Inaugural Flight Dhaka to London starting from Sylhet

United Airways (BD) Ltd. a leading private sector airline founded by non-resident Bangladeshis, is starting its maiden Dhaka-London passenger flight on 21st November 2009. The first Dhaka-London flight of the airline is scheduled to take off from Dhaka for London with a 155-seat MD-83 and this flight starts from Sylhet and shall operate as domestic flight up to Dhaka. This aircraft is built in the USA and is equipped with state of the art technologies and navigational equipment.

United Airways has been designated to operate international flights to various countries by the government of Bangladesh. It is currently operating from Dhaka to Dubai, Kolkata, Chittagong, Jessore, Sylhet, and Cox’s Bazar and also from Chittagong to Kolkata.

Capt. Tasbirul Ahmed Choudhury, Chairman and Managing Director of United Airways (BD) Ltd. informed, “It will initially operate two passenger flights in a week on Dhaka-London route. On the other hand, we are scheduled to start Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka-Katmandu and Dhaka-Bangkok route by December 2009. By first quarter of 2010 we will start Dhaka-Jeddah route by state of the art Boeing 767-300ER”.

Capt. Tasbir also said, “United has one 155 seated MD-83 aircraft and two 37 seated Dash-8-100 aircraft. Another 155 seated MD-83 aircraft will join the fleet with-in November 2009. United Airways is also planning to procure another Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft by mid 2010.”

The one way special fare for Dhaka-London is Tk. 33683 (inclusive of all taxes) and return fare is $ 695 (exclusive of all taxes). Weekly two flights to London will be operated on Tuesday and Saturday and depart from Dhaka at 1200hrs.

“This operation is undoubtedly an achievement for the Bangladesh Aviation Industry, as United Airways is the first private airline to have planned this prestigious route in Europe” Capt. Choudhury added.

On 10 July 2007, United Airways first took to the skies with a slogan “Fly Your Own Airline” and has been providing committed services ever since. Since its inception, United received positive market response and presently holds a major share of the domestic and regional market. In a span of just two and half years of operation, United Airways has established its brand reputation for its maintenance of schedule, service and safety with the employment of latest technologies.

Hussain Muhammad Ershad, MP, Former President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh at M A G Osmani International Airport, Sylhet and G M Quader, MP, Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism at Zia International Airport formally inaugurated the first European flight operation as chief guests respectively. Among other guests who attended both the programs Mr. Muhammad Faruk Khan MP, Minister for Commerce, Mr. Shafiqur Rahman, MP, Diplomats of the foreign Mission, Govt. officials, High official of the travel agents, journalists of print and electronic media and high officials of United Airways were also present there. (source)

Govt to set up `Economic Zone’ in Sylhet: PM

DAHAKA,Bangladesh, Nov 11 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government has taken initiatives to set up a special `Economic Zone’ in Sylhet region for further expanding the country’s economy.

She urged the Bangladeshi expatriates for investing more in
different sectors here as a congenial atmosphere for foreign
investment is prevailing in the country.

Describing the expatriates as ambassadors of Bangladesh,
Sheikh Hasina called upon them to project the positive image of
the country abroad.

She made this call while an 11-member delegation of British
Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce (BBCC) headed by its chairman
Shahagir Bakth called on her at her official residence here
today.

Prime Minister’s deputy press secretary Nazrul Islam briefed
the reporters after the meeting.

The Prime Minister urged the foreign investors to invest
more in the sectors of fish processing, food processing, tea
industry, IT and other production-oriented fields in Sylhet area.

A `Road Shaw’ scheduled to be held in London on December
next would build a positive image of Bangladesh abroad, she
informed the delegation.

Mentioning her government’s plan to modernize the Sylhet Air
Port, Sheikh Hasina said a refueling system would be introduced
there so that International flights can fly and land in this air
port directly.

British High Commissioner in Dhaka Stephen Evans, Prime
Minister’s Principal Secretary MA Karim and Ambassador Zia Uddin,
among others, were present at the meeting. (source)

Telecom operators demand tax cut

Telecom operators have demanded the government reduce tax for the sector in line with its pledge to make a digital Bangladesh by 2021.

To achieve this goal, government’s support for the information and communication technology sector is needed to reach out such technology to the mass at affordable costs, they said.

Meanwhile, the telecom operators have been asked to to run their business with transparency.

“The idea of digital Bangladesh will usher a new chapter. However lots of things need to be done to achieve the goal,” Oddvar Hesjedal, chief executive officer of Grameenphone, said at a discussion on ‘Mobile Sector as Partner for Digital Bangladesh’.

Bangladesh Computer Samity organised the discussion on the sideline of ‘BCS ICT World’ fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

Raihan Shamsi, acting chief finance officer of Grameenphone, and Zakiul Islam, president of Association of Mobile Telecom Operators Bangladesh (AMTOB), presented two separate keynote papers.

In the presentations, they said Bangladesh’s tax regime is the highest among South Asian countries, which is not even match with the government’s dream of a digital Bangladesh.

Citing an study the AMTOB president said if government waives Tk 800 tax on SIM (subscriber identity module), Bangladesh mobile subscribers will reach 95 million by 2013 from today’s 51 million.

Speaking as chief guest Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni said every operator should disclose their financial status, be it is profit or loss.

“No one should engage in illegal business,” the minister said, adding that illegal business devalues the telecom sector to the people.

Digital Bangladesh means empowering people through technology, said HT Imam, adviser to the prime minister. He said telecom operators should publish earning figures along with expenditure.

Zia Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Telecom-munication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) urged the telecom operators to give priority to the betterment of people than making profits.

He said BTRC is ready to extend all support to the operators to achieve the target of a digital Bangladesh.

Mostafa Jabbar, president of BCS, chaired the discussion. (source)

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 4220 099

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

Telephone: +01 718 2679651/347 2104963