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Oppo brings A77 to Bangladesh
Global smartphone maker Oppo has brought A77 to the Bangladesh market with Glow Flat-Edge Design, 33W SUPERVOOC charging, a thickness of 8mm, a 5000mAh battery, Ultra-Linear Stereo Speaker, and other features.
The phone was made available for purchase in stores Thursday for Tk22,990.
A77 is powered by Helio G35 12nm chipset, up to 8GB RAM Expansion, ColorOS 12.1, and an IPX4 Water Resistance. It is available in Sky Blue and Sunset Orange colours.
The device has a 6.56-inch 60Hz Color-Rich Display with a resolution of 1612 x 720, and a waterdrop screen accounts for an "unmatched viewing experience."
Read more: OPPO A77s Review: Is it worth buying?
For photography enthusiasts, A77 has been equipped with a double camera setup at the back, consisting of a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth camera in addition to an 8MP front camera.
The device's 128 GB ROM allows users to store photos with ease.
With the option of up to 8GB RAM expansion, A77 customers can add up to an extra 4GB RAM to the existing stock of 4GB.
Bangladesh, China can benefit from better coordination: FBCCI
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Thursday said
China and Bangladesh can benefit by coordinating the development strategies of both countries.
The trade organisation said this as a FBCCI team, led by its President Md Jashim Uddin, met with Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen at the Chinese mission in Dhaka.
Jashim said the upcoming Bangladesh Business Summit to be held on 11-13 March 2023 in Dhaka will be the right avenue to explore the areas where both countries can harmonise trade and investment for shared development.
The mega event is being organised in partnership with the Bangladesh government. The summit envisages becoming Bangladesh’s flagship business promotion bi-annual event to highlight the country’s economic and market strengths, and concrete trade and investment opportunities by convening national and global business leaders, investors, policymakers, practitioners, policy and market analysts, academia, and investors, he added.
Ambassador Yao Wen said this initiative of the FBCCI to show the world the investment opportunities Bangladesh offers is very timely.
He further informed that high-level government officials and high-profile businessmen/investors will join the summit.
He suggested paying more attention, particularly to the green industries, ICT, and food processing at the summit. Besides, he recommended the arrangement of B2B meetings between Bangladeshi and Chinese businessmen and investors on the sideline.
Jashim proposed signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the visiting business leaders from China. He assured that factory visits, bilateral and sectoral meetings, and the signing of MoUs on investment, trade, and cooperation will be arranged during the Summit.
FBCCI Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, Vice President M A Momen, Former Ambassador Abdul Hannan, Chairman of Policy Exchange of Bangladesh, and Technical Advisor of FBCCI’s Golden Jubilee celebration program M. Masrur Reaz were also present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, FBCCI President Md. Jashim Uddin along with FBCCI team members met Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh.
The FBCCI President also invited EU higher officials and business personnel to attend the Bangladesh Business Summit 2023.
EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation Charles Whiteley said the Director General of the European Union may participate in the summit.
Private sector to become the country’s development engine: Principal Secretary
Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Tofazzel Hossain Miah on Thursday said the government is simplifying rules for entrepreneurship development like in the developed countries as it wants the private sector to grow as the country’s development engine.
He was speaking at a seminar titled ‘Contemporary Global Economic Scenario: Challenges and a way forward for EPZ enterprises in Bangladesh’ held at Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) conference room in the city.
The BEPZA organized the seminar to highlight the business-friendly environment in Bangladesh among the local and foreign investors in the EPZs and the incentives and other opportunities for business growth.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recently formed a committee under the principal secretary’s leadership with the participation of the private sector to formulate a logistics policy, which is crucial for growing entrepreneurship.
The government is working to simplify the process of permission for foreign investors and bring it under a single authority, Tofazzel said.
International trade expert Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque presented a keynote paper in the seminar on ‘From Headwinds to Opportunities: Charting A Path to Export Success through Global Turbulence’.
He pointed out that Bangladesh has made tremendous socio-economic progress and is now set to graduate from the LDC group in 2026.
Despite this advantage, external shocks and an unfavorable global trade environment pose threats to economic stability and development prospects. Along with this, the medium- to long-term export prospects will interact with the new realities of a much less favorable post-LDC graduation international trade regime, he said.
“The recent macroeconomic developments imply the critical significance of exports in maintaining foreign exchange reserves. It is in this context that the role of Export Processing Zones (EPZs), accounting for 17 percent of the country’s total merchandise exports, cannot be overemphasized,” he added.
The government is striving for promoting exports, a transformed trade and investment policy is now needed,” said Razzaque, who is also chairman of the research organization RAPID (Research and Policy Integration for Development).
Technological advancement is already impacting the way global trade takes place, and slow adaptation will undermine export competitiveness, he pointed out.
President of the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Investors' Association (BEPZIA) Shahadat Musharraf Khan, Additional Director of the Bangladesh Bank Mohammad Iftakhar Awal Bhuiyan and Member (Customs Export, Bond and IT) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Hossain Ahmed took part in the discussion on keynote paper.
BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman said the aftermath of strict lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war coupled with the sanctions and counter-sanctions by the economic giants have put the world into a situation of economic turmoil and uncertainty.
Bangladesh is also experiencing the shock of this economic uproar, so alternative ways and negotiations are needed to develop a policy for overcoming the situation, he said.
BEMEA seeks more collaboration with Netherlands to enhance RMG industry’s competitiveness
André van Ommeren, Director - International Development , Netherlands Enterprise Agency of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at BGMEA Complex in Uttara on Tuesday.
Charge D'Affaires at the Netherlands Embassy in Bangladesh Thijs Woudstra, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Press, Publication and Publicity Shovon Islam, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Trade Fair Mohammed Kamal Uddin and Managing Director of Standard Group Engineer Mosharraf Hossain were also present at the meeting.
They had discussions about various issues of the RMG industry, particularly how the Netherlands could collaborate with the sector to support its pursuance of growth in a more sustainable manner.
They also discussed the progress of the ongoing program being implemented by BGMEA in the RMG sector including how participating garment factories under the Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) program have reduced their water footprint.
PaCT is financially supported by the Netherlands government.
In the meeting, they expressed interest in stepping up collaboration to make the more sustainable and competitive with innovation and technology.
25% cashback on Nagad shopping to celebrate Valentine’s Day
Nagad, a leading mobile financial service provider in Bangladesh, has come up with an exciting cashback offer for its customers in celebration of Valentine’s Day.
People can enjoy up to 25 percent instant cashback or discount on Nagad payments while purchasing products from different merchants, said a press release issued on Tuesday.. Besides, a customer making the highest single-day payment this way will get a couple of air tickets on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar-Dhaka route.
Starting on Tuesday, the campaign will run until 28 February, while in the case of a few specific merchants, the cashback offer will end on February 19.
Customers can avail of this offer by making payments through Nagad app, USSD *167# and its online payment gateway.
The air ticket winning opportunity will remain valid till February 19.
Nagad users will get cashback while purchasing goods from more than 90 merchants that include Bata, Apex (online), Lotto (online), SSB Leather, Chef’s Table, Raymond, KAY KRAFT, and Monarch Mart.
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Nagad Md Shihab Uddin Chowdhury said, “Valentine’s Day is a festival of young minds of people of all ages. Nagad wants to add more colour to people’s joy in this festival through this campaign.”
A customer who makes the highest single-day payment will be informed through a phone call about his or her winning the air tickets.
A maximum of three phone calls will be made. If the winning customer fails to receive the calls, the next one with the highest transactions in a day will be selected. Nagad’s customer care representatives will ask for NID and some other proof to verify the winning customer’s identity.
The air tickets will be given to customers within seven days after their identities are confirmed through phone calls.
Winners will get tickets from Biman Bangladesh Airlines. So, the national flag carrier will bear all responsibilities with respect to air tickets. Mentionable that Nagad will never ask for PIN or OTP from its customers. Nagad authorities warn their users not to share such secret numbers with any third party.
BGMEA urges home minister to act to prevent highway robbery of RMG goods
Senior Vice President of BGMEA SM Mannan (Kochi) has requested the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, to take necessary measures to stop the theft of RMG export goods during transportation.
He made the request during a meeting with the Home Minister at his residence on Saturday, said a press release issued on Sunday.
BGMEA Vice President Md. Nasir Uddin was also present at the meeting.
They had a discussion about the present situation of the RMG industry, especially the security concern of RMG exporters over stealing of RMG goods during transportation.
Read: BGMEA wants increased police vigilance to stop RMG goods theft during transportation
Stressing the need for preventing RMG goods theft on the highway, BGMEA Senior Vice President SM Mannan (Kochi) said the stealing incidents cause financial losses and also put exporters in an embarrassing situation and tarnish the image when such cases are detected after products reach buyers.
The BGMEA leaders urged the Home Minister to direct the Highway Police to step up police patrolling on the highway to ensure safe movement of vehicles carrying RMG goods from factories to the Chattogram port.
They also called for making the process of filling cases of theft incidents for RMG exporters easier.
The BGMEA Senior Vice President also requested the Home Minister to expedite installation of CCTVs on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, saying it would help to beef up security on the roads, prevent stealing and nabbing thieves.
The Home Minister assured the BGMEA leaders that the Home Ministry was working to address the issue.
REad: BGMEA wants ethical prices from buyers
The law enforcement agencies had already arrested some gang members involved in RMG goods theft while the drive was going to nab others, he said.
The Home Minister directed the law enforcement agencies to step up their activities to stop RMG goods stealing incidents on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.
BMCCI holds seminar on 'Legal Framework of Doing Business in Bangladesh'
The Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) Saturday organised its 6th LegalTalk seminar on doing business in Bangladesh
Barrister Nihad Kabir, senior partner at Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed and Associates, discussed the relevant legal issues and guidelines on several policies that make doing business easier in Bangladesh.
BMCCI Senior Vice-President Shabbir Ahmed Khan said the seminar was organised for those who want to understand the law that corresponds with doing business in Bangladesh.
The participants got to know about the Competition Act, dispute resolution, and other issues like company law, Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, and technical know-how related to doing business in Bangladesh.
Read more: 5th BMCCI LegalTalk seminar on tax law, foreign investment held
FBCCI partners with Brazilian counterpart to boost trade
A Memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been inked between the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (APEXBRASIL) at the headquarters of ApexBrasil in Brazil recently to boost bilateral trade relations.
FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin and ApexBrasil Business Director Ana Paula Repezza inked the pact on behalf of their respective organisations, according to an FBCCI press release signed by Tanzid Basunia, head of Public Relations and Communications of the business organisation.
Bangladesh and Brazil will work together for the further expansion of bilateral trade relations while the both sides will also support the industries under joint venture and joint collaboration.
As per the deal, the FBCCI and ApexBrasil will exchange information about the economic development of the countries to usher possibilities for increasing trade and for the expansion of economic and industrial cooperation among the enterprises and organisations.
The organisations will cooperate in the sharing of best practices, information, knowledge, methodologies, and expertise on trade promotion and investment attraction.
Read more: Bangladesh seeks Brazilian investment in energy, infrastructure, ICT sectors
Apart from this, they will share ideas and experiences in relation to supporting and facilitating the exchange between Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), startups, incubation centers, research institutes, investors and other relevant stakeholders of both the countries.
The countries will assist and facilitate visits of trade and economic delegations to the other countries and will render maximum cooperation for establishing business contacts.
Production stops at another sugar mill due to sugarcane shortage
The Darshana Carew & Company Sugar Mill suspended operations on Friday morning due to a shortage of sugarcane, according to officials.
The mill started operating on December 23 last year to produce 3,884 metric tonnes of sugar by crushing 62,000 metric tonnes of sugarcane during its 53-day operational period.
But it produced 2,270 metric tonnes of sugar by crushing 46,937 metric tonnes of sugarcane in 42 days, the officials said.
Mosharraf Hossain, managing director (MD) of Carew & Co, said the supply of sugarcane was not enough to continue the production for the remaining thirteen days.
This sector may suffer losses this time too, he said, adding that details will be informed later.
This is the first time since the establishment of the mill in 1938 that the authority suspended sugar crushing after only 42 working days.
Earlier on January 19, the Joypurhat Sugar Mill suspended its operations for the same reason.
According to the mill sources, the largest state-owned sugar mill had suffered a loss of Tk 66.17 crore in the previous season.
Apparel, textile sector development: Bangladesh, Taiwan can thrive together, says BGMEA
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has said Bangladesh and Taiwan have great potential to complement each other for the development of the apparel and textile industries of the countries.
The organisation made the observation when a delegation of the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) led by its President Justin Huang called on BGMEA President Faruque Hassan in Dhaka Thursday.
They discussed various issues of mutual interest regarding the apparel and textile industries.
The two sides talked about how both associations could work together to build interactive connections between apparel and textile businessmen of Bangladesh and Taiwan to facilitate meaningful business interactions.
Faruque said Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of readymade garments (RMG) in the world whereas Taiwan has a strong textile industry, particularly with considerable strengths in the non-cotton segment.
Read more: Netflix Movie: BGMEA protests derogatory remarks on Bangladesh RMG sector
Since Bangladesh is strongly focusing on shifting from cotton to non-cotton products and value-added products, Taiwan with its big textile industry producing man-made fibres, polyester filament, nylon fibre and other fabrics can meet the demand of Bangladesh's RMG sector, he added.
Also, the BGMEA and TTF expressed interest in organising trade exhibitions to develop ties between RMG and textile businessmen of Bangladesh and Taiwan so that both sides can work together to create a win-win situation.
BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim, directors Asif Ashraf and Abdullah Hil Rakib, Timothy WD Tso, director at TTF and Emily Chen of the Promotion Section at TTF were also present at the meeting.