Bangladesh Economic & Infrastructure Development - Updates & Discussions

[Destranator]

I have read the travelogue of Ibn Batuta. He wrote of disembarking in the Chittagong Port and went by foot and boat to Sylhet sometime in the early 14th century to meet Hazrat Shahjalal.

How come our half-educated bureaucrats claim it was founded only 135 years ago??

Chittagong Port has been in service for thousands of years. The "modern" Chittagong Port, as set up by the British, started operation in 1887 which is what is officially recognised. This is an ex-British colony after all.

Factories in rural areas strategy you talked about @Destranator

''Akij Ceramics Limited set up a factory at Mokshapur union of Trishal several years ago. It produces tiles, sanitary products, particle boards, and BOPP for food packaging.''
''Md Tanzil Hasan, associate professor of economics at Jatiya Kobi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, and executive director of the Economic Development Research Organisation (EDRO), said, "Industrilisation has become a major force in eradicating poverty and unemployment in Trishal. As people's income increases, it propels the wheel of the economy. Increasing money transactions have improved the standard of living in the rural areas."

The trend of migrating to the capital in search of jobs is also on the decline as people now prefer staying in the area having employment opportunities, he added.

Industrialisation transforming rural economy in Trishal

Five-six big factories have already been set up in Trishal, and work is underway on several more

www.tbsnews.net

Good start. However, industrialisation in regions should happen in an organised manner to minimise environmental impacts and congestions - we do not need another mess like Dhaka.

 

[Bilal9]

Chittagong Port has been in service for thousands of years. The "modern" Chittagong Port, as set up by the British, started operation in 1887 which is what is officially recognised. This is an ex-British colony after all.


Good start. However, industrialisation in regions should happen in an organised manner to minimise environmental impacts and congestions - we do not need another mess like Dhaka.

The culprits are the RAJUK engineer and inspector ba$tards who provided the factory setup permissions within the city limits.

Entrepreneurs cannot set these factories up within the city without RAJUK permission, which never should have happened.

Factories belong to dedicated industrial zones outside the city.

RAJUK and their people are the culprits. That whole office needs to be revamped and the Mayors are powerless to do so - RAJUK employees now have so much money they control that whole operation.

Maybe DUDOK (ACC) can.

 

[Bilal9]

I have read the travelogue of Ibn Batuta. He wrote of disembarking in the Chittagong Port and went by foot and boat to Sylhet sometime in the early 14th century to meet Hazrat Shahjalal.

How come our half-educated bureaucrats claim it was founded only 135 years ago??

Like @Destranator bhai explained - the British Raj officially established Chittagong Port Trust in late 1800's.

 

[Destranator]

The culprits are the RAJUK engineer and inspector ba$tards who provided the factory setup permissions within the city limits.

Entrepreneurs cannot set these factories up within the city without RAJUK permission, which never should have happened.

Factories belong to dedicated industrial zones outside the city.

RAJUK and their people are the culprits. That whole office needs to be revamped and the Mayors are powerless to do so - RAJUK employees now have so much money they control that whole operation.

Maybe DUDOK (ACC) can.

Exactly, Dhaka's urban planners deserve to get shot.
On the subject of dedicated industrial zones, we can set up whole urban/suburban self-sufficient ecosystems around them including multistoried apartment complexes for workers, shuttle services, govt services, etc. This way, people would be able to find work in their nearest industrial zone and never have to travel to other parts of the country to avail any essential needs.
Here are some thoughts from the past:

Yes, that is why I call it "lazy" approach.

Dhaka simply needs partial abandonment by decentralisation. All government headquarters should move to another district and declare it capital territory.

Businesses and workers should be given incentives for relocating to the poorest districts.
The government should build high rises of small apartments, like the singapore government has, around the economic zones for workers to live in. All economic zones should be connected by bus networks for convenient transportation of workers.

Lastly, taxation on cars should be restructured. Instead of applying heavy duties and AIT, the tax burden should be transferred over to registration fees in major cities and tolls for entering and plying in them.
This way the automobile market and industry can flourish in other parts of the country.

That could be a start but we need at least one self sufficient industrial zone (spread out over districts) in each division - people should not have to leave their division to obtain any essential services. We also need at least one internationally certified trade/vocational + English Language training institute in each upazilla.

Bangladesh is primed for heavy industrialisation - we just need to unleash the potential by fixing shitty road infrastructure, governance, urban planning and skills shortage.

 

[Bilal9]

Dhaka-Ashulia 24 KM ExpressWay will cost 731 crores per KM

 

[rainbowrascal]

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Agargaon is changing for good.

 

[Bilal9]

Brand BGMEA

As the fashion industry is growing and becoming complex, management of supply chain logistics is more important than ever, especially in this era of fast fashion.

Recently BGMEA President Faruque Hassan visited the headquarters of Inditex in Spain and toured its logistics department, warehouse and retail store of Zara to experience and have a better understanding of how the world’s largest fashion group optimize its supply chain management to ensure products reach stores timely and satisfy customers.

BGMEA Directors Tanvir Ahmed and Abdullah Hil Rakib along with Giant Group Director Sharmeen Hassan Tithi accompanied the President during the trip.

They also met with Abel Lopez Cernadas of the Logistics Department at Inditex who gave an overview of how Inditex manages its logistics in order to keep up with changing trends and consumer demands.

Recently a delegation of BGMEA led by President Faruque Hassan visited the headquarters of the world’s largest fashion group, Inditex in Spain where they were greeted by CEO of Inditex Óscar García Maceiras.

Chief Operation Officer Carlos Crespo along with Chief Communication Officer Raúl Estradera also welcomed the delegation which included BGMEA Directors Tanvir Ahmed and Abdullah Hil Rakib along with Director of Giant Group Sharmeen Hassan Tithi.

The meeting was lively and enlightening where the BGMEA delegation was given an overview of the business operations of Inditex, its business model, supply chain management, future plans while the BGMEA President shared the current and future priorities of Bangladesh’s RMG industry, especially increasingly attention to shifting to high-end non-cotton products.

He also pointed out the industry’s emphasis on product diversification, innovation and technological upgradation.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan urged Inditex to strengthen its partnership with their Bangladeshi suppliers in enhancing capabilities in manufacturing valued-added garments.

The BGMEA delegation expressed thanks to Inditex for the warm hospitality shown during their visit.

𝐑𝐌𝐆 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐋𝐎 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐚

A delegation comprising leaders of apparel industry associations in Bangladesh held a meeting with André Picard, Chief Technical Adviser and Head, Actuarial Services Unit, and Anne-Marie La Rosa of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland on May 31.

The delegation included President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Faruque Hassan, President of Employers Federation of Bangladesh (BEF) Ardashir Kabir, Executive President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) Mohammad Hatem, BGMEA Vice President Miran Ali (米然·阿里）, BGMEA Standing Committee Chair on ILO issue A N M Saifuddin and Secretary-General fo BEF Farooq Ahmed.

They had discussions about various issues pertaining to the apparel industry of Bangladesh particularly the progress made by the industry in compliance with ILO conventions ratified by the country.

They also discussed employment injury insurance scheme for the RMG sector in Bangladesh.

The delegation apprised the ILO of about the industry’s ongoing initiatives and programs including ILO’s Better Work Program in the RMG sector to promote descent working conditions in the garment factories.

They asserted the firm commitment of the industry to carrying forward the achievements made so far in ensuring safe and decent workplace for workers and their rights and well-being.

 

[Bilal9]

BGMEA latest edition Newsletter Apparel Story availble in PDF format here.

Some interesting articles on the goings-on at BGMEA.

https://www.bgmea.com.bd/uploads/newsletters/apparel-story-march-april-2022.pdf

 

[Bilal9]

𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The apparel industry of Bangladesh is firmly committed to carrying forward its achievements that has earned it global accolades as a safe and sustainable industry in the world, said Faruque Hassan, President of BGMEA.

“While our achievements make us immensely proud, they also inspire us to dream bigger and strengthen our tenacity to continue pursuance of excellence in order to retain the fame of Bangladesh as a safe and sustainable apparel sourcing destination in the world,” he said.

Faruque Hassan made the remarks while speaking at a textile round table on the road to sustainability and transparent supply chain, organized by OAV – German Asia-Pacific Business Association, the German importers and the Embassy of Bangladesh in Berlin and hosted by Wünsche Group on June 3.

Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, ndc, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Germany; Miran Ali (米然·阿里), Vice President, BGMEA; Christian Moritz, Managing Director of Fashion, Wunsche Gruppe; Almut Roessner, Executive Board Member, OAV; Dr. Michael Arretz, CEO, VFI; Christian Ewert, Global Director, TEDD - Trusted Experts on Due Diligence, and Md. Saiful Islam, Commercial Counselor, Embassy of Bangladesh in Berlin, also spoke at the round table.

BGMEA Directors Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, Md. Imranur Rahman, Neela Hosna Ara and Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Foreign Mission Cell Shams Mahmud were also present at the round table.

In his address BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said Bangladesh has the highest number of LEED certified Green factories in the world, with 161 green factories certified by the USGBC, of which 48 are platinum rated and 99 are Gold rated, and these green factories are equipped with all the eco-friendly features and emit 40% less carbon than a conventional factory.

BGMEA has joined the German Green Button initiative which identifies socially and ecologically sustainable textiles that are placed on the market by responsible companies.

Besides, BGMEA has pledged to the UN Fashion industry charter for Climate Action with a commitment to facilitate reduction of 30% GHG emission reduction in the industry further, he added.

“Our commitment is to take the RMG industry to the next level of sustainability and continue the momentum, the BGMEA President said.

He further said, “If we talk about the transparency in the supply chain of the industry, we have seen some significant transformation here. Currently, all factory inspections reports are disclosed at public domain online which has set a unique example in the world on the issue of work place safety.”

 

[Bilal9]

Dhaka Mawa Expressway + Padma Bridge Completion Update

New BangaBandhu Rail Bridge (next to Jamuna Bridge) update - piling work halfway done

 

[Bilal9]

 

[Bilal9]

 

[Bilal9]

 

[Bilal9]

US-Bangla Airlines to add A330s in late 2Q22​

© Tis Meyer (PlanePics.org)

US-Bangla Airlines (BS, Dhaka) is planning to induct at least one A330 in the middle of next year to launch Saudi Arabian operations.
In a statement marking the delivery of its latest pair of B737-800s - msn 39428 and 39430 - the Bangladeshi carrier said only that jet, now confirmed to be an A330-300, would arrive in June next year and would be used to connect Dhaka with Jeddah, Riyadh, and Madinah.

It did not disclose the aircraft's origins, nor did it respond to a request for comment.

They will, however, be its first widebody jet(s).

Earlier this month, US-Bangla also signalled plans to start flights to Europe and to add six A321-200NX(LR)s to its fleet by 2023.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows US-Bangla Airlines currently operates seven ATR72-600s, four B737-800s, and three DHC-8-Q400s (to be retired and sold) on scheduled flights throughout Bangladesh as well as to India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, Malaysia, the Maldives, Oman, Singapore, and soon - Thailand.