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BEIJING, Aug 12: Thanks to the continuous blistering heatwave across many parts of China, the number of online and offline orders for late-night snacks in China's major cities has more than doubled, reported 21st Century Education Research Institute. The data showed that for one of the most popular online food ordering platforms in China the top ten most vibrant cities for the late-night snack economy is Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, Guangzhou, Beijing, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Xiamen, and Nanjing. According to the research institute, the performance of the late-night snack economy reflects a city's vitality in terms of its industries, population, employment, wealth, environment, and other factors. With the largest number of food orders and the highest sales volume during late night, Shanghai is among the top cities in many rankings. For example, Shanghai also ranks highest in the nation in per capita disposable income and newly-add job opportunities. Beijing is the only northern city among the top ten of late-night snack orders. Beijing ranks sixth due to its long winter period and relatively low temperatures at night. Wuhan, the only central city on the list, ranks seventh for its large number of higher education institutes, which provides the city with many young people who love to treat themselves with some delicious late-night snacks. Courtesy: People's Daily of China. e-mail: newssharing_pd@163.com....

Published at: 2017-08-13 05:00:03

The government will request India to withdraw anti-dumping duty imposed on import of jute goods from Bangladesh, officials said. The Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC) has already prepared a required brief for reviewing the decision with the Indian authorities as per the directions of the textiles and jute ministry, they added. The government is sincerely trying to resolve the problem seeking a proper review of the decision, a high official of the commerce ministry told the FE. "We will request India to consider withdrawal of anti-dumping duty on jute products in a context of excellent bilateral relations that exist between the two countries," he also said. Bangladesh is likely to take a move through diplomatic or political channel to convince the Indian authority that imposition of the duty on jute products hit hard Bangladesh's export earnings from its neighbouring country, according to a BTC source. Besides, Bangladeshi exporters may request Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties, India (DGAD) for mid-term review as per the provision of the existing act and rules of India, he said. On January 05 this year, Indian finance ministry imposed anti-dumping duty on jute products, imported from Bangladesh, ranging from US$ 19.30 to $ 351.72 a tonne. The duty was imposed on jute goods for a period of five years following an investigation carried out by DGAD into an alleged dumping of jute products in the Indian market by Bangladeshi exporters, a commerce ministry source said. DGAD received an application from Indian Jute Mills Association for the initiation of anti-dumping investigation into import of jute products (jute yarn/twine, jute sacking bags and hessian fabric) originating in or exported from Bangladesh and Nepal, he added. The investigation was conducted during the period between April 01, 2014 and March 31, 2015 with injury analysis covering the period from 2011-12 to the period of investigation. There was no reason for dumping jute goods from Bangladesh in India. The anti-dumping investigation is very complex and requires quality data to be maintained by the exporters and technical expertise to defend the case, a high official of the textiles and jute ministry said. But Bangladeshi exporters have limited expertise, he added. Bangladesh, as a least developed country, is yet to have necessary capacity, experience and expertise to defend such investigation. On the other hand, imposition of anti-dumping duty is creating confusion among the businessmen. "The government is working to resolve the issue of anti-dumping duty," public relations officer of BTC Md Shariful Islam told the FE on Thursday. rezamumu@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-13 05:00:03

Bangladesh has enough cows, buffaloes and goats to meet the demand for sacrificial animals during the Eid-ul-Azha, the Department of Livestock Services says, reports bdnews24.com. According to the department, Muslims in Bangladesh slaughtered 10.5 million cattle during the Eid last year while the number of cattle ready to be slaughtered this Eid is over 11.5 million, including around 44.6 million cows. Speaking to the news agency on Friday, the department's Director General Md Ainul Haque said the data were collected from more than half a million cattle farmers in the country. "Bangladesh is self-sufficient in producing cow, buffalo, goat and sheep. The production is rising gradually. The number of cattle in the country is sufficient," he said. Cattle farmers say production has risen along with profit with the number of cows being brought from India dwindling in past few years. For more profit, they demanded a complete halt to importing cows from India as the supply from domestic sources is 'sufficient this year'. Bangladesh Dairy Farmers' association President Mohammad Imran said, "Those who will bring cows from India won't get much profit. Because the price will fall if supply surpasses demand. The farmers will face losses in that case." He thinks stopping 'import' of cows from India will also draw investment from local big entrepreneurs. "Commercial production will also cut meat prices," he said. Livestock department DG also thinks that bringing cows from India will harm local farmers. "Around 90 per cent of our farmers have fattened cows after taking loans. Losses will discourage them and the sector will take a hit," he said. He said he has written to the home ministry to take measures to stop bringing cows from India. Dhaka Cattle Traders' Association President Md Amzad Hossain Mandal, however, thinks it is impossible to meet the annual demand without Indian cows. "Meat traders need Indian cows for next two to four years. Otherwise, they won't be able to run business. But if we try, we would be able to do without Indian cows in eight to 10 years," he said.....

Published at: 2017-08-13 05:00:03

JHALOKATHI, Aug 12 (BSS): Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu said the next national election will be held as per the constitution and no conspiracies will be able to obstruct it. "Next national election will be held as per the constitution and none have the powers to act outside the purview of it. No conspiracies will be able to obstruct it," said Amu while speaking at a discussion meeting marking the International Youth Day here on Saturday. He said elections were held in India when Congress was in power and in America election was held under Obama. Next general elections will be held in Bangladesh in the same way other democratic countries hold it, he added. Amu said Bangabandhu was killed so that Bangladesh could not stand raising the head high. Present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly for the development of the country, he said, adding that Bangladesh will become a developed country by 2041 under her leadership. Deputy Commissioner of Jhalakathi Md Hamidul Haque presided over the meeting while police super Md Jobaidur Rahman, municipality mayor Liakat Ali Talukder, deputy director of the Department of Youth Development Md Mizanur Rahman, among others, spoke on the occasion. The industries minister distributed cheques for Tk 2.33 million in loan among 43 youths who got training from the Department of Youth Development.....

Published at: 2017-08-13 05:00:03

Women's participation in outdoor jobs across the country is increasing in a faster pace than expected, but having safe and secure living places for such single women in the capital still remains a distant dream, reports UNB. Private hostels for single working women in the city provide the "worst services" taking extremely high charges while the number of government hostels is too inadequate to solve their problem, they said. Such a scenario was found after talking to a good number of working women in the city. According to them, these days more and more women are joining outside jobs with the government making increased focus on their empowerment and economic emancipation so that they can contribute to the national economy in a greater way. However, the government is planning to construct one dormitory for working women in each district gradually depending on the availability of khas land, a government official told the news agency sharing the recent DC conferences' outcome. According to the Bangladesh Quarterly Labour Force Survey 2015-16 of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, some 44, 30,000 women are working in urban areas, including the capital city. "The quality of food in our hostel is so bad that we need to buy one from outside or cook it for every meal," said Rafia Khan Liza, a retail banking officer at a private bank who along with her sister has been living in a private hostel for 10 years. She said some 95 per cent girls of this hostel are bound to cook for themselves. "We don't even have safe drinking water in the hostel. We have to pay extra Tk 300 to the hostel staff for drinking water or buy mineral water," Liza said, venting her anger over poor facilities they enjoy in the hostel. She said the living condition in the hostel is also very "unhealthy" and the hostel owner does not pay heed to their complaints. Hundreds of working women, like Liza in the city, are struggling to find a safe and secure shelter for them to continue working for the country and their family and thereby contribute to the society. "Sometimes, things turn difficult when you're ready to pay money for either a shared-flat or you want to live alone but the landlord will not rent the house, saying, you're a girl," said Nasrin Jahan, an employee at a national daily newspaper, now living with a family in a sublet arrangement. "This doesn't end here. If any guest comes to the family with whom I used to share the house, within a moment I have to go elsewhere or to any relative's house. I'm not even allowed to use the common space," Nasrin told the news agency, adding that getting sublet or a shared-flat is highly expensive. Lamiaz Islam, working at a private firm in Dhaka, said, "Among many odd issues, insecurity is the number one problem while living in a shared-flat as we don't know the people with whom we are living even having no idea whether it is safe (or not) to live with unknown people." Lamiaz said the situation turns worse for them during the coaching season, especially during the time of university admission. "House owners like taking the advantage of that ...they want to rent out their houses at a higher rate to the students coming for admission test from various districts. Without paying any heed to rules and regulations for such hostels and sublet system, the homeowners are running business caring little about compassion and humanity, Lamiaz alleged. Farzana Rashid, a female employee having a long experience of living in a public hostel, said although facilities, in terms of safety and expenses, of the public hostels are relatively better, there are some hassles, too. "Sometimes many students showing fake job papers manage the seat in the hostel while actual working women do not get a place to live in," she said, adding that the hostel authorities needed to monitor things in a stricter way as there were lapses. State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki, talking to the news agency, said they will address the accommodation crisis for working women and will also address the safety issues. "We're very serious regarding the issue. If necessary, we'll rent houses to address the issue. Necessary directives have been given in this regard," she said. The State Minister said the government will take steps against those who are not following rules in running hostel business. She also encouraged women to rent houses together in a small group to run hostels for working women following rules and regulations. Additional Director of the Department of Women Affairs Shahnowas Dilruba Khan said they have taken necessary steps to control the fake students' admission. "There might be some cases (fake admission) in the past, but now there's no chance for anybody to avail of fake admission path as we're verifying the border's job by visiting their workplaces," she said. She said there are three government hostels for working women in Dhaka -- Nilkhet, Mirpur and Khilgaon -- with only 893 seats. Construction work on the vertical extension of two hostels in Mirpur and Khilgaon are underway, said Dilruba. She also said there is a plan to establish another 10-storey building on an empty space of Nilkhet Kormojibi Mohila Hostel. Executive Director at the Bangladesh Women Lawyers' Association Salma Ali said a safe and secure living place for working women is a matter of concern but both the government and the non-government authorities are least bothered about it. Terming the living place and condition of working women 'risky,' Ali, also a women rights activist, said sometimes working women who come to the capital from the grassroots level with relatively less education become the victim of "human trafficking" and sometimes get trapped in the hands pimps as they do not get safe place to live in. She said although the government is encouraging women to get empowered, necessary measures from the government side are not taken yet for ensuring good services and safe environment for the working women. Aborigine girls, like Garo ones who come to Dhaka to work, also face a lot of hurdles to find a safe place for them, she added. Lovely Yasmin Jeba, a gender specialist, said women from different parts of the country come to Dhaka to work here, but lack of proper living place makes them upset. She urged the government to implement a policy for private hostels to address this problem.....

Published at: 2017-08-13 05:00:03