Chittagong : Today Chiitagong City Mayor A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury declare the starting of the Chittagong NAGAR BHAWAN .Through a very joyous gathering of the Chiitagong city important personality at the opening ceremony of Nagar Bhawan -Chittagong .
Through the statement of the programme The Mayor expressed his dream to build an example city corporation of the World.
He also said as Chittagong has all the resource with port ,by utilising in best concent it is possible .

Through a series of research and studies by experts in the related fields it has been found apparent that through reclamation of land by constructing an embankment on the sea side from Patenga to Sitakund measuring approximately 25 miles along the coast line of the Bay of Bengal a modern sea port can be established. For providing backyard facilities for the port, vast land can be developed inside the same embankment. As a result of which, the existing industrial activities in the city may be upgraded and modernized compared to the present situation and can create facilities for setting up of new industries, factories and port related business activities in the region.

Nagar Bhaban….The city government…….a vision decleared by Mayor Mohiuddin. The symbol of traditional andarkilla the Nagar Bhawan will have 4 killa to take the pride of the heritage of ctg city. The opening ceremony was held on 11 March 2010 & the handover will be 2015.

The total Floor space is about 3,33,3000 sft. It will be 22 storied building which will have 3 floor  car parking basement . There will also have the conference Hall,  food court, Bank, Corporate office space, garden, fountain, helipad etc.with fire fighting and Earth quake resistance technology.

The Bawan will completed by 2 Phase: Project Value : 48,85,56019.22tk

1st phase : 10cr tk will complete by 10-50-2011.and finalised 2 nd phase by 2015

Arcitect :Shohel Sakur .Project Value : 48,85,

In one sense it will change the full impression of chittagong city .Mayor also expressed  as it is going to represented as a symbol of city government.

The opening ceremony was held at CITY CORPORATION – area. & the time was 11.30 a.m. The ceremony was opened by A.B.M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury. Mr. A.B.M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury also keep a valuable speech about the Nagar Bhawan Vhitti Sthapon.  He said that every good works got criticism but we have to over come it & have to develop it day by day. He said “we are making city governance —not only building.”

Many people were present there. Present CDA Chairman Abdus Salam, Ex CDA chairman Jia Uddin, Police commissioner Muniruzzaman, Ctg DIG, IG, Government PP MD. Kamaluddin, The chairman of IUB, Mr. Moshiur Rahman -Editor Gurumia.com  ,Chairman-Equity Properties –Dr Ainul Islam, Managing Director ,RAHAT Properties ,COO of Mr. Shakil Md. Israt Hossain & many other important people of Chittagong.

Japan, the largest bilateral donor to Bangladesh, suggested on Monday that the country should choose its core industry after RMG, strengthen social infrastructure and investment in sectors like transportation, stop the brain-drain and consider coal as an alternative fuel in its efforts to graduate from a position of dependence on foreign aid.

STOP
BRAIN-DRAIN !!

“After World War II, Japan was an aid recipient country…Japan would be really happy to see Bangladesh’s graduation from foreign aid-dependence, achieving further prosperity with a poverty-free society in the near future,” Japanese Ambassador Tamotsu Shinotsuka told a seminar on “Contribution of Japan for Development of Bangladesh.”

JICA Chief Representative Takao Toda, JETRO Representative Takashi Suzuki, former Vice-Chancellor of BUET Prof Dr. Anwarul Azim and Chairman of Bangladesh-Japan Friendship Association Aminul Islam Khan Bulbul also spoke at the seminar held at the National Press Club.

Explaining his 5-point suggestion, the Ambassador felt that more skilled workers are needed in Bangladesh to achieve further industrialization. He said vocational training and secondary education should be prioritized to enhance quality education in Maths and Science subjects in primary schools being conducted by JICA.

On his second point, Shinotsuka said the Bangladesh government should make a bold decision in choosing the core industries after huge success in RMG. “Moreover, once the policy is set, it should be pursued consistently even when the government changes. It has remained as a major problem in Bangladesh,” he observed.

Citing examples from Japan, the Ambassador said investment is needed in basic infrastructure like transportation, telecommunications and industrial equipment He said the effect of investment in infrastructure on economic development is very telling, as infrastructure strengthens business opportunities by increasing efficiency in production and transportation.

Stressing the need for talented workers, he said both Japan and Bangladesh have been developed on the strength of labor-intensive industries, and only skilled and talented workers ensure further development For Bangladesh, he said nurturing more labor-intensive industries could be the engine for massive economic growth.

Once again referring to China, the Ambassador hoped young and talented Bangladeshis abroad would come back in the future to contribute to the prosperity of their own nation.

On current scarcity of gas and electricity as a major concern for Bangladesh, he said that in Bangladesh, coal could be considered as an alternative energy fuel alongside hydropower. However, he said cooperation with India and other neighboring countries would be important in this respect

On bilateral trade and investment, the Ambassador said that though Bangladesh’s exports to Japan have been increasing after 2001, if Bangladeshi products cannot meet the requisite quality expected by Japanese consumers, its exports to Japan would not keep increasing.

Bangladesh’s annual imports from Japan are worth around USD 550 to USD 690 million, while exports amount to around USD 96-150 million only.

Around 75 percent of Bangladeshi exports go to the US, Canada and European countries, whereas exports to Japan accounted for only 1.4 percent of Bangladesh’s total exports in 2008.

Shinotsuka said Chinese companies made strenuous efforts to meet the standards of the Japanese market Nevertheless, he noted, as the labor cost of Chinese products has increased in recent years and Chinese companies seem to be losing their competitive advantage in the RMG sector, Bangladesh has an opportunity to take advantage of this trend.

Calling for the instilment of an investment-friendly environment here, the Ambassador hoped that the government would prioritize improving the business environment, so businesses could successfully nurture competitiveness of export products.

The overall sum of Japanese investment in Bangladesh registered with the Board of Investment is USD 1,207 million on a cumulative basis, which is the 6th largest overseas investment in the country. Besides that, the overall sum of Japanese investment in BEPZA is USD 171 million.

On Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) to Bangladesh, the Ambassador said the Japanese government has this year pledged a new Yen Loan Package of US$ 433 million to Bangladesh. The package includes four concrete projects relating to construction of a new power plant, improvement of electricity distribution in rural areas, improvement of roads and bridges in the South-West region of the country and construction of part of a ring road in Chitagong.

“One of the fundamental principles of Japan’s development cooperation is to support the ownership and self-help efforts of Bangladesh,” the Ambassador said, adding that his country will continue to lend Bangladesh support with the aim of implementing Bangladesh’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and achieving the Millenium Development Goals.

To tap growing demand for high-heeled accommodation.Bangladesh’s Unique Group, which owns Westin Dhaka, has signed a deal with Starwood Hotels and Resorts to set up two more five-star hotels in Dhaka and a third in Chittagong.
“Simultaneously, I have Starwood, one of the best hotel management companies in the world, with me, which gives me added confidence,” said Ali, also the managing director of Westin Dhaka

Two hotels to come up in downtown Dhaka are Le Meridien and The Westin Dhaka 2. The one in Chittagong will be the first five-star hotel in the port town. Construction will be completed by 2012.

Initially, the company plans to invest around Tk 2,000 crore for expansion, while Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide will be the managing company for all three hotels.At present, the local market for five-star hotels is increasing at a rate of 15 percent a year, and it will double in the next three years,” said Mohammad Noor Ali, managing director of Unique Group.

“So as an investor, I have to look to the future and plan on capturing the country’s hospitality business in the long run. And that is the main reason behind this expansion plan.”

Industry experts said Dhaka now has around 1,250 five-star rooms. The hotels reach full occupancy only in winter, and an average occupancy rate of around 75 percent can easily make the business profitable.
“Simultaneously, I have Starwood, one of the best hotel management companies in the world, with me, which gives me added confidence,” said Ali, also the managing director of Westin Dhaka.

In recent years, the hospitality sector in Bangladesh has boomed in the five-star hotel segment. Three new five-star hotels opened in Dhaka in the past four years, taking the number to five.

Industry experts said the capital city now has around 1,250 five-star rooms. The hotels reach full occupancy only in winter and an average occupancy rate of around 75 percent can easily make the business profitable, they added.

“One of the drivers of growth has been the increase in foreign business people visiting the country, as both the garments and telecom industries have taken off,” said Ali.

“Apart from that, the geographical location of these hotels will also exploit the proximity to airport and the garment belt in Ashulia-Savar, as well as the headquarters of the major mobile telecom operators,” he said. “The country’s diplomatic zone is also near our hotels.”

Ali is optimistic about profiting from the hotel in Chittagong, as the number of affluent visitors, including investors, top officials from banks and port, and shipping businessmen, are increasing fast in the region.

The company is conducting studies to assess demand for accommodation and the regular flow of guests to the port city. The room rent for the Westin in Chittagong will be slightly lower than in Dhaka, said the Unique Group chief.

The annual turnover of Westin Dhaka was Tk 106 crore, and the operating profit was around Tk 47 crore in 2008, which grew by 20 percent in 2009, Ali said.

The 235-room Westin has an average occupancy of 80 percent, while the hotel has gained a 25 percent share of the total market.

President Zillur Rahman said that country’s all university of Engineering and technology would be turned as laboratories of creating technically skilled human resources.

“Research activities would have to be strengthened at the universities along with regular core education to achieve this goal,” he said while presiding over at the 1st convocation of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) here its campus at Gazipur.

The President emphasized on making the country’s engineering education curricula time-befitting with a view to keeping pace with the global education standard.

“Education system and curricula in the present world are always being changed as per the demands of the time, so our engineering education needs to be made time befitting,” Zillur Rahman observed.

The President laid emphasis on providing applied education side by side traditional bookish knowledge to the students in this regard. “We have to achieve the pragmatic and applied education,” he added.

The president said it’s a matter of happiness that the present government is relentlessly working of making the country’s education system time befitting and people-oriented.

Terming Bangladesh as a country of huge potentiality, the President said the country can advance quickly in the path of development through transforming its huge population into human resources.

Mentioning that present century as an era of information technology, the President said the desired development and progress of the country depends on proper development of science and technology and their successful application.

Referring to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared vision-2021 to build a IT based prosperous Bangladesh at its golden jubilee of independence in 2021, the President said “I believe county’s engineering and technology universities would lay vital role to realizing the vision.

Congratulating the graduates, the president urged them to contribute in the welfare of the humanity as well as in the nation building activities with their acquired knowledge.

“Don’t compromise with untruth and injustice and never forget your motherland during your professional life home and abroad,” he said.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid attended the function as special guest while Professor Jamilur Reza Chowdhury delivered the convocation speech.

DUET vice chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Sabdar Ali also spoke on the occasion.

A total of 2021 students of 2000-01 to 2007-08 academic session were conferred BSc Engineering digress while 31 students of 2001-01 to 2007-08 academic session MSc engineering digress.

A total of 24 students from different academic sessions were awarded gold medals for their outstanding results.

Nurul Islam Nahid said the present government is relentlessly working for providing quality education as well as creating education opportunity for all.

He said the engineering universities would have to act as the centers for technology expansion so that the engineers could make significant contribution in building digital Bangladesh.

Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury said the present government has approved the draft policy of ICT policy -2008 just after assuming the state power.

“I believe the target of digital Bangladesh would be achieved if the recommendations of the policy to be implemented properly.

Prof Dr Mohammad Sabdar Ali said the present government has taken four development projects worth Taka 92.2 crore in the university in line with its endeavor to build digital Bangladesh. (One CroreL: ten million)

As a consequence of rigorous shortage of gas in the country, it makes sense to set up at least one LNG terminal for import of gas. The same can be used to run power plants that now remain closed down for gas shortage.

The LNG terminal will take probably less than a year to set up. But its installation will help the generation of substantial power at the fastest from existing plants.

The proposed import of power from India will take a longer time. Only laying structures to receive the power would take at least two years to import only about 250 mw which is a meager amount.

Power import from India is costly. Besides, it is not clear if India will have excess power to sell even in the medium term.

So, why this obsession for importing such paltry amount of power at high costs when a better alternative in terms of time and the quantity of power to be produced within the country, is LNG import Besides, if power has to be imported, the same can come from Myanmar which already has excess power.

Bringing power from Myanmar will also likely be comparatively cheaper. Besides, power import from Myanmar can be durable because of the availability of surplus power.

Government has recently contracted deals for the establishment of four large power plants with a company of Indian origin to be run also very likely by coal imported from India.

But why build power plants to run with imported coal when Bangladesh has huge discovered coal reserves of the clean quality?

The authorities should resolve at the soonest the debate on coal extraction and use the local coal that would be beneficial to a far higher degree for the economy in all respects than running such plants with imported coal.

Dhaka Elevated Expressway is going to be practicale!!! through receiving the proposal from local and foreign companies Dhaka Elevated Expressway project is blooming to reality soon.

Ministry of Communications of Present govment initiated Dhaka Elevated Expressway of 32km . Through cabinet meeting held 17 june 2009 passed the proposal of the project considering as Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. in the mean time the ministry took all the prework to develop the project in reality.

In part of this project development 20-21  November 2009 published through newspaper for Pre-qualification Statement from the interested parties to submit proposal . As per decision 1st called last date was marked till 22 February2010 next it was marked till 4 th March 2010.

Today till 4th March 2010,  9 companies have submitted their proposal .Companies are :

          Soma Enterprise Ltd. (India), Sino-Global (USA), AR Track Hawai Rocket Rahmat (Bangladesh), Italian-Thai Development Public Coampany Ltd., (Italy-Thailand), Sikder Real Estate-KCC JV Consortium (Korea-Bangladesh), Gammon Infrastruture Projects Ltd-Bouygus Travaux Publics SA Consortium (India-France), BPHB-BCC JV (Malaysia-Bangladesh),M/S. Simplex Infrastructures Ltd ,M/S. Sri Infrastructure Finance Ltd (India) , China Railway International Ltd., (China)

Tea garden sand is agricultural sand which gives us a great amount of economy help in Bangladesh. But some people are using this sand for buildings, multistoried buildings for mitigating the housing demand. Developer developing their business but they are destroying Bangladesh economy. This can create a great disaster in Bangladesh economy tea export business.

 Land Minister Mohammad Rezaul Karim Hira yesterday strictly directed the owners of the tea gardens not to extract sand from inside and adjoining areas of the gardens and stop selling saplings.

“The lease holders of the tea gardens are unlawfully extracting sand and cutting hill trees in an unplanned manner,” he said as the chief guest while inaugurating training workshop of farmers on ‘Modern method to cultivate soybean’ at regional agriculture preservation centre of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) in Jamalpur.

Dr Mohammad Ehsanul Haque, Director of BARI, presided over the program.

The Land Minister stressed on preserving of agriculture lands. He said that non-agriculture land could be used for building multistoried buildings for mitigating the housing demand.

“It is possible to attain food autarky and fulfillment of nutrition by giving proper training to farmers to produce high bred food,” he said.

He blamed the Chhatra Shibir for unleashing a reign of terror in the educational institutions.

People have to think about it that the land which will give us gold in future that we are destroying in present. Further there will not be any tea garden if this is going on & on.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Bangladesh Commercial Banking Report Q1 2010″ report to their offering.

Business Monitor International’s Bangladesh Commercial Banking Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, banking associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Bangladesh’s commercial banking industry.

Since Q108, BMI have described numerically the banking business environment for each of the countries surveyed by BMI. BMI do this through their Commercial Banking Business Environment Rating (CBBER), a measure that ensures BMI capture the latest quantitative information available. It also ensures consistency across all countries and between the inputs to the CBBER and the Insurance Business Environment Rating, which is likewise now a feature of BMI’s insurance reports. Like the Business Environment Ratings calculated by BMI for all the other industries on which it reports, the CBBER takes into account the limits of potential returns and the risks to the realisation of those returns. It is weighted 70% to the former and 30% to the latter.

The evaluation of the Limits of Potential Returns includes market elements that are specific to the banking industry of the country in question and elements that relate to that country in general. Within the 70% of the CBBER that takes into account the Limits of Potential Returns, the market elements have a 60% weighting and the country elements have a 40% weighting. The evaluation of the Risks to Realisation of Returns also includes banking elements and country elements (specifically, BMIs assessment of long-term country risk). However, within the 30% of the CBBER that take into account the risks, these elements are weighted 40% and 60%, respectively.

Further details on how BMI calculate the CBBER are provided at the end of this report. In general, though, three aspects need to be borne in mind in interpreting the CBBERs. The first is that the market elements of the Limits of Potential Returns are by far the most heavily weighted of the four elements. They account for 60% of 70% (or 42%) of the overall CBBER. Second, if the market elements are significantly higher than the country elements of the Limits of Potential Returns, it usually implies that the banking sector is (very) large and/or developed relative to the general wealth, stability and financial infrastructure in the country. Conversely, if the market elements are significantly lower than the country elements, it usually means that the banking sector is small and/or underdeveloped relative to the general wealth, stability and financial infrastructure in the country. Third, within the Risks to Realisation of Returns category, the market elements (ie: how regulations affect the development of the sector, how regulations affect competition within it, and Moodys Investor Services ratings for local currency deposits) can be markedly different from BMIs long-term risk rating.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

SWOT Analysis
Business Environment

Commercial Banking Business Environment Rating
Commercial Banking Business Environment Rating Methodology
Global Commercial Banking Outlook
Emerging Market Banking Sectors
Asia Banking Sector Outlook
Bangladesh Banking Sector Outlook
Economic Outlook
Competitive Landscape
Market Structure
Protagonists
Definition Of The Commercial Banking Universe
List Of Banks
Company Profiles
Sonali Bank
Janata Bank
Agrani Bank
Rupali Bank
Islami Bank Bangladesh
Prime Bank
Pubali Bank
BMI Banking Sector Methodology

Commercial Bank Business Environment Rating