companies to invest in the sector.

Berger is the current market leader with a 55 per cent share of the local market while major local companies include Asian Paints, Roxy Paints, Elite Paint, Pailac Paints, Moonstar Paints, Ujala Paints and Al-Karim Paints & Chemicals.

Meanwhile, global powerhouses AkzoNobel of the Netherlands and Nippon Paint of Japan are now trying to grab a share of the growing local market as well.

Norway’s Jotun opens $7.6m paint factory

Jotun Bangladesh Limited (JBL), a subsidiary of Norway-based paint and coatings manufacturer Jotun Group, has opened its maiden plant inside the Meghna Industrial Economic Zone (MIEZ) with an investment of $7.6 million.

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[Isa Khan]

Amid questions over cost and work quality, Gazprom EP International is about to start drilling four wells at Shahbazpur and Bhola north gas fields owned by the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (Bapex).

The development and gas exploration from the wells will be completed by December this year.

"This is a part of government initiative to hike domestic production in the face of a volatile global LNG market," said Bapex Managing Director Mohammad Ali.

Energy and Mineral Resource Division's Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain and Petrobangla Chairman Nazmul Ahsan are expected to inaugurate the work soon.

However, production boost in Shabazpur gas fields would not bring much relief to the ongoing countrywide energy crisis as they are isolated from the mainland. Gas from the fields has been supplied to local power plants and an industry since 2009.

A number of Petrobangla officials and experts questioned awarding the work to Gazprom, as they said performance of the company was disappointing in previous projects.

In 2012, Gazprom was tasked to drill ten gas wells in the country through an unsolicited procurement method. But all the five wells – Titas-20, Titas-21, Semutang-6, Begumganj-3, and Shahbazpur-4 – dug in the first phase by Gazprom got filled with sand and sediment.

Subsequently Bapex had to undertake the responsibility of repairing and making the wells suitable for gas extraction.

In addition, Gazprom was paid an average of around Tk150 crore in the past for drilling each well while Bapex could have done the works at a cost of Tk60 to Tk80 crore maximum for each.

Sources at Petrobangla said that Gazprom EP International claims it as a concern of Russian state-owned Gazprom, which is one of the leading gas producers in the world.

But the Gazprom EP International actually conducted previous drilling and exploration after hiring Uzbekistan-based Eriell Corporation.

Gazprom to drill gas wells in Bhola

Amid questions over cost and work quality, Gazprom EP International is about to start drilling four wells at Shahbazpur and Bhola north gas fields owned by the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (Bapex). The development and gas exploration from the wells will be completed by...

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Chattogram port has advanced three steps in a year to become world's 64th busiest port in terms of annual throughput of containers in 2021.

The latest 2022 edition of Lloyd's List's One Hundred Ports was published today tallying up the annual container throughput figures of the world's elite port facilities in 2021.

The port advanced for seven consecutive years, but slipped nine notches to rank 67th among 100 top ports across the world in 2021's Lloyd's List, the world's oldest journal on port and shipping.

According to the list, the premier sea port of Bangladesh handled a total of 32,14,548 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers in 2021, up from 28,39,977 TEUs in the previous year, posting 13.2 per cent year-on-year growth in container handling.

The port ranked 58th in 2020 edition of the ranking, 64th in 2019, 70th in 2018, 71st, 76th and 87th, 86th in 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Regrading Chattogram port's position in this year's ranking, Lloyd's List stated, "Bangladeshi box hub bounces back to post stellar throughput numbers, despite the port's much-maligned capacity constraints."

According to the Lloyd's List, box liftings accelerated at ports globally in 2021, yet the rebound from the Covid-induced slump came at a price.

Congestion chaos at different ports overshadowed this volume recovery, it stated.

Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan said the port experienced 13 per cent year-on-year growth in container handling last year, which means that the country's foreign trade returned to its original track after the pandemic.

He said there was no container or vessel congestion at the port last year when 49 per cent of the vessels got berth on arrival and it helped the port achieve such growth.

It happened mainly for the all-out support from all the stakeholders, he said.

Chattogram port handles 98 per cent of the total container throughput in the country while Mongla handles the rest.

Ctg port advances three notches in Lloyd’s List of busiest container ports

Chattogram port has advanced three steps in a year to become world’s 64th busiest port in terms of annual throughput of containers in 2021.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Isa Khan]

Concreting of the inner containment dome of the reactor building has started at the unit- 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power plant.

The work is being carried out by the TrestRosSEM, a branch of the Rosatom Engineering Division.

More than 3,200 cubic meters of concrete will be required for the 17.6m high reinforced concrete structure with a base diameter of 42.8m.

The final stage of building the infrastructure of pa ss by replicating the experience gained in performing similar work, in the reactor building at Power unit 1", said Alexei Deriy, vice president of ASE and Director of the Rooppur NPP construction project.

The inner containment is one of the key elements of the nuclear power plant safety system. It protects the reactor compartment and hosts the pipeline holes and the polar crane, used for serving the reactor.

Rooppur NPP will be equipped with two Russian VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 2400 MW capacity. These generation III+ reactors fully comply with all international safety requirements. The Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation is implementing the Rooppur NPP as the generals contractor.

Rooppur NPP: Inner containment construction at unit-2 enters final stage

Concreting of the inner containment dome of the reactor building has started at the unit- 2 of the Rooppur Nuclear Power plant. The work is being carried out by the TrestRosSEM, a branch of the Rosatom Engineering Division. More than 3,200 cubic meters of concrete will be required for the 17.6m...

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Installation of rail track on the lower deck of Padma Bridge started today, giving a big boost to the Dhaka-Jashore rail project.

Railways Minister Nurul Sujan inaugurated the works at Zajira end of the bridge around 12:05pm.

After the inauguration, the minister told media that they were working with a plan to start rail operation on Dhaka-Bhanga section via the bridge by June next year.

"We are hopeful about meeting the target," he said.

BR is implementing the Dhaka-Jashore rail project to build the 169km rail line through the Padma Bridge at a cost of around Tk 39,247 crore.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed by June 2024. Physical work made an overall progress of 61 percent as of July this year.

Padma Bridge: Installation of rail track begins

Installation of rail track on the lower deck of Padma Bridge started today, giving a big boost to the Dhaka-Jashore rail project.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Isa Khan]

The 11th consignment - including eight more coaches and four locomotives - of the capital's Metrorail project has arrived at Mongla port.

The vessel, MV Hosei Crown, carrying the latest consignment anchored at jetty number seven of the port around 9.30am on Monday.

According to the port authority, the Panama-flagged vessel left the Japanese port of Kobe on 27 July and is scheduled to leave the port on 23 August after completing the unloading process.

General Manager of Ancient Steam Ship Md Wahiduzzaman said the unloading of 34 packages containing machinery products including eight coaches and four engines for the Metrorail project has started.

"All goods are expected to be released within the next 24 hours. After getting the customs clearance, they will be taken to the Diabari Metrorail depot in Uttara, Dhaka," he added.

Mass Rapid Transit Line-6, the country's first-ever metro rail system, is being built at a cost of around TK 21,985 crore.

Twenty-four metro trains will be required for the route from Uttara to Motijheel. The DMTCL aims to commence the commercial operation of metro rail from Uttara to Agargaon in December next year with eight sets of trains.

The Kawasaki-Mitshubishi Consortium of Japan started the construction of 24 passenger trains and one relief train for MRT-6 in April 2019 under a Tk2,870 crore agreement signed in 2017.

The first set of metro trains arrived in Dhaka on 23 April this year.

To date, some 70 coaches and 34 locomotives for the Metrorail project have arrived in the country through Mongla port, Mongla Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa told The Business Standard.

He said, "Consignments of different mega projects of the government are being imported through the Mongla port as a result of which the income has increased significantly."

11th consignment of Metrorail reaches Mongla port

The 11th consignment - including eight more coaches and four locomotives - of the capital's Metrorail project has arrived at Mongla port. The vessel, MV Hosei Crown, carrying the latest consignment anchored at jetty number seven of the port around 9.30am on Monday. According to the port...

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The 11.73km viaduct of the Dhaka metro rail's Uttara-to-Agargaon portion is ready for operation and the last-minute work of the rail stations on the route is underway in full swing.

At a press briefing at the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) office on Monday, the company's Managing Director MAN Siddique said functional and performance tests are being conducted with 10 sets of trains brought from Japan. The first passenger-less integrated test will begin on the first day of September.

"No more work is left on the Uttara-Agargaon metro rail viaduct. The construction of nine stations in this section has also been completed. Only lifts and escalators are being installed in some stations. Besides, the work on the entry and exit ways in four stations is in progress," he said.

"If all goes well, commercial rail operation on the Uttara-Agargaon route will commence in December," MAN Siddique said.

The progress in the MRT Line-6 project involving a 20.1km elevated railroad from Uttara to Motijheel was 81.70% till July. Of this, the progress in the Motijheel-Agargaon section was 81.86% and the Uttara-Agargaon section was 93.86%.

"The physical and electrification works of Receiving Substation (RSS) at Uttara Depot have been completed. A 19km rail track has been completed in the depot area. The installation and mechanical work of 16 out of 17 lifts in the depot area has been completed," The DMTCL MD said, adding that the work of the Metro rail training centre inside the depot has also been completed.

The installation and mechanical work of 24 out of 36 lifts in 9 stations in the Uttara-Agargaon section has been completed while the work on the rest is in the final stage. Out of 54 escalators to be constructed in this section, 26 escalators have been installed, he said.

The entry and exit ways in five stations are ready for passengers, but work is still going on at four stations. There is an issue with land acquisition at these stations. After the issue is resolved, footpaths will be constructed on the entrances and exits, he said, adding that all work will be completed by September.

Integrated test from 1 Sep

The DMTCL MD said after the completion of the physical work of the metro rail, additional importance has been given to the final preparations for the train operation on the Uttara-Agargaon route.

He said functional tests, performance tests and various types of tests are being conducted. The integrated test involving all systems will begin on 1 September.

"This final compact test will be completed within one and a half to two months period. It may take up to three months. But there will be no problem in running commercial trains in December," he said.

Manpower recruitment, training

Siddique said that more than 50 people have been appointed for train operation and station management, which is enough for now.

"They are being trained in different training centres in the country, as well as abroad. Many are taking practical training in metro trains after training," he said.

Multiple power connections

Siddique said the electrified metro trains will not be shut down due to a power crisis unless there is a major disaster in the national grid.

Power connection has been drawn from three lines of the national grid and another one from the distribution line. Each line has a double connection. As long as there is electricity in any one of these lines, there will be no problem in the operation of the entire metro rail, he said.

Apart from that, each station has an automatic generator and a backup generator for each generator, he said.

Metro rail will run from dawn to midnight

Metro rail operation will begin after Fajr prayers and continue till midnight. The DMTCL MD said, initially, trains will be operated every 10 minutes. As the number of passengers increases, the frequency of trains will be increased.

Siddique also said that trains will be operated every three and a half minutes at the final stage of demand.

17 sets of trains arrived so far

Under the MRT Line-6 project, 20 sets of trains will be required to operate the metro rail from Uttara to Kamalapur. With four sets of backup trains, there will be a total of 24 sets of trains for the entire metro rail operation, but 17 sets have arrived in the country so far.

The 10 sets of trains, required for the Uttara-Agargaon route, arrived in January this year. Five sets arrived later. All 15 sets are parked in the Diabari depot. Two more sets of trains arrived at Mongla port on Sunday.

Uttara-Agargaon metro rail viaduct ready, station work in final stage

Metro rail operation will begin after Fajr prayers and continue till midnight. Initially, trains will be operated every 10 minutes

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The government has lined up a roughly Tk 50 crore project aimed at developing and expanding the production of muslin fabrics in the country.

Under the project, styled "Bangladesh's Golden Tradition Muslin Yarn Making Technology and Recovery of Muslin Fabrics (Phase-2)", a training centre will be set up at the Dhakai Muslin House in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj, according Project Director Ayub Ali.

Besides, a testing laboratory will be set up at the hub for muslin textile research while the number of spinners available will be increased to 300, he added.

Ali, also chief planning officer of the Bangladesh Handloom Board (BHB), went on to say that by the end of phase one, which began in July 2018 and concluded in June 2021, the number of trainee weavers under the project had gone from a measly six to 75.

Since then, the number of trainee weavers at Muslin House has gone on to hit 226 at present.

Similarly, phase two of the project will have a three-year tenure.

BHB sources said a development project proposal in this regard will be submitted to the Ministry of Textiles and Jute later this month, after which it will be sent to the Planning Commission for final approval.

The BHB was supposed to bring muslin fabrics to the domestic market by the middle of this year but Ali said they could not keep this commitment for various reasons.

"There is no end to development in the making of this elite fabric, with which it costs about Tk 6-7 lakh to make a sari. As everyone can't afford this, we are now testing if it can be used for simpler clothes. Let's see what happens," he added.

Phase one of the project, which involved Tk 12.1 crore, came into being after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the Ministry of Textiles and Jute in October 2014 if the long-lost craft could be restored.

A committee for this purpose was eventually formed consisting of experts from the BHB, Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation, Cotton Development Board, Bangladesh University of Textiles, University of Dhaka and Rajshahi University.

Although they were handed a much larger budget, the work was completed for only Tk 4 crore and when the BHB offered to return the rest, the government decided to expand the project and connected the construction of Muslin House to it.

As such, Muslin House was built on the banks of Shitalakhya River in the Tarab municipal area, the air around which is suitable for weaving muslin cloth.

In the first phase of the project, a research team featuring experts and spinners crafted 19 muslin fabrics, from which six saris, seven veils and six sample cloths were made.

Following their breakthrough, the team claimed that the fabrics are similar to the muslin preserved in the UK's Victoria and Albert Museum, and National Museum of Bangladesh.

Manjur Hossain, chief scientific officer of the project, said they will find more advanced cotton varieties for spinning muslin. Currently, the cotton with which they are making the required yarn has a lot of seeds in it.

"Farmers will also benefit if there are less seeds and so, a research centre for this purpose has been set up on four bighas of land inside the Rajshahi University campus, where phuti carpus cotton is being cultivated," he added.

Muslin is a symbol of Bangladesh's golden heritage and nobility. The Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta, Greek tourists Pintoni, Taylor, Urey and others described the muslin of Bengal in their writings.

Among the different types of cotton textiles, Dhakai Muslin was well-known all over the world. Muslin was made from very smooth yarn prepared from phuti carpus cotton.

In the medieval period, muslin cloth made by weavers of Dhaka became a status symbol for the rich and aristocratic class. In 1747, Dhakai Muslin exports fetched Tk 28.5 lakh, the researchers found.

The fall of the Mughal Empire, lack of patronage from British rulers, expansion of the East India Company, Industrial Revolution in England, imposition of high taxes on muslin and the cutting of the fingers of weavers were the main causes behind the loss of muslin cloth since the middle of the 19th century.

Tk 50cr project to perk up muslin

The government has lined up a roughly Tk 50 crore project aimed at developing and expanding the production of muslin fabrics in the country.

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Big Dipper Textile Mills Ltd, a company jointly owned by Canada and China, will set up a textile industry in Ishwardi Export Processing Zone (IEPZ) with an investment of $91.15 million.

The fully foreign-owned company will produce annually 15,422 tonnes of yarn in the factory, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) said in a statement today.

Around 1,209 Bangladeshi nationals will get employment opportunities in the production unit, according to the statement.

Ali Reza Mazid, member for investment promotion at Bepza, and Wong Jammy Kwok Chan, chairman of Big Dipper Textile Mills Ltd, signed an agreement in this regard at Bepza Complex in the capital.

Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, executive chairman of Bepza, was present at the deal signing ceremony.

Big Dipper also has three other industries inside Ishwardi and Dhaka EPZ, according to the statement.

Among others, Bepza's Member for Engineering Mohammad Faruque Alam, Member for Finance Nafisa Banu, Executive Director for Administration Md Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Executive Director for Public Relations Nazma Binte Alamgir, Executive Director for Investment Promotion Md Tanvir Hossain and Executive Director for Enterprise Services Md Khorshid Alam were also present.

Canada-China company to invest $91 million in Ishwardi EPZ

Big Dipper Textile Mills Ltd, a company jointly owned by Canada and China, will set up a textile industry in Ishwardi Export Processing Zone (IEPZ) with an investment of $91.15 million.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Isa Khan]

Bangladesh Railways is going to convert the Dhaka-Chattogram railway line from metre gauge to broad gauge by 2027 as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given primary assurance to finance the project.

Under the project, the railway lines from Laksham to Chattogram and from Tongi to Akhaura would be turned into broad gauge with an estimated cost of Tk30,207 crore.

As per the Railway Master Plan, the conversion of the Dhaka-Chattogram railway line is supposed to be completed by 2025, but the project could not start on time due to a lack of foreign loans.

Railway officials said the conversion of the railway line would create direct rail links between Chattogram and Rajshahi, and Chattogram and Khulna.

Currently, railway lines in the eastern region are in metre gauge, while the broad gauge tracks are mostly in the railway's western region.

The upgradation of the railway line will allow plying of high-speed broad gauge trains on the Dhaka-Chattogram route, which will reduce the travel time by about an hour. It will also enable the trains to transport 30% more passengers and goods, said railway officials.

SM Salimullah Bahar, chief planning officer of Bangladesh Railway, told The Business Standard that the authorities have adopted a masterplan to gradually convert the rail network across the country into broad gauge, in which the Dhaka-Chattogram route has been given utmost priority.

He said, "The project to convert the Akhaura-Laksham railway line to dual gauge is in the final stage. Although plans were made a few years ago, the conversion works in the Tongi-Akhaura and Laksham-Chattogram sections could not be started as there were no foreign loans."

If the loan agreement with the ADB is finalised on time, work on converting the Dhaka-Chattogram railway line to broad gauge is expected to be completed by 2027, he added.

Recently, the ADB has assured Bangladesh of providing $300 million in loan for the Laksham-Chattogram dual gauge project in 2023 and $200 million for the first phase of the Tongi-Akhaura dual gauge project in 2024. Later, the agency is expected to approve more funds for these projects.

According to the preliminary project proposal, the conversion of the 93-km meter gauge line from Tongi to Akhaura to dual gauge double line will cost Tk14,587 crore. Around 85% of the cost has been proposed to be sourced from development partners.

On the other hand, the cost of converting the Laksham-Chattogram rail line to broad gauge has been estimated at Tk15,620 crore, 85% of which is planned to be borrowed from foreign lenders.

According to sources, feasibility study and detailed designing for the conversion of the Tongi-Akhaura and Laksham-Chattogram railway lines have already been completed under a project with the financial assistance of the ADB.

Meanwhile, the construction of a dual gauge double line from Akhaura to Laksham and the conversion of the existing railway line to dual gauge started in 2014. A 72-km line will be converted to broad gauge under the project.

Project Director Shahidul Islam said 84.5% of the project was completed till July this year. The ADB has provided a Tk5,478 crore loan for this project that involves a total cost of Tk6,504.54 crore.

New cord line to connect Cox's Bazar

Meanwhile, the railway authorities have planned to construct a new broad gauge cord line through Pahartali to Dohazari to connect Dhaka-Chattogram and Cox's Bazar rail line only in broad gauge.

Currently, the construction of a new rail line in broad gauge from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar is ongoing with financial assistance from ADB. Besides, another project titled conversion of existing Chattogram-Dohazari metre gauge track into dual gauge track and connecting Dohazari towards Dhaka in Chattogram has also been proposed with an estimated cost of Tk10,048 crore.

People concerned said the broad gauge line in the entire eastern region up to Cox's Bazar will remove the obstacles of constructing the Trans-Asia Railway Connectivity which will connect Bangladesh with China, Pakistan, India and Myanmar.

Railway officials said that the healthy growth of the railway network naturally contributes to the economic development of the country as it is a very important mode of inland transport.

Dhaka-Ctg rail line to be broad gauge by 2027

The conversion will increase the speed of trains on the Dhaka-Chattogram route which will reduce the distance by about an hour

www.tbsnews.net

Two companies in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN), the country's largest industrial city in Chattogram, have gone into production this year while two others are gearing up for production next year.

Ferdous Wahid, assistant engineer of Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), told The Business Standard (TBS), "Asian Paints Bangladesh Ltd started production in April this year and Nippon-McDonald – a joint venture company of Japanese Nippon Steel Corporation and Bangladeshi McDonald Steel Building Products Ltd – went into production earlier in March."

"The paints and steel sheets produced by these companies are being supplied in the domestic market," he said, adding that two more companies – Samuda Food Products Ltd and Modern Syntex Ltd – are planning on starting production by the end of 2023.

Budhaditya Mukherjee, general manager of Asian Paints Bangladesh Ltd, told TBS, "We received the commercial certificate in April 2022 and started production in the same month. But we are still in the process of scaling up the production line as there were long vacations for two Eids in between."

"We have an annual production capacity of 25000 tonnes and we are hopeful of achieving full capacity very soon," he said, adding that the firm's BSMSN factory is capable of manufacturing all kinds of decorative paints (both water-based and solvent-based) and construction chemicals products.

Nippon-McDonald set up the steel factory on 10 acres of land with an investment of Tk114 crore. It began trial production on 25 January.

McDonald Steel's Project Manager Abdullah Al Mamun told TBS that the company delivered the first consignment of 20 tonnes of steel to the Bangladesh Bridge Authority on 23 March. Production has continued ever since. Mild steel plates are being manufactured in this factory.

Production operations in BSMSN were supposed to be inaugurated in March. BSMSN Project Director Abdullah Al Mahmud Faruk told TBS, "The inauguration date of the industrial city has not been finalised yet. The Prime Minister's Office will make the decision."

BSMSN is being constructed in an area of 30,000 acres of land in Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas of Chattogram and Sonagazi upazila of Feni.

According to Beza, of the 30,000 acres of land, about 6,000 acres are being made suitable for the construction of industrial factories. Roads, bridges, electricity and gas facilities have already been ensured across the industrial area. Other infrastructure development works are also in progress.

Garment factories are being built on 500 acres of land. The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) economic zone is being developed on 1,150 acres of land. Bashundhara Group is developing its factories on 500 acres of land and the SBG economic zone is being developed on 500 acres of land.

Apart from this, the factories of the healthcare sector got 40 acres of land, Bangladesh Auto Industries 100 acres, SQ Cables 40 acres, China's JinJiang 10 acres, and Modern Syntex 20 acres.

Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar: 2 companies begin production, more to follow

Two companies – Samuda Food Products Ltd and Modern Syntex Ltd – are planning on starting production next year

www.tbsnews.net

Bangladesh has received a significant amount of revenue from some subcontinent-based television channels broadcasting sports events, including IPL, ICC and English Premier League.

According to the TV channels' insiders, Star Sports and Sony Pictures Networks have paid more than Tk10 crore as revenue to the Bangladesh government in the fiscal year 2020-21 and 2021-22.

During FY 2020-21 and 2021-22, the amount of paid revenue was Tk4.40 crore and Tk5.80 crore respectively, showing an increasing trend.

For the broadcasting of the Indian Premier League in Bangladesh during 2020, Star India had to pay more than Tk85 lakh to the government of Bangladesh. In the same way, the government of Bangladesh has received around Tk5 crore as revenue for purpose of broadcasting IPL of 2020, 21 and 22.

It's noted that the government is also gaining revenue from tech giants like Google and Facebook, with the support of the Foreign Exchange department of Bangladesh Bank. Bangladesh has streamlined this tax revenue income from large international broadcast rightsholders and the Bangladeshi TV audience is enjoying uninterrupted live telecast of these events.

There was a large controversy that took place during the Fifa 2018 world cup rights as Bangladesh Bank couldn't confirm how the money has been sent to Fifa or their sublicensee to broadcast the live match in Bangladesh. For the same reason, the last Pakistan tour of Bangladesh was not picked by any broadcasters in Bangladesh as the 3rd party agent wanted to receive the rights fee without the banking channels to avoid tax.

According to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) of the USA, international broadcasting groups like Star Disney and Sony Pictures must inform their respective countries regarding the amount they receive from other countries for sublicensing the programmes to prevent money laundering.

However, a large number of Bangladeshi channels or OTT platforms telecast foreign entertainment programmes like Iranian or Turkish TV series but the Bangladesh government is missing major tax revenue.

Md Mojibur Rahman, joint secretary (TV) at the Ministry of Information's broadcasting wing, told TBS that the ministry permits the broadcast of commercial content under some policy bindings.

"The trend of increasing revenues from the international sports broadcasters is the positive outcome of the policies," Mojibur said.

Bangladesh sees increasing tax revenue from broadcasting int’l sports events

Bangladesh received more than Tk10 crore revenue against broadcasting rights from Star Sports

www.tbsnews.net

 

[Isa Khan]

After Runner Automobiles that already has begun trial production of Bajaj three-wheelers in Mymensingh's Bhaluka, another automobile conglomerate Nitol-Niloy has announced a Tk300 crore investment to manufacture TVS three wheelers in Bogura.

The government's latest policy support, such as a 10-year corporate tax break and only 10% for the next decade and a 15% VAT waiver up to at least 2025 for manufacturers, has propelled them to make an entry into the three-wheeler segment with a big investment.

Thus, total taxes and duty on parts and raw materials for manufacturing three-wheelers have substantially declined to around one-third of the import value from around 90% for the completely built units (CBU) that the country has long been depending on.

"The investment will enable us in local manufacturing, job creation, and will offer some price benefit to customers," said Abdul Matlub Ahmad, chairman of Nitol-Niloy Group.

Indian company TVS will be the "principal". That means Nitol-Niloy will manufacture the TVS branded three-wheelers under its technical collaboration, while TVS would also be the supplier of raw materials and parts that cannot be locally sourced, he explained the nature of the planned venture.

A large shed on a 45 bigha plot in Bogura is ready for installation of machinery that should be done in six months.

Due to registration issues in the passenger-carrying three-wheeler segment, his company will begin with cargo three-wheeler production.

Nitol-Niloy Group is the local assembling and distribution partner of Tata commercial vehicles and cars.

On roads where pickup vans cannot enter or cannot be afforded, low-cost fuel-saving cargo three-wheelers will be a good solution for the people and businesses across the country, said Matlub Ahmad, who is also president of Bangladesh Automobile Assemblers and Manufacturers Association.

Considering the current sourcing cost and exchange rate, his company might be able to sell a diesel-run TVS branded cargo three-wheeler at Tk3.75 lakh, which will be nearly one-fourth less than the price of a CBU unit.

Runner Automobiles Ltd, the motorcycle manufacturing pioneer in the country, is going to sell locally made Bajaj three-wheelers in a few months as its trial production is going on under the quality control of its principal Bajaj, the world's largest three-wheeler company.

Both the companies will weld three-wheeler chassis and body, paint them locally, and assemble engine and other parts, while they are looking for local vendors for as many as items they can supply, of course through ensuring quality.

Bangladesh used to assemble some imported two-stroke three-wheelers up to the early 2000s when the government banned the polluting vehicles in Dhaka.

Since then, the country has imported at least half a million four-stroke three-wheelers, mostly run by compressed natural gas (CNG). Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and diesel have also emerged as the other low-cost three-wheeler fuels in recent years.

Potential enormous, registration has to be allowed

Due to its smaller size and the comparatively lower costs of ownership and fuel, three-wheelers are popular across Bangladesh, be it on urban or rural roads.

But the annual market for three-wheelers has been much smaller than its potential as the government allows only a limited number of vehicles to be registered for a specific district.

And that created a huge transportation market of unregistered three-wheelers that dominate the roads across Bangladesh through bribing or managing local authority officials.

Demand being higher than supply made it feasible for vehicle owners to spend much more unofficially on running unregistered three-wheelers than the costs of official registration fee and road tax.

Over half of the units sold by authorised three-wheeler brands Bajaj, TVS and Piaggio remain unregistered in the country.

Three-wheeler marketers say the annual demand for authorised three-wheelers having engine, chassis numbers, and type approved by the authorities, peaked to nearly 40,000 units in a year when big cities allowed registration; and it halved when some sporadic registration was allowed in districts.

Due to a prolonged school closure, a series of lockdowns during the pandemic, three-wheeler owners suffered opportunity losses and in the last fiscal year, demand for three-wheelers shrank to below 14,000 units, said Shanat Datta, chief financial officer of Runner Automobiles, which has been marketing Bajaj LPG three-wheelers since 2017.

Bajaj serves over 95% of the market and Uttara Motors, another automobile conglomerate, is the distributor of imported Bajaj's CNG-run three-wheelers.

In the last two months, three-wheeler sales have been picking up again despite the soaring price and he estimates that the market will recover the historic peak in the coming years.

His company is also planning to reduce locally-manufactured unit prices as much as it can so that people and small businesses can afford three-wheelers for short- and mid-distance trips.

The authorised three-wheeler industry has long been pushing the government to end the parallel registration universe across the country that is not limiting the number of vehicles on roads at all, but instead allowing some corrupt officials pocket much more in bribes than what is needed for the official fees and road taxes.

Also, the industry has proposed that the government phase out unauthorised three wheelers through allowing authorised ones' registration.

While talking to The Business Standard, Runner Chairman Hafizur Rahman Khan said that authorised unit owners pay the government around Tk14,000 during registration and Tk10,000 a year as road tax, while the government gets nothing against the unregistered or unauthorised three wheelers.

Nowadays, around 40% of the sold units get registered, while the majority stay on the road unregistered using bribery.

If registration of authorised ones opened, unauthorised three wheelers will be phased out gradually, roads will be safer, and the Bangladesh Road Transport Act, 2018 will be implemented.

Phasing out the 30-40 lakh unauthorised three wheelers can give the government Tk30,000 crore to Tk40,000 crore or even more revenue in the next one decade, he added.

Three-wheeler manufacturing set to thrive

The government’s latest policy support, such as a 10-year corporate tax break and only 10% for the next decade and a 15% VAT waiver up to at least 2025 for manufacturers, has propelled them to make an entry into the three-wheeler segment with a big investment

www.tbsnews.net

The government has selected three private firms to award them the licence to establish, maintain and operate submarine cables as it looks to ramp up the supply of bandwidth amid a surge in data consumption.

The companies that have received the green light from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) are Summit Communications, Cdnet Communications, and Metacore Subcom Ltd.

The foray of private companies into the industry is expected to break the state monopoly since Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd (BSCCL) is the lone entity permitted to connect the country with the rest of the world through undersea cables.

"We have given them a licence because we don't believe that there should be a government monopoly in a sector that is investment-intensive," Mustafa Jabbar, telecom minister, told The Daily Star.

In Bangladesh, private entities have a presence in all areas of the telecommunication sector, including telecom, tower, internet service, and transmission network.

"This will ensure competition in the market," Jabbar added.

"A licence for submarine cable to Metacore Subcom Ltd has been approved," said Ahmed Junayed, managing director of the company.

Now, the company will have to pay the licence fee within 30 working days before receiving the licence from the telecom regulator.

According to the BTRC's guideline, the firms must deposit a licence awarding fee of Tk 10 crore and an annual licence fee of Tk 3 crore. Companies must roll out cables within 48 months.

Initially, six companies had applied for the licence.

Md Arif Al Islam, managing director of Summit Communications, said: "Now we will have to lay fibre cables by joining hands with a regional initiative."

Summit is eying to join Reliance Jio Infocomm of India, NTT Ltd of Japan, or Campana of Singapore.

According to industry people, an investment of $60 million to $100 million is needed to join an undersea cable consortium.

Islam sees growth potential in the market.

"If you compare with Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, data usage in Bangladesh is far lower."

Summit is the only end-to-end infrastructure in Bangladesh in the telecom and ICT sector. It has the licence for the nationwide telecommunication transmission network, international terrestrial cable (ITC), and international internet gateway (IIG).

The main partner of Metacore Subcom is Level Three, one of the top IIG operators in Bangladesh.

"We have a plan to roll out our submarine cable service by 2024. Our full investment will come from a local firm," said Junayed.

BANDWIDTH CONSUMPTION ON THE RISE​

In Bangladesh, bandwidth consumption witnessed a remarkable rise during the coronavirus pandemic as people turned to internet to work, study and find entertainment at home.

Bandwidth use surged to 3,850 Gbps in June from 1,000 Gbps before the health crisis erupted, according to the BTRC.

BSCCL supplies 2,300 Gbps while the rest comes from India through seven international terrestrial cable service providers.

Bangladesh is a member of the South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4 (SEA-ME-WE 4) consortium, the first undersea cable with which Bangladesh was connected in 2006. It supplies about 800 Gbps bandwidth.

The state-run entity supplies 1,500 Gbps through the SEA-ME-WE 5. The connection was established in 2017.

The company is set to receive 13,200 Gbps from the third undersea cable, SEA-ME-WE 6, by 2025.

BSCCL is going to spend $3.2 million to raise the capacity of its first undersea cable by more than four times to 4,600 Gbps.

"We are upgrading BSCCL's capacity so that it can meet the bandwidth demand till 2030," said Jabbar.

The bandwidth use is forecast to rise on the back of increasing reliance on internet. There were 12.62 crore internet users in the country in June.

The government also plans to bring about 1 lakh educational institutions under internet connectivity.

If all of the country's classrooms get connected with high-speed internet, the speed of digital growth continues, and 5G is rolled out, the broad projection is bandwidth consumption could rise to 34,000 Gbps by 2025, said Brig Gen Md Nasim Parvez, director-general of the Systems and Services Division of the BTRC, during a recent event.

3 private firms get nod to lay, run undersea cables

The government has selected three private firms to award them the licence to establish, maintain and operate submarine cables as it looks to ramp up the supply of bandwidth amid a surge in data consumption.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Isa Khan]

The first unit (660MW) of Rampal 1320 MW Coal power plant was synchronised with the national grid on 15 August.

Anwarul Azim, Deputy General Manager at Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Ltd, disclosed the information Tuesday (30 August).

However, he said the inauguration day of the unit has not been fixed yet.

So far the unit generated as high as 91MW of electricity, he added.

After the trial production, necessary preparations will be taken to go into the commercial production, said officials at BIFPCL.

BIFPCL is a 50-50 joint venture company between India's National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

First unit of Rampal plant synchronised with national grid

The first unit (660MW) of Rampal 1320 MW Coal power plant was synchronised with the national grid on 15 August. Anwarul Azim, Deputy General Manager at Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Ltd, disclosed the information Tuesday (30 August). However, he said the inauguration day of the unit...

www.tbsnews.net

In today's world, many countries are now changing lanes and embracing electric vehicles (EVs). In the past decade, we have seen a tectonic shift in the automotive industry - we have seen brands like Tesla, Rivian and NIO take off. We have also seen conventional automakers like Volvo, GM, Nissan and Ford fast-track their EV product line. Globally, electric vehicle sales figures have soared to a record high. Countries like Norway, Germany and Netherlands have adopted electric vehicles swiftly. Even in China, the electric car market own consists of 28% now, which is a massive pie compared to just five years back.

In Bangladesh, where the automotive assembly industry is in its infancy, a local startup wants to change the scene. Challenging the status quo, Palki Motors, a homegrown startup, is planning to launch their very own locally assembled electric vehicle.

Palki's flagship product is a four-door & four-wheel battery-swappable electric vehicle. The startup is on the verge of accepting pre-orders for their vehicles. Starting at a price Tk. 4.99 lakh, Palki has already generated quite a buzz amongst people seeking an affordable mode of transportation especially out of the capital.

According to Mustafa Al Momin, Co-founder & CEO of Palki Motors, Palki has already gotten 600+ signups for their first car.

Palki is right now undergoing assembly of their prototype vehicles which are based and modelled after generic Chinese electric vehicles. Palki Motors have already established an assembly shed in Sector 12 of Uttara and are nearly a couple of weeks away from a fully locally assembled prototype. Momin informed that 40% of the parts are made in Bangladesh while the rest of them are being imported from China and Taiwan for local assembly.

When asked how he got the idea of coming up with this venture, Momin, a Grameenphone Accelerator Graduate, explained that it all started when he was looking for a reasonably cheap second-hand car. "Being an electrical engineer and an entrepreneur, I felt this was a huge addressable market. As electric vehicles do not need an engine, which is the most complex bit in any vehicle, it would be much more cost-effective and efficient to assemble an electric vehicle locally", Momin exclaimed. Momin previously worked with the BRAC University in 2013 as a student on their electric car project.

After post-graduation in electrical engineering from the US, he came back and started working on CWork, a startup hatched out of Grameenphone's accelerator program. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Momin could not make it sustainable and hence had to close it down. Nonetheless, he is optimistic that his locally electric vehicles will be able to take off as Bangladesh has a huge untapped market for cost-efficient electric swappable battery-based vehicles. In this particular business model, electric vehicles, instead of charging, will swap a drained battery, with a new one. Momin and his team believes, with enough active sign-ups, this model will catch on peripheries where improperly engineered vehicles are already running.

Palki comes with a 60V 100Ah lead acid battery which offers a driving range of up to 150 kilometres on a single charge. To fully charge its battery array, it takes around 6-8 hours. The service life of the lead acid battery is expected to be around 36,000+ kilometres. Meaning, with the changing of the battery, it will cost around Tk. 1.73 per kilometre, claimed Momin.

He also said that as in Bangladesh vehicles are heavily taxed and soaring fuel prices are impacting the transportation industry, a good alternative would be locally assembled electric vehicles.

So far Momin and his co-founders have invested around Tk. 26 lakhs in this project and expect to deliver the first finished product by this year. When asked whether this car would be street-legal, Momin informed that currently, Palki's electric vehicles are undergoing testing at Bangladesh Roads & Transportation Authority (BRTA) and Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology. Palkhi has already met more than 40% of the local standards, according to Momin. As the output of the motor of the electric vehicle is relatively low and the high speed of the vehicle is under 60 km/h, regulations are relatively lax.

Once Palki gets the necessary approval, the venture plans to start delivering the first batch by the end of January 2023. The estimated time to deliver a single vehicle after pre-order is around 50-60 days. To pre-order, one must pay 10% of the price. Palki and its team expect their vehicles will be able to make a significant impact in Bangladesh's transportation industry.

Palki: An affordable locally assembled Electric Vehicle on its way

In today’s world, many countries are now changing lanes and embracing electric vehicles (EVs). In the past decade, we have seen a tectonic shift in the automotive industry - we have seen brands like Tesla, Rivian and NIO take off. We have also seen conventional automakers like Volvo, GM, Nissan...

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Isa Khan]

Bangladesh Power Development Board today (September 4, 2022) signed a contract with a private consortium to build a 55MW wind-based power plant in Bagerhat's Mongla.

Mongla Green Power Ltd will build the power plant within the next two years, according to the contract while the BPDB will buy electricity from the power plant for the next 20 years.

Per unit (KW-hour) electricity will cost USD 0.1320-- about Tk 12.5.

"With the contract signing programme, the country stepped ahead of the use of renewable energy," said Nasrul Hamid, state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

He said the country will pay more attention to renewable sources to get electricity.

He virtually joined the programme held at Bidyut Bhaban. He said the wind project is part of the government's target to generate 40 percent electricity from clean energy by 2041.

The Consortium of Envision Energy, Jiangsu Co Ltd, China, SQ Trading and Engineering, Bangladesh and Envision Renewable Energy Limited, Hong Kong will develop the plant under a new special project vehicle (SPV) company Mongla Green Power Ltd.

BPDB director Golam Rabbani and Mongla Green Energy's Managing Director Xu Wentao signed the contract on behalf of their respective sides.

This has been the second deal for wind power for which the BPDB signed a contract with the private sector sponsor.

Earlier, the BPDB signed the first deal with US-DK Green Energy (BD), a private firm, for setting up a 60MW windpower plant at Cox's Bazar in March this year.

Govt signs deal for 55MW wind power

Bangladesh Power Development Board today (September 4, 2022) signed an agreement with a consortium to build a wind farm in Bagerhat’s Mongla that will produce 55MW electricity.

www.thedailystar.net

HZ Outdoor International Co Limited, a China-Taiwanese company, is going to set up a ready-made garment and bag manufacturing industry in Karnaphuli Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) with an investment of $6.03 million.

The fully foreign-owned company will annually produce 3.08 million pieces of jackets, bags, shirts, pants, shirts, trousers, caps/hats, skirts, vests and socks.

At least 2,202 Bangladeshi nationals will get employment opportunities in the factory, read a press statement.

To this effect, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) Member (Investment Promotion) Ali Reza Mazid and HZ Outdoor International Co Ltd General Manager Roberto Haryono Go signed an agreement on behalf of their respective organisations at Bepza Complex in Dhaka on Sunday.

Bepza Executive Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, Member (Engineering) Mohammad Faruque Alam, Member (Finance) Nafisa Banu, Executive Director (Administration) Md Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Executive Director (Public Relations) Nazma Binte Alamgir, Executive Director (Enterprise Services) Md Khorshid Alam and Additional Executive Director (Investment Promotion) Md Fazlul Haque Mazumder, among others, were present at the signing ceremony.

HZ Outdoor to make $6m apparel invest in Karnaphuli EPZ

At least 2,202 Bangladeshi nationals will get employment opportunities in the factory

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The authorities are considering pipelines to carry water from the River Meghna to quench the manufacturing thirst of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar – the country's largest industrial city in the south-eastern swathe.

The pipelines will supply 900 million litres of water per day from the estuary of Padma-Meghna-Dakatia to the industrial city against an estimated demand of 1,013 million litres a day.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the plan on 31 August, as Chattogram Wasa and Korean Taeyoung Engineering & Construction Co Ltd will begin a feasibility study soon, according to Chattogram Wasa Managing Director AKM Fazlullah.

Wasa's initial survey marked two potential routes for the pipelines. The first one comprises a 126km stretch from the estuary to Ramgati, Feni and Mirsharai. The second probable route is 132km long, which is planned parallel to the existing rail route – from the estuary to Chandpur, Laksam, Feni and Mirsharai.

"Chattogram Wasa and Korean Taeyoung Engineering & Construction Co Ltd will implement the project under public private partnership as the cost will be around Tk10,000 crore," Maqsood Alam, chief engineer of Chattogram Wasa, told The Business Standard.

He said implementation may take five to seven years.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar is being constructed on about 33,000 acres of land at Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas of Chattogram and Sonagazi upazila of Feni. The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) is implementing the project.

So far, 159 domestic and foreign companies have invested around $2,000 crore in the industrial city. Several companies at the industrial city, such as Asian Paints Bangladesh Limited, McDonald Steel Building Products of Bangladesh and Nippon Steel Corporation of Japan, have recently gone into production.

The daily demand for water in this huge industrial city is projected to be 1,013 million litres. However, there are concerns among entrepreneurs about the availability of water. Some factories have even installed deep tube wells on their own to extract groundwater in order to start production.

Initially, Beza planned to supply 154 million litres of water per day from River Halda to the industrial city. However, the plan was later scrapped in the face of increasing salinity in the Halda.

Later, Beza set a target to extract 50 million litres of water per day by installing 50 deep tube wells. But the plan could not stand out too as environmentalists expressed concern over the depleting level of the groundwater.

According to the initial survey of Chattogram WASA, there is a huge reserve of freshwater in the Padma-Meghna-Dakatia estuary in Chandpur from where around 200-400 million litres of water can be extracted per day.

Chattogram Wasa officials said the pipeline route will be finalised after the feasibility study. They said some areas around the pipeline would be connected to the water supply network of Chattogram Wasa.

Chattogram Wasa Managing Director AKM Fazlullah said, "We have plans to connect several areas such as Hajiganj, Laksam, Feni and Baroyarhat to the water supply network while constructing the pipeline."

Shaikh Yusuf Harun, executive chairman of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, said Beza has zero involvement in the supply project, as it is only concerned with the availability of water.

Pipe-in water from Meghna to quench Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar's thirst

Some areas in Chandpur, Comilla and Feni also to come under Chattogram Wasa water supply network

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An 11-member technical mission of the World Bank reached Chattogram port today to discuss various aspects of proposed Bay Terminal, a mega project taken to enable the port accommodate larger ships.

Earlier this year, the international lender expressed interest to give around $350 million in loan for breakwater construction and channel dredging of the Bay Terminal, which will be constructed on around 2,500 acres of land at Patenga in Chattogram.

The World Bank delegation led by its Senior Transport Specialist Hua Tan will be engaged in discussions with senior port officials until September 8, according to the sources in Chattogram Port Authority (CPA).

The team, however, will stay in the country until September 12 as they have scheduled meetings on other projects at the shipping ministry and other offices in Dhaka.

The WB team today sat in a meeting with CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Shahjahan and later hold a meeting with senior CPA officials.

Officials from different departments, including CPA civil engineering, planning, marine, hydrography and traffic, attended the meeting.

It is a routine visit of the World Bank technical mission to see progress and discuss different aspects of the project before approving the loan for the Bay Terminal, the CPA chairman told The Daily Star.

In a major development, the government on Wednesday approved a proposal of the CPA to appoint a German joint venture as consultant for the works of the terminal.

Earlier in April this year, the CPA appointed Korean joint venture of Kunhwa Engineering and Consulting Co Ltd, Korean and Daeyoung Engineering Co Ltd Korea as consultant for the construction of the terminal.

The firm has already submitted its inception report and the World Bank team will also discuss the report before leaving Bangladesh.

World Bank’s team reaches Ctg port to discuss Bay Terminal project

An 11-member technical mission of the World Bank reached Chattogram port today to discuss various aspects of proposed Bay Terminal, a mega project taken to enable the port accommodate larger ships.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[Isa Khan]

Highlights:

• India to provide Tk2,810crore for the Cumilla-B'baria highway project under its $7.36 billion lines of credit
• Project would also be taken to make Dhaka-Sylhet and Chattogram-Sylhet communication smoother
• Revised proposal of under-construction elevated expressway from Chattogram's Lalkhan Bazar to airport was also approved

---

The government has taken the initiative to upgrade the Cumilla-Brahmanbaria highway to four lanes with an eye on regional connectivity.

The Tk7,188 crore project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday.

India will be providing Tk2,810 crore of the total cost to implement the project under its $7.36 billion lines of credit.

At a press conference held after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the project will play a significant role in improving connectivity with India and other neighbouring countries.

It will connect the Ashuganj river port and Akhaura land port, making major headway in the country's transshipment ambitions.

Besides, the planning minister said the project would make the connection between Dhaka-Sylhet and Chattogram-Sylhet smoother.

The project proposal shows that India, Bhutan and Nepal lie on the northeastern border of Bangladesh while Myanmar and China are on the eastern edge. Bangladesh, thus, has a huge scope of expanding trade through road connectivity in this region.

The Transfer Infrastructure and Logistics Study (BTILS) selected eight corridors on a priority basis for expanding bilateral and sub-regional trade with India and other neighbouring countries in the region.

The proposed highway is on the priority list.

Including this, Ecnec approved six projects at a cost of Tk8,730 crore on Tuesday.

The revised proposal of the under construction elevated expressway project from Chattogram's Lalkhan Bazar to the airport was also approved at the meeting.

Five years after the work on the expressway began, the design was modified and the project deadline extended by two more years to 2024.

The implementation work of the project was first targeted to be completed by June 2021. Later the period was extended by one more year, resulting in the project cost spiking from Tk1,048 crore to Tk4,299 crore.

So far 70% of the project has been completed.

Satyajit Karmaker, a member of the physical infrastructure department of the Planning Commission, said at the press conference that if the old design was used, several problems involving ramps and alignment would remain, resulting in more traffic complications than solutions.

Moreover, following objections of the Ministry of Shipping, the housing and public work held a meeting to determine the new ramp and alignment, leading to more revisions.

In the previous design, the ramps were supposed to be made with PC girders, but the new design says it will be made with RCC box girders so long vehicles can travel on the expressway smoothly.

In response to a question at the press conference, Planning Minister Mannan also said that the metro rail fare would not be too high. He, however, said there was no scope to take a lesser fare as the maintenance costs were very high.

Secretary of the Planning Division Mamun-Al-Rashid pointed out that the fare fixed for the metro rail would not be enough to cover the maintenance costs.

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said as the fare would not cover maintenance cost, it meant that the fare was already subsidised.

Last week, the Dhaka Traffic Coordination Authority (DTCA) published the complete list of metro rail fares.

The fare from Diabari to Motijheel and Kamalapur is Tk100. The fare from Diabari to TSC and the Secretariat is Tk90, Karwan Bazar and Shahbagh Tk80, and Agargaon and Bijoy Sarani Tk60.

Among the other projects approved at the ECNEC meeting are – road development of Barisal-Bhola- Lakkhipur route; modernisation of the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in Mitford, Cumilla, Faridpur and the Mushroom Cultivation Expansion Project.

Besides, the proposal to extend the duration of the Akhaura-Agartala Dual Gauge Rail Link construction project for the fourth time was also approved.

Ecnec okays Tk7,188cr 4-lane Cumilla-B’baria highway

India will be providing Tk2,810 crore of the total cost to implement the project under its $7.36 billion lines of credit

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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday inaugurated the country's first Super Specialised Hospital under the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka.

The premier virtually joined the inaugural function and declared the opening of the hospitalat 11:27am from her official residence Ganabhaban residence here.

"I believe that this hospital will open new horizons in medical research. About 5-8 thousand patients will receive outdoor services per day. Once it is launched, the country will save approximately Tk350 crore," said the prime minister.

The prime minister has put special emphasis on doctors' training and medical research. She urged doctors to expand their horizons and visit rural areas to provide necessary healthcare to the underprivileged.

"Emphasis should be placed on medical research. Research in the field of health is still insufficient. I urge the expert doctors to pay heed to research in addition to providing service," she said.

The state-of-the-art specialised hospital has been built at a cost of Tk1,366 crore on 3.4 acres of land on the north side of the BSMMU. Of the construction cost, South Korea provided Tk1,047 crore as a loan.

"We thank the Korean government for the financial and technical support in the implementation of this project. I sincerely thank all those who donated this land," she remarked.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malik presided over the inaugural event.

The prime minister also noted that established doctors from around the world should be given the opportunity to come to Bangladesh and provide training to the country's healthcare officials.

Mentioning the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine, she urged countrymen to be more vigilant in the face of adversities.

"Food security and healthcare are directly proportional, thus, we would need to increase our production while being frugal when it comes to using natural resources," she said adding, "I urge people from all walks of life to focus on personal savings for rainy days."

Earlier on 13 September 2018, she laid the foundation stone of the state-of-the-art specialised hospital.

The hospital has 11 modular operation theatres of international standard and there will be at least five world class centres with different departments, disciplines.

It will be the country's first medical facility where centre-based medical services will be provided.

The five centres include – Cardio and CerebroVascular Centre, Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Centre, Mother and Child Health Care Centre, Kidney Disease Centre, and the Accident & Emergency Centre, and a 100-bed ICU.

Regarding centre-based medical services, Zulfker Rahman Khan, project director of the super specialised hospital, told The Business Standard that a patient will get comprehensive treatments at the five centres as each will have different departments, disciplines.

In Cardio and CerebroVascular Centre, a comprehensive treatment of Cardiac disease will be provided including Cardiology, Cardiac surgery, Paediatric Cardiology and Vascular Surgery, he added.

There will be 64 cabins including six VVIP cabins, 23 VIP cabins and deluxe cabins.

There will be a state-of-the-art operation theatre, and a state-of-the-art CT scan and all tests starting from MRI will be digitised in this hospital.

BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Sharfuddin Ahmed compared the inauguration of the Super Specialised Hospital with the Padma Bridge as it is a major achievement in the country's health sector.

He hoped that the healthcare facility will be able to provide better treatment to patients and help reduce the trend of travelling abroad for treatment, ultimately reducing the suffering of people and medical expenses.

In July, the BSMMU VC had said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Super Specialised Hospital on 28 August but later the launching ceremony was pushed back by two weeks in honour of the month of mourning.

PM inaugurates Super Specialised Hospital in Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday inaugurated the country's first Super Specialised Hospital under the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka. The premier virtually joined the inaugural function and declared the opening of the hospitalat 11:27am from her official...

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A ship with a draught of 8 metres anchored on Monday at the Mongla Port following dredging, becoming the first of its size.

The ship, MCC Tokyo, with the ensign of Panama, moored at jetty number five of the port carrying 377 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers on Monday noon, Mongla Port Authority Member (harbour and marine) Commodore Mohammad Abdul Wadud Tarafder said.

It was the first ship of its size to anchor at the port.

"It has been possible due to dredging. The consignment will be unloaded from the ship within 48 hours," Commodore Abdul Wadud said.

The ship will leave the port after reloading goods, he said, adding that it was a trial run showing that other ships with 8 metre drafts can also anchor at the port.

Port sources said that ships with 7 to 7.5-metre draught could not anchor at the jetties due to low navigability. All the big cargo ships used to moor in the middle of Pasur river. Goods from the ships were also unloaded there.

The port authorities started dredging of the river in the face of demand from the port users.

SM Moshtaq Mithu, a port user, told The Business Standard that activities have increased at the port as a blessing of the Padma Bridge.

The port has got momentum due to the dredging at the jetty area. More ships will come to the port if the trend continues and businesses will be benefited too, he said.

First 8-metre draught vessel anchors at Mongla Port

A ship with a draught of 8 metres anchored on Monday at the Mongla Port following dredging, becoming the first of its size. The ship, MCC Tokyo, with the ensign of Panama, moored at jetty number five of the port carrying 377 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers on Monday noon, Mongla Port...

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1569500559249670145

 

[Isa Khan]

The reactor pressure vessel of the second unit of Rooppur nuclear power plant will be installed in the middle of October, said Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman.

At a seminar at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre auditorium in the capital on Saturday, he said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the vessel virtually.

Speaking at the seminar organised by the Atomic Reporters Bangladesh (ARB), an organisation of journalists working in various media covering the science and technology sectors, in regard to the safety of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Yeafesh Osman said the safety of the people of the country is of the utmost importance to the prime minister.

He said millions were being spent to ensure safety.

Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Ziaul Hasan said it was necessary to move away from fossil fuels to meet the government's goal of controlling carbon emissions.

Ziaul Hasan said, to achieve the government's goal of controlling carbon emissions, it is necessary to move away from traditional fossil fuels to green energy such as nuclear power.

Dr Shawkat, nuclear scientist and managing director of NPCBL, said the investment in the plant was not more than those made by other countries for such plants, while the production cost of each unit would not be too high.

He, however, did not disclose the actual cost as the plant power will be sold to the Power Development Board.

At the seminar, Professor of Nuclear Engineering Department of Dhaka University Md Shafiqul Islam showed the cost of power generation from different sources and the cost of nuclear power generation.

He said nuclear power is much more cost-effective than other sources, except domestic gas.

President of the ARB Ariful Sazzad and its secretary Fazle Rabbi also spoke at the event.

Sazzad said the concerned authorities should work on how to get benefits from the use of nuclear power in other sectors as well as power generation.

Officials of the science and technology ministry also participated in the seminar.

Rooppur power plant reactor pressure vessel to be installed in October

The reactor pressure vessel of the second unit of Rooppur nuclear power plant will be installed in the middle of October, said Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman. At a seminar at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre auditorium in the capital on Saturday, he said Prime...

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Tri-nation company Gava Private Limited is going to establish a garments manufacturing unit with $25.62 million in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ).

The project from joint investors from Hong Kong, Switzerland and Sri Lanka will create about 3,086 employment opportunities for Bangladeshi nationals.

According to the Dhaka EPZ officials, this tri-nation company will annually produce 4.4 million pieces of jackets, fleece jackets, t-shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, trousers, coveralls, stretch pants, denim pants, shorts, shirts, sweat-shirts, hi-vis shirts, and vests.

They also mentioned that A-One BD, a knitting factory and another textile factory of DEPZ owned by an Italian investor, were shut down due to a business downturn. The Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority has decided to take steps for the auction process considering the continuation of the investment flow and the employment of the workers.

In line with this process on Sunday Gava Private Limited signed the agreement to purchase A-One BD Limited Company through auction process and to run their business here.

Ali Reza Mazid, member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA and Prasanna Kumar Jayasinghe, director of Gava Private Limited, signed an agreement at the BEPZA Complex in the capital. Dhaka. BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman was present at the agreement signing ceremony.

Among others, Member (Engineering) Mohammad Faruque Alam, Member (Finance) Nafisa Banu, Executive Director (Administration) Md Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Executive Director (Public Relations) Nazma Binte Alamgir, Executive Director (Investment Promotion) Md Tanvir Hossain and Executive Director (Enterprise Services) Md Khorshid Alam were present during the signing ceremony.

Dhaka EPZ gets $25.62 million FDI

Tri-nation company Gava Private Limited is going to establish a garments manufacturing unit with $25.62 million in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ). The project from joint investors from Hong Kong, Switzerland and Sri Lanka will create about 3,086 employment opportunities for Bangladeshi...

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Carrefour, a French multinational retail chain, has expressed interest in strengthening its partnership with Bangladeshi suppliers to expand its business base here.

During a courtesy visit to BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at the BGMEA Complex on Monday, Jean Marie Fouque, director (Textile Global Sourcing) of Carrefour, discussed prospects of increasing apparel sourcing from Bangladesh.

They also had discussions about different RMG trade-related issues, including challenges and opportunities of Bangladesh's RMG industry, said a press release.

The two talked about how Carrefour could strengthen its partnership with Bangladeshi suppliers to expand its business base in Bangladesh.

They also discussed possible collaboration between Carrefour and BGMEA to support the Centre of Innovation Efficiency and Occupational Safety and Health.

The BGMEA has established the Centre to support the country's RMG industry with knowledge, skills, and technical know-how, to face future challenges and enhance its competitiveness.

Carrefour is a multinational retail and wholesaling corporation headquartered in Massy, France.

Faruque Hassan also invited Jean Marie Fouque to the "Made in Bangladesh Week", a BGMEA event scheduled for 12-18 November this year, to showcase prospects and strengths of the RMG industry.

Rezwan Murshed, Country Head (Bangladesh and Pakistan); Veronique Grevet, CSR Manager, Global Sourcing Carrefour, Dhaka office; and Nasir Uddin Tipu, manager, Production and Quality, were also present on the occasion.

French retailer Carrefour looks to expand business in Bangladesh

Jean Marie Fouque, director of Carrefour, paid a courtesy visit to BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at the BGMEA Complex

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[Isa Khan]

Six Bangladeshi companies have showed their interest to invest $457 million at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Chattogram and Sabrang Tourism Park in Cox's Bazar.

They have prepared six investment proposals -- one for the pharmaceuticals sector and the rest five for the hospitality sector.

The economic zones' authority will provide 17 acres land to the entrepreneurs, which are: Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Ltd (HPL), Ifad Motors Ltd, DIRD Composite Textiles Ltd, DIPTA Garments Ltd, DIRD Garments Ltd, and East West Travels & Tours (Pvt) Ltd.

The investment of the six will create around 8,219 direct jobs, according to the officials of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza).

HPL earlier had been running its operation on a 30-acre land inside Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar.

Now, Beza has decided to allocate additional 10 acres to HPL to fulfil its demand to expand operation.

Healthcare Pharmaceuticals will invest $400 million to establish three factories to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulated pharmaceuticals products.

HPL would establish the facilities to meet the local demand for import substitute and export finished products, Muhammad Halimuzzaman, deputy managing director and chief executive officer of HPL, told The Daily Star.

Another investor, Ifad Motors Ltd, has submitted proposal to invest over $16 million to construct and operate a 10-storied 3-star hotel with a 370-room hotel in Sabrang Tourism Park.

Ifad will also utilise the fund for serviced land for construction of 3-star hotel, leisure spot and recreation, convention centre and transport.

Ifad, DIRD Garments Ltd and East West Travels & Tours (Pvt) Ltd will get one-acre land each while DIRD Composite Textiles Ltd and DIPTA Garments Ltd will be provided with two acres of land each.

DIRD Composite Textiles will invest over $17 million, DIPTA Garments

Ltd over $14 million, DIRD Garments

Ltd over $6.5 million and East West Travels over $2.5 million.

The businesses are scheduled to sign land lease agreements with Beza at the former's office in Dhaka's Agargaon area yesterday.

Six firms to invest $457m in pharma, hospitality

Six Bangladeshi companies have showed their interest to invest $457 million at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Chattogram and Sabrang Tourism Park in Cox’s Bazar.

www.thedailystar.net

The construction of a multipurpose terminal under the long-awaited Bay Terminal project will get underway following the appointment of a contractor between January and February 2023, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) hopes.

At a discussion on the master plan prepared by the consultant Kunhwa DY JV for the construction of the terminal on Wednesday, CPA Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan expressed his expectation to complete the work by the end of 2025.

This terminal is among three terminals to be constructed under the project.

Representatives of various stakeholders of the port and government agencies, public representatives and leaders of various business organisations were present at the views-exchange meeting.

Rear Admiral M Shahjahan, who presided over the meeting held at Shahid Mohammad Fazlur Rahman Munshi Auditorium at the port, said the complexity of khas land settlement in the project has also been resolved.

"Now the land ministry is in the process of handing over the land to the port at a nominal price," he added.

He said the multipurpose terminal will have five jetties while the Bay Terminal will have a total of 11 jetties. The terminal will have multimodal connectivity facilities.

"On the eastern side of the project is the port access road and railway tracks. The Bay Terminal has been designed in such a way that there will be no traffic jam on the outer ring road," said the CPA chairman.

The institutions which use the port say that if the delivery activities take place inside the Bay Terminal in the same way it is happening now at Chattogram port, the project will lag behind the developed world. It is proposed to shift delivery operations from the Bay Terminal and build warehouses in the private sector.

Vice President of Bangladesh Freight Forwarder Association Khairul Alam Sujan said delivering inside the Bay Terminal means the situation is like the current port.

"If delivery arrangements are made here too, we will lag behind the developed ports of the world," he expressed his concern.

In response, the port chairman said detailed drawings are being done in view of reality. The National Board of Revenue's approval is required for arranging delivery outside the port. But this opportunity will be at the Matarbari deep seaport.

The port chairman said a separate road will be constructed for the transportation of goods from the Bay Terminal. So that no kind of traffic is created on the outer ring road. The port will construct a boat yard at Rashmoni Ghat so that there is no impact on the livelihood of fishermen.

Superintending Engineer of Roads and Township Department Md Zahid Hossain proposed the construction of an elevated expressway from Faujdarhat to the Bay Terminal.

Water Development Board Supervising Engineer Shibendu Khastagir said, due to the construction of the Bay Terminal, there will be erosion in the economic zones of Sitakunda, Mirsarai, Sandeep and Beza. These areas will be at risk.

Jafar Alam, member (Planning and Admin) of the port, said Engineer Shibendu's apprehension is unrealistic, adding that according to the study reports of various organisations, there is no such fear.

Team leader Park Jong-Jin and Port Planner Kim of Kunhwa Engineering and Consulting Company Limited were also present at the meeting.

Three terminals will be constructed under the Bay Terminal project. One of these will be built with the funding of Chattogram port. The remaining two will be constructed on a public-private partnership (PPP) and G2G basis.

Among the three terminals, the multipurpose terminal will be built with the financing of the Chattogram port. The CPA signed an agreement with Korean company Kunhwa DY JV on 31 May this year to prepare detailed drawings for the construction of this terminal. As part of the agreement, the company submitted a draft master plan on 14 August.

Currently, ships over 9.5 metres in depth and 190 metres in length cannot enter Chattogram Port. The new Bay Terminal will be able to accommodate ships up to 12 metres deep and 260 metres long. There will be no need to depend on high tide to berth the ships.

Bay Terminal construction begins in early 2023: Ctg port

The construction of a multipurpose terminal under the long-awaited Bay Terminal project will get underway following the appointment of a contractor between January and February 2023, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) hopes. At a discussion on the master plan prepared by the consultant Kunhwa...

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