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IBBL shari’ah supervisory committee meeting held
An online meeting of the Shari`ah Supervisory Committee of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited was held on Saturday.
‘Othoba.com’ offers special discount
Popular e-commerce site ‘Othoba.com’ is giving special discount on food products.
The e-commerce platform is giving the discount to encourage the customers purchasing daily necessary product staying from home at Ramadan amid coronavirus pandemic, said a press release.
Mahmudul Haque Ullash, head of business at Othoba.com said, “We have more than two thousand food items in our products line. Among the products, customers are getting special offer for more than one hundred grocery items including rice, edible oil, milk, spices.“
GP Star users are getting 5 percent extra discounts while UCB, MTB and NRB bank’s credit card holders are getting 5 to 12 percent cash back for purchasing the products from the site.
“In addition, we have given maximum 100 taka discount for the customer’s whole purchase who didn’t buy products on discounted price. The offer will continue till May 31,” he added.
State-owned National Tubes Limited returning to profit
National Tubes Limited (NTL), the only pipe producing company owned by the government, has started to make profit in recent years.
Coronavirus: Grameenphone stands by customers, physicians, business partners
Grameenphone on Friday announced more initiatives and contributions to stand by customers, frontline health professionals, and its business partners during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ban tobacco sales, marketing during COVID-19 Pandemic: Citizens to PM
A group of citizens has urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to impose a temporary ban on the marketing and sale of all tobacco products during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect public health.
The list of 100 signatories, including economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, convener of National Anti-Tobacco Platform and National Prof Brig (retd) Abdul Malik, sent a letter to the PM, said a press release.
According to WHO, the use of tobacco increases the risk of coronavirus infection and also serious illness due to lung disease or reduced lung capacity, they said.
They mentioned in their letter that tobacco products also weaken the immune system, making it extremely vulnerable to coronavirus infection.
A number of countries including India, South Africa and Botswana have already taken this WHO warning very seriously and imposed temporary ban on the sale of all tobacco products, they added.
The eminent citizens including Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, former vice-cChancellor of Dhaka University, emphasised utilising the global experience to effectively combat the spread of novel coronavirus.
FBCCI for prompt disbursement of money from stimulus package
FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim on Wednesday urged the country’s banks to take quick steps to disburse the stimulus money declared by the government to stave off the impact of the coronavirus on the economy.
Daily Shopping gives special offer for Ramadan
Popular retail chain shop ‘Daily Shopping’ is giving special offer and discount on more than 100 grocery items during Ramadan.
e-commerce providers allowed to deliver food items
The government has allowed e-commerce providers to deliver food items, books, electronic gadgets and dresses to customers' doorsteps adopting proper safety measures.
DAP fertiliser factory exceeds production target
DAP Fertiliser Company Limited, operating under the Ministry of Industries, has exceeded its production targets for the fiscal 2019-20 (FY20).
The factory, situated at Rangadia in Chattogram, had set a production target of 60,000 metric tonnes in the current fiscal.
The factory has produced 64,000 MT DAP fertiliser as of May 4, said a press release of Industries Ministry on Tuesday.
Business bigwigs to stay involved in directing govt’s assistance for small fry
President of the country’s apex trade organization FBCCI Sheikh Fazle Fahim on Monday said that they would remain involved in the working capital loan/investment disbursement process of the government-announced Tk 20,000 crore financial assistance package for cottage, micro, small and medium enterprise (CMSME) organisations.
He also said that the FBCCI (Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, in its rarely used full form) would always strive to revive the economy by providing all possible assistance in case of any problem, according to a press release.
On April 5, Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina declared a financial assistance package of Tk 20,000 crore on low-interest for working capital loan/investment facility through the banking system to retain the capacity of CMSME entrepreneurs affected by the coronavirus and to keep the manpower working.
In light of her announcement, FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim submitted a proposal to Bangladesh Bank to make the loan/investment disbursement process easier for the entrepreneurs of CMSME as well.
“Most of the CMSME entrepreneurs, entitled to have the current capital loan/investment facility, have minimal infrastructures and relationship with bankers than those of the others. As a result, if these entrepreneurs were selected upon reviewing their basic standards, financial statements and ICRRS, many would fail to meet required qualifications to avail the loans and investment benefits," he said.
Meanwhile, the FBCCI president said: "If the loan amount is not determined and the demand is not coordinated with it, we will not get desired results.”
The Prime Minister has already allocated Tk 70,000 crore as refinancing for the smooth implementation of loan/investment and other facilities under various financial assistance packages, announced so far, to keep economic activities uninterrupted during the Coronavirus pandemic, he added.
Fahim expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal for the initiative.
The FBCCI proposal included that cottage, micro, small and medium enterprise (CMSME) organisations such as trade, factory, shop, dealer, retailer, distributor, pharmacy, restaurant, petrol pump, travel/tourism/resort, transport, fashion house, beauty parlour, women entrepreneur, saloon, small cottage and middle industry could avail the facility if recommended by the respective district chamber. Necessary recovery time will also be provided by the association.
He also urged easy access to credit for all media outlets.
Fahim called upon the individuals and organisations to inform FBCCI if any bank or financial institution does not provide proper assistance to them The FBCCI will also monitor the implementation of these guidelines.
Meanwhile, he said, a demand was also raised to facilitate media, newspapers, TV, trucks, cargo, launches, and backward exports, with the loan/investment facility on the basis of salary statements and as per the advice of the association concerned.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) believes the business community will particularly be benefited from the facility. The central bank took the initiative following the FBCCI's proposal regarding easy loan access by entrepreneurs in the CMSME sector, the press release added.
As per the instruction, separate help desks will be set up in each branch of the bank/financial institutions to assist the entrepreneurs so that information about financial aid packages can be found easily.