Kuwait Airways to start direct flights to Chittagong

Dhaka : Kuwait Airways will start direct flights to Chittagong from October 30, initially operating two flights a week.

Samiur Raz-zak, Sales Ma-nager-Pas-senger, Kuwait Airways said this while add-ressing a press conference at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka on October 7.

The flights will be operated on Fridays and Sundays with 232-seat Airbus A300 and 198-seat Airbus A310 aircraft. The flights will leave Chitta-gong at 5-35 am to provide convenient connections to the airline’s US and European destinations.

To launch services to Chitta-gong, Kuwait Airways has selected surf board as a tool and surfing as an experience to connect both the port cities – Dhaka and Kuwait. The airline has chosen Jafar Alam, the award winning Bangladeshi surfer as the brand ambassador.

“Chittagong has enormous commercial potential and we are the first and only full service carrier to start flights. This new venture will enable us to offer regular passenger and cargo services with the only wide-bodied foreign carrier, to various cities around the world,” said Samiur Razzak.

At present, Biman Bangla-desh Airlines, GMG Airlines, United Airways, Oman Air and Air Arabia operate flights from Chittagong.

“Chittagong will be transformed and developed with a direct link into the GCC and convenient connections onwards to USA, Europe and Africa and will be invaluable both for attracting direct investment into the country and for businesses and services in Bangladesh to prosper. In years to come, we also hope to see the tourism industry to flourish as people discover the rich culture and natural wonders,” he said.

Over 400,000 Bangladeshis reside in the State of Kuwait and Kuwait Airways anticipates surpassing expectations in all aspects to provide this much needed service between our two countries to foster the strong brotherly relationship that we share. Kuwait Airways aims at setting the standard for customer satisfaction and become an admired airline to fly,” added Samiur Razzak.

Kuwait Airways welcomed Bangladesh into its network starting its Dhaka operation with one flight a week from 1981 while daily flights commenced from September 2006. The airline has a plan to increase flights to Dhaka and Chittagong and the decision might come next summer, he hinted. (source)

Bangladesh Banks

Central Bank of Bangladesh

AB Bank

Islami Bank

BRAC Bank

Bill proposes strict penalty for realtors

The government yesterday placed a bill in parliament for enacting a law with provisions for punishing real estate developers for wrongdoings and protecting the interests of buyers and landowners.

The Real Estate Development and Management Bill 2009 is based on an ordinance, promulgated by the last caretaker government, which ceased to have effect on February 25 this year for not being ratified in parliament within the stipulated time.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina however announced in parliament that the ordinances, which ceased to have effect, would be placed in the House as bills for turning them into laws.

State Minister for Housing and Public Works Abdul Mannan Khan introduced the bill in the House with a provision for stern legal actions for violating the law.

The bill was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on housing and public works ministry for scrutiny. The committee has been asked to submit a report to the House within three weeks.

The state minister said the proposed law will establish trust among buyers, sellers, developers and landowners and also ensure safe investment.

“Any violation of conditions enshrined in the agreement by any party will be deemed as punishable offence,” the bill says.

According to a provision of the bill, an unregistered developer will be imprisoned for two years or fined Tk 10 lakh for advertising any property development project in the media.

The proposed law says all real estate developers have to be registered with the authorities concerned.

A developer will be awarded two years’ imprisonment or fined Tk 10 lakh for launching development works without permission of appropriate authorities.

If a developer fails to keep the promise of providing utility facilities to the developed plots in line with its prospectus, he or she will be fined Tk 5 lakh, or awarded one year’s imprisonment for failing to pay the fine.

Another provision of the bill says a developer will be imprisoned for three years or fined Tk 20 lakh or awarded both for constructing buildings in violation of the approved design.

If a developer doesn’t comply with the agreement with landowners or buyers or keeps the construction work unfinished and does not give compensation for this, it will be considered as cheating, says the law. The developer might be imprisoned for maximum two years or fined Tk 20 lakh or awarded both for cheating.

The state minister believes once the bill is turned into a law, it will contribute to the country’s development and ensure a congenial atmosphere in the real estate sector.

Meantime, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Mohammad Enamul Haque placed a bill for amending Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Act to re-set the qualifications of candidates for chairmanship and membership of the commission.

In defence of amending the law, the state minister said there are some anomalies in the existing qualification criteria. source

Indian giants seek telecoms corridor

Bangladesh can have access to an alternative submarine cable if it allows two Indian companies to build a fibre optic network to take low-cost telecommunication services to India’s seven sister states.

Indian telecom giants– Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications–have recently submitted a joint proposal in this regard to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

If any deal is signed, Bangladesh can use the companies undersea cable network as an alternative to lone submarine cable SEA-ME-WE-4.

Experts think that such initiative can also relieve Bangladesh from repeated disruption of undersea cable, which inflicts a huge loss to the country’s information and communication technology sector.

In line with the proposal the companies are Ready to strike a deal with any Bangladeshi fibre optic operator to provide telecom services to India’s geographically disadvantaged states: Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

The two companies want to build a fibre optic link to Assam from Meherpur through Kolkata-Meherpur-Dhaka-Jaflong route with an option of an alternative route through Kolkata-Meherpur-Dhaka-Comilla-Agartala.

They are also willing to bring Myanmar under their network, subject to approval of the Southeast Asian nation.

The seven northeastern states now get telecom services through VSAT (very small aperture terminal) at a high price.

Bangladesh is yet to decide on the proposal. The BTRC however views that the proposed network would serve as an alternative to Bangladesh’s lone submarine cable.

“The link if developed by a local company between India’s mainland and seven sister states might work as an alternative network for us in case of disruptions to our lone submarine cable line,” said a high official with BTRC.

“The Indian companies have already brought Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan under their submarine cable network. If the proposal is implemented, we shall get connected with these countries and be benefited financially,” said the official.

Internet service providers have welcomed the initiative and said there is no reason to hesitate over the proposal if the Indian companies give Bangladesh some customary benefits.

“If Bangladesh can get connected with the US, there should be no problem with seven sister states,” said Akhtaruzzaman Manju, president of Internet Service Providers Association Bangladesh.

The proposed link might work as redundant submarine cable network and Bangladesh can also earn revenues, he added.

Reliance Communications having a reliable, high-capacity, integrated and convergent digital network began laying 60,000 route kilometres of a pan-India fibre optic backbone in December 2002.

The businesses at Bharti Airtel have been structured into three individual strategic business units – mobile services, Airtel telemedia services and enterprise services.

Airtel Telemedia offers broadband and telephone services in 95 cities and has recently launched direct-to-home service Airtel digital TV. source

Use ICT to make society corruption-free

Prof. Lutfor Rahman

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has stressed the role of ICT in creating a corruption free country while speaking in a seminar in Sylhet on Digital Bangladesh. He raised different issues and sectors that can benefit through creation of a digital country. Though it is a bit late, the initiative taken by the minister from his birth place is appreciable. It will be wise for all members of parliament (MPs) to follow him and arrange similar seminars and workshops in respective constituencies or regions. The seminars and workshops should be held in local institutions like schools (general, vocational and madrasah), colleges, institutes and universities. Not only the students and teachers will attend but the local people must be invited and encouraged to attend the events. The most important thing is to raise awareness among common people about the benefits of ICT which is the main tool for a digital country. Once they make up their minds to take such initiatives, experts from the respective regions will come out to cooperate and to lead the programme further. They can be termed as the hidden human resources for the region. Their expertise can be utilized for the welfare of the localities.

Like other high officials, some of the respected MPs may not be well aware of ICT applications. It does not matter much and they don’t need to feel shy, because this is the normal practice even in the developed countries as confirmed by technology experts and researchers of those countries. As a senior citizen and professor of ICT, it is my request to all our MPs, just get a practice of playing with the keyboard of a computer with your grand sons or grand daughters you will learn through playing. You will discover a new world of knowledge and then feel what blunder you did, not learning earlier. It is really a very powerful tool even in maintaining your personal secrecies. It enhances all sorts of activities and it is a tool for all pervasive solutions.

In the middle of 90s, the Commonwealth adopted similar programmes in many of their member countries including Bangladesh through empowerment of the policy makers, decision makers and other senior officials with ICT. It was too early for the politicians to realize the importance of ICT at that time. As such the programmes could not be continued for a longer time. The same programme we can start with some modifications according to present needs.

Courses of short duration in ICT department of any university under the auspices of some senior professors can be organized in prestigious manners. During the course, senior participants will surely learn and enjoy like the young students.

It is a great curiosity to most people how ICT can remove corruption from the society.

Transparency and accountability can make things possible. ICT is a tool to keep records of good as well as bad activities. People involved in any kind of crimes or corruption are bound to surrender to the technology experts because technology can detect them.

Science based technology is the most effective tool for alleviating human sufferings and meeting basic human needs. Science gives us the power to understand nature and enables us to assist others. For the affluent societies, science and technology produce more economic gains and comfort in peoples’ lives. But the science based technology changes are so fast that only highly qualified workforce with research and training in respective fields is able to evaluate and modify such technologies for local use. For a country to be competitive, most citizens must be able to apply science and science-based technologies, and some must know how to create new scientific knowledge…continued

Mobile operators poised for Eid festivity

Some mobile operators have introduced lucrative promotions targeting Ramadan and the Eid to rope in more customers.

Some other operators are preparing to come with specials. Banglalink has already introduced their offers for the season, while Grameenphone, Aktel, Warid, Citycell and TeleTalk officials said their offers would come up in a week.

Banglalink has announced 50 percent bonus talk-time on recharge and 300 percent bonus on reactivation, and reset SMS at Tk 0.50, down from Tk 1.

Lower tariffs, free SMS, cheaper new connections and bonus talk time are the most common offers by the operators.

Mobile use in Bangladesh peaks during Eid. The abnormally high use of the mobile also sometimes leads to network disruptions.

“The number of SMS and voice calls usually jump by more than 30 percent in the first week of Ramadan, while numbers sometimes cross network capacities during Eid,” said Zakiul Islam, president of Association of Mobile Telecom Operators Bangladesh (AMTOB).

Calls made during Eid and Ramadan are mostly diverted to rural areas as people mostly visit their extended families outside Dhaka, said Rubaba Dowla, chief communication officer of Grameenphone. “We experience complete network usage during festivals.”

Bangladesh’s mobile market boost up during any festival time as mobile now is not only communication device; it’s a gift item as well.

The growth in mobile usage is mainly based on the rise in the use of value added services during this season. Ring tones, games, SMS (short message service), MMS (multimedia messaging service), and the latest, call block and voice chat, are the most popular services among customers.

Subscriptions to religious content increase during Ramadan, said Md Sharif Uddin, chief technical officer of Inforev Ltd, a local content developer.

“Customers download more religious items during Ramadan and Eid than any other time,” he said. “While others content downloads, like songs, decreases during the holy month of Ramadan.”

The six mobile operators are now serving around 48 million people in Bangladesh. The monthly average usage by a single customer is only Tk 150. On an average, 48 mobile users generate more than 60 lakh SMSs a day, while during the Eid week, usage doubles.

According to the Bangladesh Mobile Phone Load Traders Association (BMPLTA), people traditionally load more money into their mobiles during Eid.

A total of 25 lakh retailers load credit for 48 crore mobile phone users, on behalf of the six mobile operators. If a retailer loads Tk 2,000 a day on average, figures double during Eid, said Md Aminul Islam, president of BMPLTA.

Rubaba noticed the issues over maintaining network quality during such times of high usage. She said along with proving to be a good business case, a challenge remains.

“We always try to provide better services during such special times, so that none of our customers shift to other operators,” she said. (source)

Bangladesh Airlines contact details

Biman Bangladesh Airline

Official Website: www.bimanair.com

Biman Overseas Offices

London, UK Office
17 Conduit street, London, W1R 9TD, United Kingdom

Telephone:  +44 0207 6290252/6290161
E-mail: bimanlondon@btconnect.com

New York, US Office
211 East 43rd street, Suite # 602, Manhattan, New York, NY 10017, USA

Telephone:  +1 212 808 4477/212 808 4523
E-mail: nycuubg@bdbiman.com / bimanusa@verizon.net

Toronto, Canada office
208 Bloor Street West, Suite 806, CToronto, Ontario , M5S3B4, Canada

Telephone: +1 416 944 3381/3848/3466

GMG Airline

Official Website: www.gmgairlines.com

Overseas Agent

Manchester, UK Office
Sylhet Travel Services
249 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M14 5LW, United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 0161 2561082
E-mail: man@sylhettravel.com
Website: www.sylhettravel.com

Toronto, Canada office
77 Bloor Street West Suite 1406, Toronto, Ontario, ON M5S 1M2, Canada.

Telephone: +1 519 9664853/9664825

United Airways BD

Official Website: www.uabdl.com

Overseas Office

London, UK Office
138 Commercial Road (1st Floor), London, E1 1NL, United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 0207 7902211

New York, US Office
28-54, 34th Street, Astroria NY 11103, USA

Telephone: +01 718 2679651/347 2104963

United Airways designated to fly United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia

United Airways (BD) Limited, Bangladesh’s premier and most preferred airline, will launch services to London, the capital and largest city of the United Kingdom, and Jeddah the capital city of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Dhaka, effective November, 2009.

This will be the airline’s fifth and sixth international flight from Bangladesh. The airline will launch three services a week on the Dhaka – London sector, on Tuesdays, Thursday and Sunday respectively, aboard a state-of-the-art Boeing new generation and MD83 aircrafts. With the introduction of this new flight, United Airways will fly to 7 cities in the Gulf, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Riyadh.

According to Capt. Tasbirul Ahmed Choudhury, Chairman and Managing Director, United Airways Limited, “UK and Saudi Arabia is a very important market for United Airways on account of the large volume of traffic to the United Kingdom and Gulf Kingdom, to and from Bangladesh, and an important addition to the airline’s growing international network. With the launch of our 5th and 6th international passenger service to United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, we are confident of our position as among the leading carriers on these sectors.” (3/8/09)

Money-whitening scope pushes flat sales up

Apartment sales have soared around 15 percent in the first month of the new financial year, as the government announced that buyer’s source of income would not be questioned under black money whitening scope.

Housing sector people say the scenario was reverse during January-March of 2009. The realtors blamed the ongoing global recession fallout for about 30 percent drop in sales at that time.

“The sector has overcome that bad time in July and now it enjoys around 15 percent growth in terms of sales,” said Tanveerul Haque Probal, president of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB). “The scope of money whitening is one of the reasons.”

Had the National Board of Revenue (NBR) already issued the SRO (statutory regulatory order), such responses would have been much more.

The 2009-10 budget has allowed whitening black money through investing in more than 64 sectors, including housing.

Any person can legalise his or her black money by purchasing a single flat after paying a certain amount of tax fixed for per square feet. However this tax varies in line with the apartment location.

In a recent meeting with the finance minister, the industry insiders pointed to the sales growth.

“Definitely, it happens because of the money whitening scope,” said Mohammad Abdul Awal, managing director of the Structural Engineers Ltd (SEL), a leading developer.

SEL has ongoing projects at Gulshan, Mohammadpur, Uttara, Mirpur, Indira Road, Malibagh and Shyamoli in Dhaka. Its project outside the capital is in Comilla. Earlier, apartment sales in city’s posh areas dropped significantly in the first three months of the year.

Awal, a former president of REHAB, said customers queries are now coming from all parts of the city. “The queries are aplenty,” the SEL boss said.

An anti-graft drive during the caretaker government rule, which bound the intending buyers of flats to show their sources of incomes, pushed the sales down to over 40 percent.

Sayed Ismail Ali, managing director of Multiplan Development Ltd, who runs 13 housing projects in Dhaka, said customers’ interests in buying apartments have doubled this month.

As many as 500 developers construct around 7000 flats every year on an average. The usual monthly sales hover around 600, but the March sales came down to 180. In the changed scenario, demand for apartments in July jumped to more than 800, according to the sectoral trade body.

Although sales go up, apartment price is yet to come down, rather in some cases it soared. The present prices range from Tk 8,000 to Tk 15,000 per square foot in posh areas, while the rates are between Tk 4,000 and Tk 5,000 in other areas.

The housing sector has contributed nearly 7.35 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the financial year 2009. Some 2.0 million skilled and non-skilled persons are directly and indirectly involved in the sector. (31/7/09)

Best Air to resume flights in Sept 2009

Best Air, the country’s third private airlines, is likely to resume its flight operation in September after months of suspension.

“We’re planning to stage a comeback in September,” Best Air Chairman M Haider Uzzaman told the news agency over telephone yesterday.

Best Air suspended its flights on February 20 due to financial crisis.

Haider said he is trying to manage funds from different sources to resume the flight operation of his airlines.

Replying to a question, the Best Air chief, whose name was found on the list of loan defaulters, said Best Air will operate its flights on its old routes at the initial stage.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has suspended operations of four local airlines after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) raised significant safety concerns over the issuance of air operator certificates by the local regulator. The four carriers are Best Air, Mid Asia, THT and Voyager.

Best Aviation started its journey in 1999 as helicopter operator and then began its operation as a freighter airline in 2000. It obtained license in 2006 from the Civil Aviation Authority to operate passenger service both on international and domestic routes. The company launched its passenger fleet with Boeing 737-200, which was the first in Bangladesh.

The airlines had started its operation on the country’s busiest Dhaka-Chittagong route on January 14, 2007 with Boeing 737-200.

Before its discontinuation, the airlines had operated flights to Chittagong, Bangkok, Colombo, Male, Dubai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.(19/7/09)