PM seeks pvt assistance for education

PM seeks pvt assistance for education

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon private sector entrepreneurs to come forward and supplement the government efforts t... 2:48 AM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon private sector entrepreneurs to come forward and supplement the government efforts to advance education programmes for building an educated nation and developing the country as a prosperous one.
She said this while receiving results of this year’s Primary School Certificate (PSC), Junior School Certificate (JSC) and their equivalent examinations as well as inaugurating textbook distribution activities for the academic year 2016 at her official residence Ganobhaban.
The premir also stressed the need for creating funds for every primary school to maintain midday meal programmes and carry out other development activities.
She also suggested the authorities concerned to seek assistance, support and cooperation from local rich people and alumni and added that deputy commissioners and UNOs have already been directed to take measures in this regard.
Referring to the formation of the prime minister's education assistance fund, Hasina said the fund has been launched with Tk one crore seed money and poor talent students are given stipends for their higher education lessening the burden on their guardians.
Highlighting the success of introduction of PSC, JSC and JDC examinations, she said these examinations are building consciousness and self-confidence among children and thereby helping them remove fear about SSC examinations.
Earlier, the chairmen of all education boards and acting chairman of Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board separately handed over the statistics of the results to the prime minister.
Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid and primary and mass education minister Mustafizur Rahman were present.
The premier's adviser HT Imam, chairman of the standing committee on primary and mass education Motahar Hossain, PMO secretary Suraiya Begum, education secretary Sohrab Hossain, primary and mass education secretary Humayun Khalid and chairman of the NCTB Prof Narayan Chandra Pal were present on the occasion.
Prothom Alo

France confirms death of Paris attacker

France confirms death of Paris attacker

France on Wednesday confirmed the death of French jihadist Charaffe el Mouadan, who had close links to at least one of the Paris attacker... 2:46 AM

France on Wednesday confirmed the death of French jihadist Charaffe el Mouadan, who had close links to at least one of the Paris attackers, as it emerged the gunmen coordinated the November 13 assault in real time.

Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters “Yes, I can confirm” Mouadan’s death but declined to give further details.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced Mouadan had been killed in a strike by the US-led coalition on December 24.

French sources said there was no immediate evidence directly linking Mouadan to the Paris attacks but said he had been close to Samy Amimour, one of the suicide bombers who attacked the Bataclan music venue in the French capital.

Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said Tuesday that Mouadan, 26, also had a “direct link” to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Paris attacks cell leader.

According to information obtained by AFP from the investigation into the attacks, the gunmen coordinated the assault between them via phone and also communicated with one or more unidentified accomplices in Belgium.

One of the gunmen at the Bataclan sent a text message at 2042 GMT to a phone in Belgium that read: “We’re off. We’re starting.”

The phone used to send this message was found in a bin near the concert venue.

Meanwhile, Belgian police detained one person for questioning over the Paris attacks.

The person, who was not identified, was picked up during a search in the troubled Brussels neighbourhood of Molenbeek.

The attacks on the French national stadium, Paris bars and cafes and the Bataclan on November 13 resulted in 130 deaths and hundreds of wounded.

The assault, claimed by the Islamic State group, and a heightened terror alert in Brussels have caused jitters across Europe ahead of traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Paris has abandoned its firework display although the traditional gathering on the Champs Elysees will go ahead, under very tight security.

Late Wednesday, the mayor of Brussels announced that New Year’s festivities and fireworks had been cancelled over the terror threat.
Prothom Alo

Tea prices rally for second week

Tea prices rally for second week

Tea prices in Bangladesh rose for a second straight session at the weekly auction on Tuesday due to strong demand for the winter season ami... 6:28 PM

Tea prices in Bangladesh rose for a second straight session at the weekly auction on Tuesday due to strong demand for the winter season amid tight supplies.

Bangladeshi tea fetched an average 193.55 taka ($2.44) per kg at the 33rd auction of this marketing season, up from 191.54 taka in the previous sale, an executive at National Brokers said.
About 2.02 million kg were offered at the sole auction centre in the port city of Chittagong, of which 12 percent went unsold. In the previous auction, about 15.53 percent of the 2.03 million kg offered was unsold.
There was strong demand from local buyers for quality tea for the winter season, helping prices, the executive said.
The national budget for the 2015/16 fiscal year, which began in July, raised the regulatory duty on tea imports by 5 percent to discourage overseas buying.
Tea prices fell sharply in the last marketing season due to weak demand from local buyers, as business sentiment was hit by renewed political unrest early this year that left more than 120 people dead and disrupted supplies.
The country has moved from being a net exporter to a net importer of tea due to rising consumption.
Following are the results of the latest auction (figures in
Bangladesh taka per kg):
BROKENS
Bold/Large Brokens 185-188
Medium Brokens 188-194
Small Brokens 192-197
Plain Brokens 140-165

FANNINGS
Best Fannings 199-205
Good Fannings 195-198
Medium Fannings 190-193
Plain Fannings 145-165
DUST
Pekoe Dust 180-204
Red Dust 185-217
Dust 185-225
Churamoni Dust 185-220

($1 = 77.7300 taka)
prothom alo

Global brands eye Indian fashion market

Global brands eye Indian fashion market

India's burgeoning appetite for foreign brands attracted a string of international brands to establish their presence in the country ... 6:25 PM

India's burgeoning appetite for foreign brands attracted a string of international brands to establish their presence in the country this year. US apparel retailer GAP, Swedish multinational retail-clothing company H&M, British fashion brands TOPSHOP and TOPMAN and more, available at brick-and-mortar stores or online mediums, are already a hit.
The summer arrival of GAP, which has made inroads into India through a franchise agreement with textile and retail major Arvind Lifetsyle Brands Limited, was much talked about.
Spread over a 10,000 sq ft south Delhi mall, the first flagship store offers Gap for men and women, GapKids, and babyGap. The plans are big as officials hope to open about 40 stores in the next five years and Arvind Lifetsyle Brands Limited expects Rs. 1,000 crore worth of business opportunity from the venture.
"I think our clothes are perfect for Indian summer. It's very easy to wear with a whole lot of linen feel to it," Oliver Kaye, CEO - Gap Business, told IANS.
Arvind Lifestyle Brands Limited also brought American youth brand Aéropostale to India, with a store at a south Delhi mall in November.
Swedish multinational retail clothing company H&M, which is known globally for offering fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way, also opened shop in the country, again at a south Delhi mall.
And then, call it the successful feedback of the first store that within a gap of a month, the brand opened its second store - its largest in the country - at another south Delhi shopping destination.
Expansion plans for the brand include another store in capital suburb Gurgaon, to be followed by outlets in Mumbai and tier-II and tier-III cities.
India is one of the most exciting markets in the world right now, with so much potential within retail, said Janne Einola, country manager, H&M Hennes & Mauritz Retail Private Limited.
"The response to H&M has been fabulous! We are happy that the Indian customers are pleased with our business concept of fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way.
"We see a great potential for further expansion in India, the number and time frame will be determined by real-estate opportunities and retail market development.
"Our expansion strategy is to always open at the best business location. We have proposed to invest up to euro 100 million ($110 million) in the SBRT (Single Brand Retail Trade) application," Einola told IANS.
It was not only through offline stores that many international brands made its India entry this year as many of them chose to be part of the Rs.720 crore worth Indian fashion industry through online mediums.
Handbags from French label Anna Luchini are now available in the Indian market via e-commerce platform Fashionara.com, which has also introduced watches for women from another French label, Christian Lacroix.
Jabong, a leading fashion online retailer in India, has clearly established its dominance in bringing well-curated collections of international fashion labels such as Buggati Shoes, Tom Tailor, NEXT, Misguided, TOPSHOP, TOPMAN, et al in its portfolio this year.
Nils Chrestin, Interim CEO at Jabong and Group CFO of Global Fashion Group, feels that many international brands today are seeking an online presence to explore the diverse Indian market.
"In the last two years, Jabong has facilitated a lot of deals and, as a result, has been able to successfully build an International portfolio," Chrestin told IANS.
Officials of TOPSHOP and TOPMAN had been eyeing India as a feasible market for quite some time before partnering with Jabong. They feel that the country's market demonstrates great opportunity for fashion brands and the Indian customer is very fashion-savvy.
As of now, they are happy with the response from the customers.
"TOPSHOP and TOPMAN are very new to India and after an impactful launch on Jabong in September earlier this year have continued to experience high levels of traffic as well as meeting sales targets.
"Both brands are growing at a rate of 25 percent month on month and contribute substantially to Jabong's international business portfolio. There's a huge appetite for fashion in India which is why so many brands continue to enter the market," the brands' spokesperson told IANS.
Also, six leading South Korean cosmetic companies made their debut in India this year with an array of cosmetic and wellness products. The companies signed a joint venture agreement with an Indian firm for marketing their products first and will eventually make them in India under the 'Make in India' campaign.
The companies are PLK International, Coson Company Limited, Outin Futures Corporation, BCL Cosmetics Company Limited, Kell Cosmetics Company Limited, and Esthetic House Company.

prothom alo

S&P: 60% global debt defaulter companies American

S&P: 60% global debt defaulter companies American

About 60 percent of this year’s global defaults have come from U.S. borrowers, up from 55 percent a year ago. More U.S. companies have d... 9:20 AM

About 60 percent of this year’s global defaults have come from U.S. borrowers, up from 55 percent a year ago. More U.S. companies have defaulted on their debt this year than companies from other country or region, S&P analysts say in a report published Dec 24.



This is the highest number of defaults since 2009, when 242 companies defaulted for the same period. Even last year, U.S. had 55 per cent share of global debt defaults.

Companies from emerging markets were the second-largest defaulters – having 23 per cent of the pool – it is a smaller share than last year, S&P data says.

Plummeting oil prices and speculation about how the Federal Reserve’s plan to tighten monetary policy would affect corporate borrowing costs has made companies more vulnerable: “he current crop of U.S. speculative-grade issuers appears fragile, and particularly susceptible to any sudden, or unanticipated shock,” the report remarked.
FE

Global growth will be disappointing in 2016: Lagarde

Global growth will be disappointing in 2016: Lagarde

BERLIN: Global economic growth will be disappointing next year and the outlook for the medium-term has also deteriorated, the head of th... 9:17 AM

BERLIN: Global economic growth will be disappointing next year and the outlook for the medium-term has also deteriorated, the head of the International Monetary Fund said in a guest article for German newspaper Handelsblatt published on Wednesday.


 IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the prospect of rising interest rates in the United States and an economic slowdown in China were contributing to uncertainty and a higher risk of economic vulnerability worldwide. Added to that, growth in global trade has slowed considerably and a decline in raw material prices is posing problems for economies based on these, while the financial sector in many countries still has weaknesses and financial risks are rising in emerging markets, she said. "All of that means global growth will be disappointing and uneven in 2016," Lagarde said, noting that mid-term prospects had also weakened as low productivity, ageing populations and the effects of the global financial crisis dampened growth. In October the IMF forecast that the world economy would grow by 3.6 per cent in 2016. Lagarde said the start of a normalisation of US monetary policy and China's shift towards consumption-led growth were "necessary and healthy" changes but needed to be carried out as efficiently and smoothly as possible. The US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade this month and made clear that was a tentative beginning to a "gradual" tightening cycle.
FE

WB to finance Siddhirganj power project

WB to finance Siddhirganj power project

Bangladesh on Sunday signed a $177 million additional financing agreement with International Development Association (IDA) to complete t... 10:20 PM

Bangladesh on Sunday signed a $177 million additional financing agreement with International Development Association (IDA) to complete the ongoing construction of a 335-megawatt combined cycle power plant in Siddhirganj, near Dhaka city. The power plant will account for 6.0 per cent of the total electricity delivered to the national grid.


 IDA is the World Bank (WB)’s concessional arm that helps the world’s poorest countries. The additional financing to the Siddhirganj Power Project will help increase clean, reliable and low-cost electricity supply in Bangladesh. In 2008, WB provided $350 million to construct a 300-megawatt gas turbine power plant in Siddhirganj. In the face of increasing power demand and gas shortages, the government decided to convert the peaking power plant to an energy-efficient 335-megawatt combined cycle power plant. The additional financing will fill the financing gap for constructing the power plant. The combined cycle technology allows the plant to produce higher energy with lower gas consumption. This cleaner technology reduces carbon emissions. The plant will start commercial operation in 2016. In addition to financing the construction of the power plant, the project will also help strengthen the institutional capacity of the three implementing agencies: Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL), Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB), and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB). The agreement was signed by Kazi Shofiqul Azam and Iffath Sharif, on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh and World Bank respectively at the Economic Relations Division. The credit from IDA has a 38-year term, including a six-year grace period, and a service charge of 0.75 per cent, according to BSS.
FE

Storms, tornadoes kill at least 43 in US

Storms, tornadoes kill at least 43 in US

Storms hit the U.S. South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at leas... 10:17 PM

Storms hit the U.S. South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time.


 The bad weather or threat of it prompted the governors of Missouri and New Mexico to declare a state of emergency for their states. Flash floods killed at least 13 people in Missouri and Illinois. In Missouri, emergency workers have evacuated residents from their homes and conducted dozens of water rescues, Governor Jay Nixon said on Sunday. He said at least eight people had been killed and numerous roadways had been closed. Nixon declared a state of emergency, saying continued rains would make already widespread flooding conditions worse. Three adults and two children were in a car near the village of Patoka, Illinois, 85 miles (137 km) east of St. Louis, Missouri, when their vehicle was washed away by floodwaters on Saturday night, according to Marion County Coroner Troy Cannon. In Texas, at least 11 people were killed in the Dallas area over the weekend by tornadoes, including one packing winds of up to 200 miles per hour (322 km per hour). The twister hit the city of Garland, killing eight people and blowing vehicles off highways. "It is total devastation," Garland Police spokesman Lieutenant Pedro Barineau said. "It is a very difficult time to be struck by such a horrible storm the day after Christmas." Three other deaths were reported in the Dallas metropolitan area, the United States' fourth most populous with about 7 million residents. Scores of people were injured in the region and more than 100 homes were damaged or destroyed, officials said. "A tornado of that strength is very rare in a metropolitan area," National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Bishop said in a telephone interview. Powerful tornadoes are a staple of spring and summer in central states but occur less frequently in winter, according to U.S. weather data Three tornadoes were reported in Arkansas on Sunday, the weather service said, but there were no initial reports of significant injuries or damage. The service has issued tornado watches and warnings for areas in that state, as well as in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mississippi. A tornado watch means a storm is likely, while a warning means a storm or storms have been sighted. The storms came on the heels of tornadoes that hit two days before Christmas, killing at least 18 people, including 10 in Mississippi. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said his office had declared Dallas County and three nearby counties disaster areas. He also warned people to be wary of snow in western parts of the state and rivers spilling their banks in other places. The National Weather Service has issued severe weather advisories for large parts of the central United States, including a blizzard warning for parts of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and a flash flood watch stretching from Texas to Indiana. New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez declared a state of emergency for the entire state due to a winter storm expected to dump up to 2 feet of snow in eastern parts of the state. The bad weather forced the cancellation of more than 1,100 flights in the nation on Sunday, according to tracking service FlightAware.com. About half of the canceled flights were in Dallas, a major U.S. flight hub.
FE

Bangladesh-Bahrain sign agreements

Bangladesh-Bahrain sign agreements

Yesterday Bangladesh and Bahrain has signed two agreements on avoiding double taxation and fiscal evasion concerning taxes on income and ... 4:53 AM

Yesterday Bangladesh and Bahrain has signed two agreements on avoiding double taxation and fiscal evasion concerning taxes on income and to promote and protect mutual investments, reports Bahrain News Agency (BNA).

The agreements were concluded as part of a visit by Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Abu Al-Hassan Mahmoud Ali to Bahrain.

They were signed by the Bangladeshi foreign minister and Finance Minister of Bahrain Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.
Samakal

BB to raise credit limit for textiles

BB to raise credit limit for textiles

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has announced a raise in its credit limit for the textile mills of the country from $15 million to $20 million. Th... 4:50 AM

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has announced a raise in its credit limit for the textile mills of the country from $15 million to $20 million.

The BB's circular said that it will provide more credit to the textile mills from its Export Development Fund (EDF).

However, the terms and conditions to avail loan under the credit facility will remain the same.
Samakal

Municipal polls: BGB to remain deployed for 5-day

Municipal polls: BGB to remain deployed for 5-day

Centering the municipality elections on December 30, Bangladesh Boarder Guard (BGB) will remain deployed for five days in a bid to mainta... 4:48 AM

Centering the municipality elections on December 30, Bangladesh Boarder Guard (BGB) will remain deployed for five days in a bid to maintain law and order situation.


Election Commissioner Md Shahnewaz made the disclosure on Sunday afternoon.

BGB will be deployed at all the municipalities where the polls will be held, he said adding that BGB will remain in the field for five days-- on the election day, two days before the election and two days after.


“Two platoons of BGB members will be deployed at the municipalities which have more than one lakh voters while one platoon of BGB members will be deployed which municipalities have less than one lakh voters,” he said.


According to the schedule, voting for municipality elections will be held on December 30. So, following this declaration, the BGB will be deployed at the municipalities under polls from Monday.
Samakal

'IS claims' Bagmara mosque attack

'IS claims' Bagmara mosque attack

The militant group, Islamic State (IS), claimed the credit for the suicide bombing at an Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in Rajshahi district in ... 8:13 AM

The militant group, Islamic State (IS), claimed the credit for the suicide bombing at an Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in Rajshahi district in the country on Saturday.

The US-based SITE Intelligence Group, has confirmed this tonight.

Earlier the youth who was died in the yesterday’s bomb attack on a mosque of Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Bagmara of Rajshahi was the attacker, doctors who conducted autopsy have confirmed.

After conducting the autopsy on Saturday noon, Md. Enamul Haque, a lecturer of the Department of Forensic of Rajshahi Medical Collage and Hospital, confirmed Samakal that 'the dead youth was the bomb attacker.'

He said there was clear evidence that the dead youth was the one carrying the bomb.

The bomb was come near his abdominal and four splinters were found inside his lever which proves that the bomb was on his possession and he was died after being hit by it, he said.

Yesterday, during the simultaneous celebration of Christmas and Eid-e-Miladunnabi, a ‘suicide blast’ (according to police) in the Ahmadiyya mosque killed the suspected attacker and injured 10/12 others in Rajshahi’s Bagmara.
Samakal

Additional 100 MW Indian electricity to 'join in January'

Additional 100 MW Indian electricity to 'join in January'

India and Bangladesh have completed the erection of a transmission line to supply an additional 100 MW of electricity to power-starved B... 8:09 AM

India and Bangladesh have completed the erection of a transmission line to supply an additional 100 MW of electricity to power-starved Bangladesh, officials said. However, supplies would be delayed by a week or two as the two countries are yet to ink a power purchase agreement (PPA), reports the Statesman.

"Erection of a 47-km transmission line from western Tripura to southern Comilla in eastern Bangladesh has been completed. The Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) and the Power Generation Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) have tested the transmission lines on both their sides and found they are okay," Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) Deputy General Managar Mahananda Debbarma said.

The PGCIL and the PGCB, both government-owned companies, erected the transmission lines in their respective areas for the supply of electricity from the Palatana power plant in southern Tripura.

"Earlier the supply of 100 MW to Bangladesh was supposed to be started from December 16 to keep in mind the celebration of Bijoy Dibos. But the transmission lines were not ready and the plan could not materialize," Debbarma said.

It was on December 16, 1971, that Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign nation after the surrender of 95,000 Pakistani troops at the end of the nine-month-long Liberation War in what was then East Pakistan.

"Discussions between the officials of India and Bangladesh are on to sign the PPA. The PPA would be signed soon and we are hopeful to supply electricity to Bangladesh in the first or second week of January," the official added.

Indian and Bangladeshi officials held a series of meetings in New Delhi and Dhaka to finalize all the nitty-gritties of power supply except the tariff. The last two such meetings were held in New Delhi on October 26-28 and November 26.

PGCIL Deputy General Manager MSK Singh said that the company has invested Rs.90 crore to erect an 18-km transmission line on Indian territory and to provide compensation to the people for land acquisition.

The power will help Bangladesh to end the energy crisis in the country's eastern part.

The 100 MW of power will be in addition to the 500 MW Bangladesh already receives from West Bengal. A like amount is also on the cards from the state, as the two neighbors enter a new phase of bilateral cooperation for regional benefit.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed power supply from Tripura with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his June 6-7 Dhaka visit.

Modi had declared that India would eventually enhance the power supply to Bangladesh to 1,100 MW.
Samakal

CS leaders oppose SEZ on farmland

CS leaders oppose SEZ on farmland

Eleven eminent citizens have expressed serious concern at the government’s hurried move to establish a special economic zone (SEZ) on 511... 7:13 PM

Eleven eminent citizens have expressed serious concern at the government’s hurried move to establish a special economic zone (SEZ) on 511 acres of agricultural land of a tea estate in Habiganj.

In a statement on Wednesday, they pointed out that such move would affect the livelihoods of the tea workers and destroy cultivation of a few crops there.

The signatories are Hossain Zillur Rahman, Hameeda Hossain, Anu Muhammad, Khushi Kabir, Rahnuma Ahmed, Jyotirmoy Barua, Shahidul Alam, Tanzibuddin Khan, Shamsul Huda, Hasnat Quaiyum and Philip Gain.

Based on their field visit and media reports, the civil society leaders said, the local administration has transferred 511 acres of agricultural land to Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) showing them as non-agricultural land.

Their investigation shows the ancestors of tea workers and their families who have been cultivating the land prepared this agricultural land 150 years back along with preparing land for cultivation of tea. Of 3,951 acres of land in Chandpore Tea Estate, 951 acres are agricultural land.

“These families depend on this land for mere survival. We believe an injustice will be done to the tea workers and their families of Chandpore Tea Estate if the agricultural land is transferred without properly consulting them or taking their economic fate into consideration,” they said in the statement.

They called on the government to ensure that there is no injustice done to the workers.

Acknowledging the importance of the SEZ, the citizens argued that agriculture is important, too.

They made an appeal to the government to initiate a larger national discussion on economic zones and ensure wise and rightful use of the land.
Prothom Alo

Tea prices edge up at weekly auction

Tea prices edge up at weekly auction

Tea prices in Bangladesh edged higher at the weekly auction on Tuesday amid strong demand for quality grade despite higher supplies. Ba... 7:10 PM

Tea prices in Bangladesh edged higher at the weekly auction on Tuesday amid strong demand for quality grade despite higher supplies.

Bangladeshi tea fetched an average 191.54 taka ($2.44) per kg at the 32nd auction of the current marketing season, compared with 191.17 taka in the previous sale, an executive with National Brokers said.
About 2.03 million kg were offered at the sole auction centre in Chittagong, of which 15.53 percent went unsold. In the previous auction, about 11.48 percent of the 2.01 million kg offered was unsold.
There was strong demand from local buyers for quality tea, the executive said.
The national budget for the 2015/16 fiscal year that started in July raised the regulatory duty on tea imports by 5 percent to discourage overseas buying.
Tea prices fell sharply in the last marketing season on poor demand from local buyers, as business sentiment was hit by renewed political unrest early this year that left more than 120 people dead and disrupted supplies.
The country has moved from being a net exporter to a net importer of tea due to rising consumption.
Following are the results of the latest auction (figures in
Bangladesh taka per kg):

BROKENS
Bold/Large Brokens 182-187
Medium Brokens 186-192
Small Brokens 190-195
Plain Brokens 150-170

FANNINGS
Best Fannings 196-200
Good Fannings 193-195
Medium Fannings 188-191
Plain Fannings 150-170

DUST
Pekoe Dust 182-195
Red Dust 185-218
Dust 185-224
Churamoni Dust 185-220

($1 = 77.7300 taka)
Prothom alo

No fuel price cut now: Muhith

No fuel price cut now: Muhith

Despite the declining price of oil in the international market, the government is yet to decide on whether to cut the price of fuel oil i... 7:07 PM

Despite the declining price of oil in the international market, the government is yet to decide on whether to cut the price of fuel oil in the domestic market, says finance minister AMA Muhith.

“We talked to the ministry of energy…we are not going to cut fuel price right now,” he told a discussion at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Thursday.
Bangladesh Chamber of Industries organised the discussion on ‘Prospects and Challenges of Investment in Industries’.
Speaking as the chief guest, the minister said the fuel price may further decline in international market and if it stabilises at a certain level, then its price may be cut domestically.
Energy adviser to the prime minister Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said the government does not want to re-fix the fuel oil price again and again, but rather wants to keep its price sustainable.
He too said if the oil price declines and stabilises in international market, the government will consider cutting fuel oil price.
About industrial power demand, Muhith said the government will ensure uninterrupted power supply to the country’s industries within the next two years. Wherever industrial parks are set up, power supply must be ensured, he added.
To check industrial pollution, he said, the government will take a policy to set up central effluent treatment plant (ETP) in all industrial areas. “The government will set up ETP in industrial areas and you (industrialists) must pay a charge to use it.”
Recalling the importance of jute, the finance minister said jute products still have export value, so the government should never ban the jute products. “We should always remain alert (to its potential).”
Tawfiq-e-Elahi said the government will set up some 10 wells to explore oil and gas all over the country and it is expected that gas would be supplied to all factories and industries within the next two years.
Uninterrupted power would be supplied to all cluster industries, he added.
Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Annisul Huq and president of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries AK Azad, among others, spoke at the discussion.
Prothom Alo

BB redefines banks' exposure to capital market

BB redefines banks' exposure to capital market

Amid the sluggish trend in the share market, Bangladesh Bank has redefined banks' investment in the capital market. As per a circula... 7:10 PM

Amid the sluggish trend in the share market, Bangladesh Bank has redefined banks' investment in the capital market.
As per a circular, issued by the central bank's offsite supervision department, the capital provided by banks to their subsidiary companies will not come into calculation of their (banks) total capital market investment.
The new definition of the central bank will be applicable only for solo basis calculation of the banks' capital market investment.
The latest policy directive will come into effect from January 2016, said the circular adding that the monthly statement tabulation for capital market statement has been changed in light of the new directives.
Many believe that the new policy directive of the central bank will play a supportive role to revive the ailing capital market.
They said the central bank's move came against the backdrop of the prevailing sluggish trend in the share market, as the Dhaka Stock Exchange's (DSE) index came down to nearly 4500 point.
Bangladesh Bank officials said new policy support will encourage most of the banks to invest more in the capital market.
Currently, there are 33 capital market subsidiary companies of the banks. A total of 48 banks, out of 56, have investment in the capital market. Of them, 26 banks' capital market investment is below 25 percent as on 30 November.
The central bank earlier asked the banks to bring down their overall capital market investment within 25 percent of their respective total capital by 21 July 2016 in line with the Banking Companies (Amended) Act 2013.
Prothom Alo

PM to open Dhaka trade fair 1 Jan

PM to open Dhaka trade fair 1 Jan

The 21st edition of the month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2016 will begin in the capital city on 1 January, says news agen... 7:08 PM

The 21st edition of the month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) 2016 will begin in the capital city on 1 January, says news agency UNB.
The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and the Ministry of Commerce will jointly host the event to be held at Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, on the west side of Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will formally open the international fair from the BICC on 1 January , said an official on Tuesday.
The event will showcase quality exportable products of Bangladesh to the visitors from home and abroad, organisers said.
The local producers in remote areas of rural Bangladesh who do not have financial strength to participate in International trade fair will have the opportunity to display their products to the international buyers at this fair, said the EPB.
Besides, the organisers said, the overseas participants will have opportunity to display their products for the consumers of Bangladesh where domestic market of consumer goods is expanding.
The foreign participants will also have the opportunity to display their state-of-the-art technology to the local producers and exporters.
Besides, the participants will be able to identify business contacts with the prospect of entering into subsequent business negotiations.
Prothom Alo

No visa ban for Bangladeshis in UAE

No visa ban for Bangladeshis in UAE

An official of the United Arab Emirates foreign ministry has dismissed news reports of a visa ban on Bangladeshis in the oil rich Arab c... 6:18 PM

An official of the United Arab Emirates foreign ministry has dismissed news reports of a visa ban on Bangladeshis in the oil rich Arab country. The reports have claimed that the UAE has not been issuing visas for Bangladeshis since 2012, when Bangladesh voted for Moscow rather than Dubai as the host city for the World Expo 2020. Dubai eventually won the bid.


 Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs of the UAE foreign ministry Ahmed Alham Al Dhaheri said the UAE had been issuing an increasingly large number of visas for Bangladeshis every year. Last year 250,000 Bangladeshis went to the UAE. “Only labour-related visas depend on companies,” he pointed out. He also said the Gulf state was restructuring the rules for some companies on how many workers they would be allowed to hire. Al Dhaheri was talking to journalists after the opening of a new, separate UAE consular section in Dhaka, the fourth of its kind in the world. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam inaugurated the centre in the Gulshan diplomatic area. With this new centre, according to Dhaheri, an electronic visa system would be introduced and Bangladeshi travellers would be able to use e-gates at all airports in the UAE. The UAE officials will take biometric details and eye scans of intending visitors at the time of issuing visas. Ambassador Saeed bin Hajar al Shehi said the inauguration of the new consular office had reinforced the “good brotherly relations” between Bangladesh and the UAE, according to bdnews24.com.
FE

Global battery giant G S Yuasa enters Bangladesh

Global battery giant G S Yuasa enters Bangladesh

One of the leading global battery manufactures G S Yuasa makes its foray into Bangladeshi market with its automotive advance technology ... 6:14 PM

One of the leading global battery manufactures G S Yuasa makes its foray into Bangladeshi market with its automotive advance technology battery.


 Bangladeshi joint venture company Japan Solartech (Bangladesh) Ltd is ready to manufacture and market ‘Yuasa’ branded automotive batteries from January next, officials Saturday at a press meet held at a city hotel said. The second largest battery manufactures in the world, Japan based G S Yuasa has been supplying original equipments for manufacturing (OE) to Japan Solartech BD under a technical service agreement (TSA). It is the first time that GS Yuasa has made TSA with any company of any country, top ranked officials of G S Yuasa and Japan Solartech said. Japan Solartech (BD) Ltd already invested US $1.5 million and set up a plant at Chittagong. Riku Imai, a manager of international business unit of GS Yuasa said that the global automobile sale has gradually been increasing and the growth is outstanding in Asia.-
FE

Quake, blockade hit Everest industry

Quake, blockade hit Everest industry

      A door of a collapsed house stands after the earthquake damaged it earlier this year at Khumjung, a typical Sherpa village in Solu... 9:56 AM

     

A door of a collapsed house stands after the earthquake damaged it earlier this year at Khumjung, a typical Sherpa village in Solukhumbu district also known as the Everest region, in this picture taken 30 November 2015. – ReutersPhurba Tashi Sherpa, the most accomplished high-altitude climber in history, holds a bucket and crowbar as he claws through the rubble of his home seven months after Nepal's earthquake shattered the country.
Despite years of guiding wealthy foreign clients up Mount Everest, something he has done 21 times - a joint record - the 44-year-old has been left penniless.
Phurba Tashi's predicament is shared by many Sherpas, whose homes, lodges and restaurants were destroyed in the April disaster and who complain of a slow response from the government despite billions of dollars of Western aid.
Some retired guides must return to the peaks to earn money. Others are pulling their children out of schools in Kathmandu and hotel owners are firing staff.
To make matters worse, bookings so far point to a sharp drop in foreign mountaineers heading for Nepal in 2016, deterred by ruined infrastructure and an economic blockade along its border with India that threatens supplies of fuel and equipment.
"Everything I worked for was destroyed in a minute," said Phurba Tashi, standing in his village of Khumjung, a cluster of 80 stone houses perched on a plateau surrounded by breathtaking 23,000-foot (7,000-metre) mountains.
The earthquake that killed almost 9,000 people destroyed his eight-bedroom trekking lodge, badly damaged his house and caused a deadly avalanche nine miles away on the world's tallest peak.
The remote villages under Everest, which prospered in recent decades thanks to the booming climbing business, suffered some of the heaviest destruction in Nepal's deadliest disaster.
"TERRIBLE YEARS"
The Everest industry is in a state of upheaval following avalanches in 2014 and 2015 that killed 35 people, in the two most deadly incidents since climbers began ascending.
In 2013, there was an unprecedented mass brawl between Sherpas and climbers that exposed deep-rooted frustrations over a lack of recognition of the risks local guides take to get foreigners up and down the fabled summit.
They want a bigger slice of Nepal's $360 million-a-year adventure travel industry, of which Everest is the cornerstone.
Bookings to scale the world's tallest mountain in 2016 have been a third to half lower than previous years, according to interviews with 18 of the largest climbing firms.
This would be the biggest drop since commercial climbing began on Everest in the early 1990s, and could leave hundreds of struggling Sherpas without work.
"It has been two terrible years for Everest: we have had no summits and lots of fatalities," said Garrett Madison, who runs Seattle-based Madison Mountaineering.
The team doctor died this year on the mountain and three Sherpas working for him were killed in 2014. "It will take time to restore confidence."
In the past, deadly accidents have done little to dent Everest's popularity, with risk being part of the allure. But next year could be different, as threats to the industry take on a political dimension.
An economic blockade of Nepal's border with India could disrupt expeditions and deter would-be climbers, who typically pay a non-refundable fee of $35,000 to $100,000 for a chance to scale the peak.
Nepal has been facing an acute fuel crisis for three months since protesters in the lowland south, angered that a new constitution fails to reflect their interests, prevented supply trucks from entering from India.
This is crippling the landlocked Himalayan nation as it tries to recover from the earthquake that displaced millions in the central and eastern regions.
CATASTROPHE
Mountaineering firms say the blockade threatens the climbing season because there may be a shortage of fuel to airlift equipment, operate emergency rescue flights or provide enough cooking gas cylinders to survive for two months on the mountain.
"It is a crisis at the moment. It is going to be a catastrophe if this embargo continues," said Phil Crampton, the owner of the New York-based Altitude Junkies.
Near the warren of royal palaces and temples in central Kathmandu's bustling old town, Gobinda Bahadur Karki, the director of Nepal's tourism department, is more upbeat.
He predicts the blockade will be over before the spring and says he is "expecting a good number of climbers" next year, because mountaineers used to assessing risks will not be discouraged by a rare natural disaster.
Back in Khumjung, the resentment is not just about the blockade tripling the cost of building materials that need to be carried from an airport three days' walk away.
In a rural community where nine of 10 homes were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake, anger is rising over the government's failure to spend $4.1 billion of reconstruction money donated by foreign governments six months ago.
"We hear the politicians in Kathmandu are eating the money," Phurba Tashi said.
Yuba Raj Khatiwada, vice chairman of Nepal's planning commission, is in charge of spending the money and understands the frustration over the delays, but says the blockade has absorbed attention and prevented aid work.
"It has put us back in the relief rather than reconstruction stage," he said.
TERRIBLE COST
For almost a century, western climbers have hired Nepal's Sherpas to do the most dangerous work on Everest. It is a lucrative way of life in one of the world's poorest countries, but comes at a cost.
More than 200 Sherpas have lost their lives working in the mountains and as many have been disabled by rockfalls, frostbite, and altitude-related illnesses.
Known as the "Everest Yak" because of his immense stamina, the quiet and diminutive Phurba Tashi is head Sherpa for Himalayan Experience, one of the largest Everest climbing companies.He is the record holder at 34 summits for mountains over 8,000 metres (26,000 feet).
Yet he says for most of his career he has been paid less than western guides. Foreign guides can make $10,000-$35,000 a season, whereas Sherpas typically paid about $6,000, according to two western professionals.
Since the two recent disasters on Everest, Phurba Tashi has been under immense pressure from his family to quit.
"I would rather we were poor than he took the risks," said Karma Doma, his wife, as she served guests Sherpa tea and biscuits.
In 2016, Phurba Tashi will take a break from climbing to appease his family, and will try to earn an income growing potatoes on a small farm.
But eventually, he says, he will have to return to the peaks to support his children.
He has spent his $20,000 life savings and borrowed $10,000 to rebuild his home and lodge, both surrounded by rubble.
The next time he climbs Everest he will be break the record.
"A lot of people tell me I should go one more time to break the record, but it doesn't mean anything to me," he said. "Since the earthquake, when I look back at my career, my biggest disappointment is that I am still worrying about my future."
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Spanish beauty queen claims crown at Miss World pageant

Spanish beauty queen claims crown at Miss World pageant

Spanish model Mireia Lalaguna was crowned Miss World 2015 after beating out 113 contestants from across the globe on Saturday night at ... 9:52 AM

Spanish model Mireia Lalaguna was crowned Miss World 2015 after beating out 113 contestants from across the globe on Saturday night at a coastal resort city in south China’s Hainan Province.

The pharmacy student from Barcelona claimed the illustrious crown after winning over the contest’s judges during the 65th edition of the world famous pageant in China’s Sanya.

“Without the love I have received from all of the people I have met here, and from all of the people wishing me well and supporting me at home, I would never have gotten to this point,” said the beauty queen, according to a statement released by the event’s organisers.

“I want to show them and the world that I am deserving of the Miss World title and I hope to do everyone proud.”

The pageant’s second place was awarded to Russia’s Sofia Nikitchuk, while third place went to Indonesia’s Maria Harfanti.

However, the ceremony was not without controversy. Officials in Hong Kong last month stopped Miss Canada, Anastasia Lin, from boarding a plane bound for Sanya, telling her she would not receive a visa.

The 25-year old actress claimed the decision was due to her stance on China’s human rights record, including its persecution of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual group of which she is a practitioner.

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Foreign firms accused of exploiting WC 2022 workers

Foreign firms accused of exploiting WC 2022 workers

Foreign companies working on construction projects for football’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar are exploiting underpaid workers used as “moder... 10:09 AM

Foreign companies working on construction projects for football’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar are exploiting underpaid workers used as “modern-day slaves”, the International Trade Union Confederation alleged Friday.

The ITUC said in a report that it estimates “$15 billion profit will be made by companies working in Qatar on infrastructure... using up to 1.8 million migrant workers who are modern-day slaves.”
“Every CEO operating in Qatar is aware that their profits are driven by appallingly low wage levels-wages that are often based on a system of racial discrimination-and that these profits risk safety, resulting in indefensible workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths,” said the organisation’s general secretary, Sharan Burrow.
The ITUC estimated that as many as “7,000 workers will die before a ball is kicked in the 2022 World Cup”, but without specifying how or why the figure could rise so high.
“This crisis goes beyond the borders of Qatar, involving companies across the world who are profiting from the ‘kafala’ labour system which enslaves workers,” it said.
The ITUC cited the example of workers building a showcase World Cup venue, the Khalifa Stadium, who it said were being paid $1.50 (1.4 euros) an hour.
Qatar says it has introduced steps to ensure workers are paid on time, made it illegal for companies to hold workers’ passports, upgraded accommodation and safety standards and improved “access to justice” for those mistreated.
In the face of charges from several rights groups, Doha says it has also put into place proposals which would lead to the end of its controversial kafala system, which limits the rights of movement for workers.
The ITUC called on Qatari authorities to take immediate steps to scrap kafala, “starting with the elimination of the exit visa”, and to introduce a national minimum wage for all workers.
It also urged FIFA, world football’s governing body, which it said had “failed to exert any real pressure” on Doha “to put workers’ rights at the centre of 2022 World Cup preparations”.
Prothom Alo

'Bangladesh to be largest cotton importer'

'Bangladesh to be largest cotton importer'

Bangladesh is likely to become the world’s top cotton importer replacing China, according to the US agriculture department data. “Bangla... 10:06 AM

Bangladesh is likely to become the world’s top cotton importer replacing China, according to the US agriculture department data.
“Bangladesh is raised 200,000 bales to 5.9 million on strong mill demand and larger recent shipments from India, to become the world’s largest importer,” the department said providing trade outlook for 2015/16 (till July 31).
China has become the largest importer of raw materials as its economy has grown, and China is projected to import 5.5 million bales in the current season, the lowest since 2003. One bale weighs 480 pounds or 218 kilograms.
“China is cut 250,000 bales to 5.5 million on declining use and the weak pace of trade to date,” said the USDA report on ‘Cotton: World Markets and Trade. China had been the largest importer of Indian cotton in the last three years.
The forecast for Pakistan’s imports is raised to 2.0 million bales, its highest level in the last eight years, it said.
Reports of poor crop conditions in Pakistan caused pessimism regarding crop size among many observers over the last several weeks. The pessimism has been confirmed by falling deliveries of seed cotton to gins.
Pakistan was widely expected to see higher imports of raw cotton despite a slightly higher import duty, especially as duties on yarn imports were raised substantially.
However, recent reports on cotton shipments from India to Pakistan (at least 600,000 170-kg Indian bales in November alone) indicate that Pakistan’s import demand may be substantially larger and may impact global markets sooner than previously anticipated.
Outside of Pakistan, the continuing shift of spinning capacity from cotton-producing China to more import-dependent countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh has also raised the forecast for global trade.
Beyond India, stronger recent demand will benefit Brazil and various West African suppliers, especially due to their competitive pricing and relatively large available supplies.
For 2015/16, world production is lowered substantially, mostly due to changes in Pakistan and China.
Major Cotton exporters are Australia, Brazil, Greece, India and the United States.
Prothom Alo

Jute bag mandatory for six items

Jute bag mandatory for six items

The textile and jute ministry on Thursday issued an order making the use of jute bag mandatory for carrying and preserving any quantity ... 1:52 AM

The textile and jute ministry on Thursday issued an order making the use of jute bag mandatory for carrying and preserving any quantity of rice, paddy, wheat, maize, fertiliser and sugar aiming to implement the Jute Packaging Act, 2010, reports news agency UNB.
According to the order, the ‘20 kgs and above’ in the previous order issued on 5 February, 2014 regarding the use of jute bags in packaging has been revoked.
On 5 February 5, the ministry issued an order making jute bag use mandatory for carrying and preserving these six items weighing 20 kgs and above.
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‘Business reform required for improving investment climate’

‘Business reform required for improving investment climate’

Discussants at a workshop have underscored the need for business reforms and a united role of the private sector to improve overall inve... 1:48 AM

Discussants at a workshop have underscored the need for business reforms and a united role of the private sector to improve overall investment situation in Bangladesh.
The two-day workshop was organised recently in Sylhet by the Bangladesh International Finance Corporation (BIFC) and Bangladesh part of World Bank’s private sector development.
At the workshop, government officials, private sector representatives, think tanks, and development partners shared their experience and key lessons on investment climate improvement efforts in Bangladesh.
Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), secretary of the law ministry, representatives of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), presidents of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), and World Bank officials were present at the event.
IFC, through its BICF, has been supporting the government for the last eight years to introduce business reforms for better business climate in Bangladesh.
Among the thirty notable changes that have infused impetus to policy and regulatory framework, the most prominent include online registration of companies and investors, introduction of e-TIN, reform of VAT law, simplification of the procedures for land registration and development of special economic zones.
In initiating the positive developments, the IFC works with 25 government and private sector bodies in Bangladesh.
Prothom Alo

Thailand keeps interest rate unchanged

Thailand keeps interest rate unchanged

Thailand’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged for the fifth straight meeting, holding fire before a widely anticipated U.S... 3:10 AM

Thailand’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged for the fifth straight meeting, holding fire before a widely anticipated U.S. Federal Reserve rate increase as it leans on government stimulus spending to revive local demand. The Bank of Thailand held its one-day bond repurchase rate at 1.5 percent, with monetary policy committee members voting unanimously in favor, it said in Bangkok on Wednesday. Twenty-two economists surveyed by Bloomberg News predicted the decision, while one forecast a quarter-of-a-percentage-point cut. Thailand’s military government has poured money into rural areas and small businesses to prevent the economy from worsening, and this week announced plans for a $2.78 billion fund that will provide incentives to investors in key industries. Global funds have pulled a net $4.3 billion from Thai stocks and bonds this year as the prospect of a U.S. rate increase sapped demand for emerging-market assets. “The window for Thai rate cuts has already closed given the expected Fed rate hike,” said Tim Leelahaphan, an economist at Maybank Kim Eng Securities Thailand Pcl, referring to the Fed’s decision later on Wednesday. “Government spending is a more effective tool to boost growth than lower interest rates.
FE

Fed raises interest rates

Fed raises interest rates

The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade on Wednesday, signaling faith that the U.S. economy had la... 3:05 AM

The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade on Wednesday, signaling faith that the U.S. economy had largely overcome the wounds of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. The U.S. central bank's policy-setting committee raised the range of its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to between 0.25 percent and 0.50 percent, ending a lengthy debate about whether the economy was strong enough to withstand higher borrowing costs. "With the economy performing well and expected to continue to do so, the committee judges that a modest increase in the federal funds rate is appropriate," Fed Chair Janet Yellen said in a press conference after the rate decision was announced. "The economic recovery has clearly come a long way." The Fed's policy statement noted the "considerable improvement" in the U.S. labor market, where the unemployment rate has fallen to 5 percent, and said policymakers are "reasonably confident" inflation will rise over the medium term to the Fed's 2 percent objective. The central bank made clear the rate hike was a tentative beginning to a "gradual" tightening cycle, and that in deciding its next move it would put a premium on monitoring inflation, which remains mired below target. "The process is likely to proceed gradually," Yellen said, a hint that further hikes will be slow in coming.
FE

US slaps duties on cold-rolled steel imports

US slaps duties on cold-rolled steel imports

The United States on Wednesday slapped import duties of up to 227.29 percent on imports of cold-rolled flat steel from China after findin... 3:01 AM

The United States on Wednesday slapped import duties of up to 227.29 percent on imports of cold-rolled flat steel from China after finding the goods were produced using unfair levels of government support.


 In a preliminary decision, the Department of Commerce set duties on imports from Brazil, China, India and Russia. The steel is used in industries ranging from auto manufacturing to construction. The duties will affect companies including Benxi Iron and Steel (Group) Special Steel Co [LNGOVB.UL] after a complaint by AK Steel Corp [AKST.UL], ArcelorMittal USA [ARCMTR.UL], Nucor Corp, Steel Dynamics Inc. and United States Steel Corp. The Department of Commerce is still to hand down preliminary rulings on anti-dumping duties on the goods.
FE

27 missions fail to meet export targets

27 missions fail to meet export targets

Twenty seven Bangladesh missions abroad have failed to achieve their respective export target for the first five months period of the cur... 8:15 PM

Twenty seven Bangladesh missions abroad have failed to achieve their respective export target for the first five months period of the current fiscal year (2015-16).  There are total 53 missions.

The key Bangladesh missions like the ones in Berlin, Brussels,  Beijing, Moscow, Paris, the Hague and Geneva have failed to achieve their export targets for the five months while some other important missions -- Canberra, New Delhi, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Jakarta, and Washington-- have been able to reach their targets for the July-November period.
The overall export earnings for the July-November period amounted to $ 12,879.83 million against the strategic target of $ 12,879.00 million, showing a growth of 0.01 percent over the strategic target. Of the 53 Bangladesh missions, 26 met their respective export targets set for the period, according to the latest statistics provided by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

The 26 well-performing missions are in Canberra, New Delhi, Tokyo, Singapore, Dubai, Yangon, London, Kualalumpur, Washington, Brunei, Nairobi, Kuwait, Seoul, Jakarta, Doha, Bangkok, Tripoli, Muscat, Mexico City, Manila, Hanoi, Lisbon, Pretoria, Port Luis, Tashkent and Colombo.

Of the 27 missions that could not achieve their targets for the July-November period, exports still marked a rise for 7 of them over the corresponding period of the previous fiscal (2014-15). These missions are in Ottawa, Paris, Madrid, Baghdad, Katmandu, Male and Rabat.

However, 20 missions –- Brussels, Beijing, Berlin, Tehran, Moscow, Geneva, Manama, Thimphu, Cairo, Athens, Hong Kong, Rome, Amman, Beirut, The Hague, Riyadh, Stockholm, Brasilia, Islamabad and Ankara -- saw exports decline during the July-November period of the current fiscal compared to the same period of the previous fiscal.

The EPB figures revealed that out of the 18 Bangladesh missions having commercial wings, only nine have achieved their export targets while nine others could not achieve their respective targets. The nine missions with commercial wings, which achieved their respective export target, are in Canberra, New Delhi, Tokyo, Singapore, Dubai, Yangon, London, Kuala Lumpur and Washington.
Although the remaining nine commercial wings could not achieve the target, the earnings of three of them like Ottawa, Paris and Madrid still saw increase in this five-month period of 2015-16fiscal. The remaining six commercial wings those saw exports decline over the corresponding period of the previous fiscal were Brussels, Beijing, Berlin, Tehran, Moscow and Geneva.

The highest earnings over the five-month period, some $ 2,476.66 million - almost one-fifth of total exports - were registered by the Washington mission, followed by the mission in Berlin which accounted for $ 2,029.78 million and London $ 1,496.58 million. The strong showing from EU member states continued with the Madrid mission fetching $ 729.60 million during the July-November period. The next was the Bangladesh mission in Italy, which earned almost $ 521.47 million while the New Delhi mission managed to fetch only $ 266.05 million, according to UNB.
FE

Canada wants to export more in Bangladesh

Canada wants to export more in Bangladesh

Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Benoit Pierre Laramee has underscored the need for enhancing export volume from Canada to Bangladesh ... 8:13 PM

Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Benoit Pierre Laramee has underscored the need for enhancing export volume from Canada to Bangladesh to bridge the deficit in the trade balance between the two countries. Laramee was speaking at a function titled ‘Grain Importers of Canada Meet Up’ hosted by Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CanCham) Bangladesh in Chittagong on Monday.



President of CanCham Bangladesh Masud Rahman chaired the event which highlighted the various issues with regard to grain import from Canada, said a CanCham press release on Tuesday. Leading grain importers from Chittagong region were present. CanCham Bangladesh conducted a survey in cooperation with the Canadian High Commission to identify the constraints of the importers with regard to the import of grains from Canada.

Some of the constraints faced by the importers are price of grains not competitive especially in comparison with Australia, adequate logistical support to minimize lead time, non-fumigation of grains, cancellation of shipment, non-compliance of the specifications provided by some of the Canadian exporters and complex custom procedures at the port. The Canadian High Commissioner thanked the importers as well as CanCham Bangladesh for identifying the burning issues with regard to import from Canada.

He laid emphasis on a strong networking amongst exporters, importers and traders and said the High Commission will take the matter with the concerned department in Canada to address the issues.  The diplomat called upon the importers to keep close touch with the High Commission. Executive Director, CanCham Bangladesh Masud Rana, presented the survey findings, according to UNB.
FE

Vegetarian diet more harmful to environment!

Vegetarian diet more harmful to environment!

Contrary to popular assumption-and a talk by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the United Nations Paris Climate Change Conference-eating a veg... 3:23 AM

Contrary to popular assumption-and a talk by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the United Nations Paris Climate Change Conference-eating a vegetarian diet could contribute more to climate change than eating a non-vegetarian diet, warns a new study.


Schwarzenegger, a former California governor, advised people to go meat-free one or two days a week to help protect the climate.

But the new research found that consuming more fruits, vegetables, dairy and seafood is more harmful to the environment because those foods have relatively high resource uses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per calorie.

“Eating lettuce is over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon,” said one of the researchers Paul Fischbeck, professor at Carnegie Mellon University in the US.

“Lots of common vegetables require more resources per calorie than you would think. Eggplant, celery and cucumbers look particularly bad when
compared to pork or chicken,” Fischbeck said.

The study measured the changes in energy use, blue water footprint and GHG emissions associated with US food consumption patterns.

The researchers studied the food supply chain to determine how the obesity epidemic in the US is affecting the environment.

Specifically, they examined how growing, processing and transporting food, food sales and service, and household storage and use take a toll on resources in the form of energy use, water use and GHG emissions.

On the one hand, the results showed that getting our weight under control and eating fewer calories, has a positive effect on the environment and reduces energy use, water use and GHG emissions from the food supply chain by approximately nine percent.

However, eating the recommended “healthier” foods-a mix of fruits, vegetables, dairy and seafood-increased the environmental impact in all three categories - energy use went up by 38 percent, water use by 10 percent and GHG emissions by six percent.

The findings appeared in the journal Environment Systems and Decisions.
Prothom Alo

Basu upbeat over Bangladesh economy

Basu upbeat over Bangladesh economy

Chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank (WB) Kaushik Basu on Monday said the reason behind the economic success of Ba... 3:21 AM

Chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank (WB) Kaushik Basu on Monday said the reason behind the economic success of Bangladesh is strong monetary policy of the central bank, reports news agency UNB.
“Bangladesh has made mentionable economic growth despite global economic meltdown,” said Basu while inaugurating an international workshop on ‘Macroeconomic Stability, Private Sector Development and Economic Growth’ at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
The workshop is being jointly organised by Bangladesh Bank and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).
Praising the role of Bangladesh Bank, the WB Chief Economist said the economic situation of Bangladesh is now stable due to the strong policies of the central bank.
However he did also mention a good policy alone cannot lift an economy. Improving monitoring systems in line with policy formulation is also vital.
At the same time, the economy of the country will stand on a strong footing if the social, political and psychological transformations happen, Basu added.
Mentioning Bangladesh as one of the economic leaders of Asia now, he said the economy of Bangladesh is improving rapidly which can be an example for other countries.
Speaking at the programme as special guest, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said at least two crore (20 million) low-income people will enter the middle-income group in the next 10 years.
He said Bangladesh has taken strategic plans 2015-19 to ensure sustainable economic growth to meet the economic challenges of 21st century.
Bangladesh Bank has initiated socially responsible, inclusive and environment-friendly investment, increasing resilience in the financial sector and financial negotiation policies to tackle the risks of instability and imbalance of financial system.
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Dhaka joins ‘Islamic coalition against terrorism’

Dhaka joins ‘Islamic coalition against terrorism’

Bangladesh joined a newly formed 34-nation coalition of Muslim countries to combat terrorism, media reports say. Saudi Arabia has reporte... 3:18 AM

Bangladesh joined a newly formed 34-nation coalition of Muslim countries to combat terrorism, media reports say.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly presented the 34-state military block ‘Islamic coalition against terrorism’.
An RT report updated on Tuesday referred to announcement by the Saudi Arabian state TV and said the Riyadh-based “Islamic military alliance” has been formed with a mission to fight terrorism.
The coalition is said to have consisted of 34 countries, including the Gulf States, a number of African countries, Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia and Pakistan.
The report added that countries involved in the coalition aside from Saudi Arabia, include Jordan, the UAE, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Turkey, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Djibouti, Senegal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Gabon, Guinea, the partially-recognized state of Palestine, the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros, Qatar, Cote d’Ivoire, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Malaysia, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Yemen.
“The countries here mentioned have decided on the formation of a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism, with a joint operations centre based in Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations,” state news agency SPA quoted an official statement as saying.
According to Reuters, the statement added that the coalition has “a duty to protect the Islamic nation from the evils of all terrorist groups and organizations whatever their sect and name which wreak death and corruption on earth and aim to terrorise the innocent”.
The coalition’s headquarters will be based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital.
Currently, there are a number of active coalitions fighting terror groups such as Islamic State (IS, Daesh, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria and Iraq, said RT report.
The US-led coalition has reportedly gathered the support of at least 65 countries.
However, various media reports have claimed that less than a dozen states are actually contributing, with American jets carrying out most of the strikes.
Prothom Alo

Mysterious buffalo herd runs amok in Canadian prairies

Mysterious buffalo herd runs amok in Canadian prairies

A mysterious buffalo herd numbering almost 100 has appeared in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan, officials said Friday, 150 ... 2:18 AM

A mysterious buffalo herd numbering almost 100 has appeared in the Canadian prairie province of Saskatchewan, officials said Friday, 150 years after they were hunted to the brink of extinction.

Police issued a warning to drivers to watch out for the large animals on local highways, while officials in the town of Tisdale, Saskatchewan, 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of the provincial capital Regina, try to sort out what to do with the beasts.

Spokespeople for the police and the town said they have no idea where the animals came from, and it remains unclear if they are domesticated or wild.

"We're not sure where they're from," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Daryl Andrusiak told AFP.

"They were spotted crossing a highway south of town," he said.

"The last thing you'd expect to see while driving on a highway in Saskatchewan nowadays is a buffalo, so we wanted to alert the public of the danger.

"They have very dark fur so they're not easy to spot and they're quite well built (weighing about 1,400 pounds), so I don't see any (vehicle) collision with them ending very well."

There have been a few near misses but no crashes, so far, and one animal rammed a vehicle. The herd has also pushed through fences into barnyards.

Buffalo, also known as bison, are raised on some Saskatchewan farms for meat, but no farmer has reported a missing herd.

And the closest known wild herd, which was reintroduced by conservationists about a decade ago, lives more than 500 kilometers away in a national park.

A spokesperson for the town said their poundkeeper is considering corralling and relocating the animals, but nobody is sure where to send them if they do manage to round them up.

Meanwhile, large numbers of moose -- which normally live in Canada's boreal forests -- have also been moving into Saskatchewan farmlands in recent years.

Scientists are studying why, but speculate that a lack of predators and an abundance of food (crops) is at least part of the reason.
Prothom Alo

Suicide gene therapy kills prostate cancer cells

Suicide gene therapy kills prostate cancer cells

Combining radiation treatment with ‘suicide gene therapy’ - a technique in which prostate cancer cells are genetically modified so they s... 2:15 AM

Combining radiation treatment with ‘suicide gene therapy’ - a technique in which prostate cancer cells are genetically modified so they signal a patient’s immune system to attack them - provides an effective two-pronged punch against the disease, new research shows.

The researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas, US, compared two groups of patients and report high five-year overall survival rates of 97 percent and 94 percent, respectively.

Sixty-six prostate cancer patients participated in the phase II clinical trial between 1999 and 2003 and were split into two groups.

One group with cancer cells confined to the prostate, designated Arm A, received only radiotherapy while the other with a more aggressive prostate cancer, Arm B, received both radiation and hormonal therapies.

Patients in Arm A received the experimental gene therapy twice during the study, while the Arm B group received the treatment three times.

“We strategically used an adenovirus, similar to the one that causes the common cold, to carry the therapy agent - a herpes virus gene that produces the enzyme thymidine kinase, or TK -directly into the tumour cells,” said senior study author E. Brian Butler.

“Once the herpes virus gene was delivered and it started manufacturing TK, we gave patients a commonly used anti-herpes drug, valacyclovir. The combination attacked the herpes DNA, and the TK-producing tumour cells self-destructed, which is why the procedure is called ‘suicide gene therapy’,” Butler said.

Butler said that once the activated valacyclovir starts destroying tumour cells, it also alerts the patient’s immune system, previously unaware of the cancer’s presence, that it is time to launch a massive attack.

“We have created a vaccine with the patient’s own cancer cells, a treatment that complements, and may even enhance, what we can achieve with traditional radiation and hormonal therapies,” said Butler, professor of radiation oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine.

The findings appeared online in the Journal of Radiation Oncology (JRO).
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Oil rout deepens, Asia stocks drop

Oil rout deepens, Asia stocks drop

Asian stocks fell on Monday and China's yuan hit fresh 4-1/2 year lows as plunging oil prices added to investors' nervousness abo... 2:13 AM

Asian stocks fell on Monday and China's yuan hit fresh 4-1/2 year lows as plunging oil prices added to investors' nervousness about riskier assets ahead of an expected US rate rise later in the week.
Spreadbetters saw the somber mood extending into Europe, forecasting Britain's FTSE, Germany's DAX and France's CAC to open flat to a touch lower.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) on Monday continued guiding its currency lower, setting the yuan/dollar official midpoint at its weakest since July 2011. Beijing's introduction of a yuan rate index against a basket of peers - seen as a move that traders said would depeg the renminbi from the greenback over time - further weighed on the yuan.
China's decision to loosen its grip on the yuan and allow slow but steady depreciation in recent weeks had added to concerns that the economy may be more fragile than expected.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan hit a 2-1/2-month low and was last down 1.3 percent. Japan's Nikkei slumped 2.1 percent as falling commodities hit energy and trading companies' shares.
South Korea's Kospi retreated 1.1 percent and Australian shares dropped 1.8 percent.
Data on Saturday showed factory output growth in China accelerated to a 5-month high in November, while retail sales rose at an annual 11.2 percent pace - the strongest this year.
While most of the region's investors mostly looked past better-than-expected indicators, China proved the exception with volatile Shanghai stocks paring earlier losses and gaining 0.5 percent.
On Friday, the Dow .DJI sank 1.8 percent and the S&P 500 lost 1.9 percent as plunging crude oil prices added to fears of a possible spike in volatility if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates on Wednesday for the first time in nearly a decade, as widely expected.
"It's fair to say that equities are going to be truly tested over the coming four days, and the Fed will be a catalyst for volatility in the lead up to Thursday," wrote Evan Lucas, market strategist at IG in Melbourne.
A US rate hike would be a first step toward normalizing monetary conditions after an extended period of loose policy, which had helped shore up riskier assets.
Oil prices continued their freefall after the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that global oversupply could worsen next year. Brent crude LCOc1 fell below $38 a barrel for the first time in seven years on Friday and was last down 0.6 percent at $37.70.
In currencies, the dollar was little changed at 121.13 yen after shedding 0.5 percent on Friday, when it stooped to a near 6-week low of 120.585. The euro was steady at $1.0965 after gaining about 0.4 percent on Friday.
The greenback stalled as long-dated US Treasury yields slumped to multi-week lows on Friday as government debt attracted bids for safe havens.
The forex market also kept an eye on the Chinese currency after Beijing, in a move seen by some as a green-light for more devaluation, late on Friday launched a new trade-weighted yuan exchange rate index. Beijing said it was intended to discourage investors from exclusively tracking the yuan's fluctuations against the greenback.
"While some will see this as cover for currency devaluation, we suspect the goal is to keep the renminbi's value broadly stable rather than be compelled to have it follow the dollar higher, as it has over the past couple of years," Capital Economics said in a note.
"But the haphazard way in which information is dribbling out is doing nothing to generate confidence."
Spot yuan fell to as low as 6.4665 to the dollar, its lowest since mid-2011, taking its losses far this year to about 4 percent.
Prothom Alo