Haque Specialized Group's News

Smart phone brand Xiaomi has announced new model of RedMe-4A model in Bangladesh at affordable price line of Tk 10,000, according to a statement. The five-inches-display phone hosted a snapdragon 425 quad core processor including 2 gigabyte RAM which enables the device to run fast.The device has 16 GB of internal memory with 13 megapixel rear camera facilities. The smart device is available at 21 Xiaomi-authorised Mi store, xiaomi-nominated 58 dealers and over 800 retail outlets across the country. To avoid the ‘fake’ Xiaomi brand, the users are requested to find out the sticker of Solar Electro Bangladesh Limited (SEBL) on the box. Recently Xiaomi Bangladesh launched online shopping feature on its website where buyers will get free home delivery under cash-on-delivery method. Xiaomi oniline store is available at www.xiaomibangladesh.com.bd/MIStore/. -rmc// ##  ....

Published at: 2017-02-19 00:00:10

A motorcyclist and his co-rider were killed in a road accident at Baghmara Point on Bishwamvarpur-Tahirpur road in Bishwamvarpur upazila on Saturday, reports UNB. Officer-in-charge of Bishwamvarpur Police Station Mollah Monir said the deceased Badrul Islam Badi, 35, and Borhan Uddin, 28, were heading towards Tahirpur from Sunamganj in the afternoon. When they reached Baghmara point, the speeding motorbike hit a roadside tree around 4:00pm, leaving him and co-rider Borhan dead on the spot.....

Published at: 2017-02-19 00:00:10

Businesses across the US closed after thousands of immigrants stayed home to show their impact on the country in light of recent actions on legal and illegal immigrants, report agencies. Students also boycotted, leaving some classrooms nearly empty. The large nationwide protest Thursday resulted in numerous business closures and marches as many went on strike to show solidarity with immigrants targeted by the surge of detainments by Immigrants and Customs Enforcement. This happened while  President Donald Trump's choice for national security adviser, retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, has turned down the offer, a senior White House official said on Thursday. Harward was offered the job after Michael Flynn was fired by Trump on Monday for misleading Vice President Mike Pence over his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States. Strikes in Washington, DC left numerous restaurants closed, while protests in Detroit shut down the southwestern part of the city. Immigrants refused to spend money to make their economic force felt. The Trump-ordered federal immigration raids have caused alarm by immigrant rights' groups who fear mass deportations of legally abiding residents in the country. The Trump administration said 75 per cent of those arrested in last week's raids have criminal convictions. Garcia de Rayos plead guilty to ID fraud in 2009 but was given leniency under the Obama administration. In US cities from Washington DC in the east to Los Angeles in the west, from Austin, Texas in the south to Minneapolis in the north, thousands of businesses have closed their doors to support those going on strike Thursday. According to the US Department of Labor Statistics, foreign-born workers in 2015 comprised 16.7 per cent of the US workforce. Hispanics, a US demographic distinction for people originating from Latin America, made up nearly 49 per cent of the country's foreign-born workforce. That same year, there were 7.1 million restaurant workers who were immigrants, compared to 5.1 million who were born in the United States. Pew Research in 2014 found nearly 1.1 million people working in the restaurant industry were undocumented, reported KTLA in Los Angeles. Most dependent on foreign labour are construction companies and restaurants, whose kitchen and waiting staff, in many cases, are immigrants. Among those participating in the strike action is Spanish-born celebrity chef Jose Andres. Andres is entangled in a legal fight against President Trump over a failed restaurant bid at one of Trump's properties. "People that never missed one day of work are telling you they don't want to work on Thursday," Andres told Reuters. "They want to say: 'Here we are,' by not showing up. The least I could do was to say: 'Ok, we stand by you.'" Andres said the strike movement builds on a feeling of increased hostility towards immigrants since President Trump took office. "You have millions of Latinos, millions of immigrants, that somehow feel under attack," Andres said. "They feel like they're being pushed aside. They want to be part of the American dream." In New York, the owners of the Blue Ribbon restaurant chain say they will also close several of their locations in solidarity with those striking, despite the economic costs. "It's really a show of support for our staff, and as a team and a family as a whole," said co-owner Eric Bromberg, to Reuters. On social media, however, the reaction to Thursday's collective walk-out is more nuanced with many people, including legal immigrants in the United States, feeling the movement's energy is misdirected. A White House official said Harward cited family and financial reasons for opting not to take the job. Harward is a senior executive at Lockheed Martin. Two sources familiar with the decision said Harward turned down the job in part because he wanted to bring in his own team. That put him at odds with Trump, who had told Flynn's deputy, K.T. McFarland, that she could stay. Trump appeared to refer to Harward earlier in the day at a presidential news conference, saying: "I have somebody that I think will be outstanding for the position." The president also made clear why he asked Flynn to resign, saying it was because the retired lieutenant general had not been completely truthful with Pence about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak. "The thing is, he didn't tell our vice president properly, and then he said he didn't remember. So either way, it wasn't very satisfactory to me," Trump said.....

Published at: 2017-02-18 00:00:06

The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) will sit with meat traders on Sunday to discuss their demands amid the ongoing strike. The ministry and DNCC have asked the meat traders to attend the meetings to be held at their respective offices tomorrow. They also urged them to immediately call off the strike that has already caused a supply shortage of meat in the city and resulted in steep rise in the prices of other protein items. However, the traders continued the shutdown until Friday evening and staged demonstrations in different places of the city demanding withdrawal of higher tax (known as hasil) on animal purchase at Gabtoli, the lone permanent cattle market in the city. Both the beef and mutton traders called the six-day strike (from Monday to Saturday) demanding cancellation of the contract of the current leaseholder of Gabtoli, who allegedly collected higher rate of hasil. The traders also demanded the authority bring the leaders of hundi businesses under legal procedure to minimise the prices of animals. Under the banner of Bangladesh Meat Merchants' Association (BMMA) and Dhaka Metropolitan Meat Traders' Association (MMTA), the traders enforced the shutdown. An official at the MoC said the ministry has invited the traders to the meeting on Sunday to settle the issue. The traders were requested to withdraw the shutdown immediately to give the consumers relief, he added. Meanwhile, the DNCC has also invited the traders to a meeting on the same day, said Chief Estate Officer of the Corporation Aminul Islam.         DNCC also issued a show-cause notice to the leasee of Gabtoli Cattle Market Md Lutfor Rahman, asking him to respond by Sunday as to whether higher rate of hasil was collected.   Md Shah Alam, joint convener of Dhaka MMTA at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Friday, said their strike will continue until their five-point demand is met.     He said beef traders have to pay Tk 2,500-3,500 per animal under the current leasee at Gabtoli against fixed rates of Tk 50 and Tk 70 respectively. He said taxes on animals will also have to be reduced at village markets to bring down meat prices. Haji Iman Ali, president of Kaptan Bazar Meat Traders Association, the biggest meat market in the city, said if the government meets their demands, beef and mutton (khashi) could be sold at Tk 350 and Tk 600 a kg respectively against Tk 450 and Tk 750 now.     He also called for immediate relocation of the tanneries to Savar Tannery Estate from Hazaribagh, saying that it could help push up rawhide prices. "Lower rate of skin has also been causing hike in meat prices". "A goatskin was sold at Tk 250-Tk 350 three years back, which is now only Tk 30-Tk 50," he said.    Rabiul Alam, Secretary General of BMMA, at a press conference held at Geneva Camp area in Mohammadpur said their strike will continue unless the contract of the leaseholder of Gabtoli Market is cancelled. He also urged the government to bring the hundi syndicate to book. However, the ongoing strike has caused a supply scarcity in the city, resulting in skyrocketing prices of chicken and fish, said traders. Local and Pakistani variety chicken prices increased by Tk 40-Tk 140 a kg in last three days, according to kitchen market sources. A local variety chicken weighing 0.95 kg to 1.05 kg was sold at Tk 450-Tk 500 on Friday. Indigenous fish prices also witnessed a hike by Tk 60-Tk 100 a kg in last four days.     tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-02-18 00:00:06

Two life insurers missed deadlines set by the regulator concerned for settling policyholders' claims. They did not settle the claims despite having the means, it is alleged. The Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) had set the time 45 days after hearing the parties. The timelines have already passed by, official sources said. The regulator made the move to hear submissions following hundreds of complaints made by insurance brokers and individual policyholders against the two companies, namely, the BAIRA Life Insurance and the Golden Life Insurance. According to the statistics submitted to the regulator, the BAIRA Life has liabilities worth nearly Tk 1.0 billion as of October 30, 2016. But it had total investments worth only nearly Tk 470 million. The figures exclude investment in the government securities. A life-insurance firm has to invest 30 per cent of its total life fund mandatorily. The BAIRA life firm has now Tk 900 million in life fund. So, the company is required to invest Tk 300 million in government securities. But it has actually invested a total of Tk 160 million in the government securities, according to the IDRA. So there is a large gap between the total asset and the liabilities. The CEO of the BAIRA Life could not be contacted for his comment even after repeated attempts made over phone. Similarly, Golden Life Insurance has the same position on claim settlement. And it failed to settle claims worth over Tk 460 million. Its CEO Nur Mohammed told the FE that its asset is much higher than liabilities, but 'our investment returns have declined in recent years". However, the regulator now plans to hear again about their failures. "We'll take stern actions. It is our responsibility to protect the interests of the policyholders," said an official at the IDRA in the past week. Another official at the IDRA said there are some life firms which should be merged as their financial positions are weak. "If we prepare solvency margin rules, then such type of life firms will automatically merge with stronger ones or will be liquidated," he added. The life firms came in the market sometime in 2000. They have yet to get listed on the bourses although there are rules that each insurer will have to float shares after three and a half years of commercial operations. Now they are paying penalties to the regulator on a daily basis.     jasimharoon@yahoo.com....

Published at: 2017-02-18 00:00:06