Haque Specialized Group's News

The proverb 'A stitch in time saves nine' still holds true particularly in making decisions of a government. The country had wasted many years to take advantage of a free under-sea submarine cable as the then government had thought such linking would harm the country's interests. But today, thanks to prompt initiative, Bangladesh is connected with the second undersea cable up to the landing station in Kuakata.  The country currently receives 200 Gbps of bandwidth from its first connection, SEA-ME-WE 4, which was linked in 2016. Bangladesh this time lost no time in approving a proposal for ratification of the Framework Agreement on the Establishment of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).  The cabinet meeting last week gave the approval. The International Solar Alliance holds great promise in building a solar energy superhighway. Comprising more than 121 countries, mostly sunshine countries, the Alliance is to work together for efficient exploitation of solar energy, technological innovation, finance and capacity building to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.  The initiative was launched ahead of the UN Climate Conference (COP 21) in Paris in 2015. The Framework Agreement of International Solar Alliance was opened for signatures in COP 22 in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016. The Alliance will have an assembly to take decisions and a secretariat for execution of the decisions. Members of the Alliance don't need to give any subscription. However, they can give fund in terms of donation. India will be the depository of the Alliance.  In fact, signing of the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement has reiterated the firm commitment of Bangladesh towards further promoting renewable energy, more particularly solar energy. This also reflects a strong determination of Bangladesh in tackling adversities of climate change and its resultant impacts. Joining the Alliance will widen the opportunities for Bangladesh to collaborate with other members in areas of solar technology, finance, research, innovation and development as well as capacity building. Globally, renewable energy and energy efficiency promotion activities are in progress. In many countries, it has become cost-effective. Bangladesh had interaction with the Green Grid Alliance comprising members of parliament. They are thinking of installing plants in deserts like Sahara, India's Rajasthan and in China for harnessing solar power with connectivity through a superhighway. Changes in technology, which used to occur in ten years, are now taking place everyday. Bangladesh might also be connected through the Green Grid Alliance under their plan. This will be cost-effective and that is carbon-negative. This will abandon need for investment of billions of dollar in power production, building coal terminals and plants and lots of risks are there. For example, Bangladesh is going to set up a $2 billion 1,300 megawatt project, for which the country does not have the efficient manpower and management capacity. But now, one can get power through the global connectivity like that of Internet. Bangladesh is giving billions of taka as subsidy for renewable energy through different financial institutions including Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL). But, how long will it be offering the subsidy? It can team up with Nepal and Bhutan to take 5,000 MW of hydro-power; and this will give a base-load of 5,000MW, which is a clean energy. Bangladesh is trying to optimise the productive use of sunshine. In the 2010-21 Perspective Plan, power production from renewable energy was set at 3.0 per cent in 2020 but it has now been targeted at 10 per cent of the total production. Bangladesh will save 15 per cent of energy by 2021 and 20 per cent by 2030. The targets can be achieved because the government has put stress on production of renewable energy and energy efficiency and conservation. At the moment, production of 1,200MW of electricity is under process from solar power. In the next two-year time, all government offices will have roof-top solar panels. The government is providing funds for green financing and taking fiscal measures for ensuring renewable energy and energy efficiency. About 500MW of power is now being produced from renewable energy. There is a target for production of 500MW from solar power and Bangladesh is making progress. Working in close cooperation with the International Solar Alliance, the country having enough sunshine, will surely make a breakthrough in solar component for power generation. Even Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, having huge oil reserves, are now taking up plans in their deserts to tap hitherto unexploited vast solar power. This is because one day, oil reserve might be depleted. Due to shortage of gas, Bangladesh had to diversify primary energy mix for power generation. As a result, contribution of natural gas for power generation came down to 63 per cent against 93 per cent in 2009. It is now moving towards a low-cost conventional energy under medium and long-term measures. Renewable energy might not be a mainstream energy in Bangladesh at least for next few years. But it can contribute significantly to ease the crisis of conventional energy.       Bangladesh's GDP growth was at 7.11 per cent in 2015-16. It is now moving towards the goals of Vision 2021. Industries and services sectors are contributing more to achieve this  compared to previous fiscal year. Capital machinery import has grown at more than 40 per cent. This means, the country is gradually moving towards energy-intense economy. It will be difficult to maintain this growth rate if Bangladesh fails to ensure primary energy supply. arjayster@gmail.com  ....

Published at: 2017-08-26 05:00:05

Despite making firm strides, the fishery sector is still an underperforming sector, not only because it is performing below potential, but more so because the current production pattern has robbed us of the century-old taste and flavour of local varieties. Fishermen and fish traders have shifted from production and sale of local species and opted for high-yielding varieties that are devoid of traditional taste and flavour.  Bangladesh is one of the most appropriate regions for development of fisheries in the world and is gifted with the world's largest flooded wetland and the third largest aquatic biodiversity in Asia after China and India. It is also one of the biggest and most active deltas, fed by three mighty rivers -- the Padma, the Meghna and the Jamuna. All these features provide opportunities for fresh and brackish water fishery, in addition to the vast marine resources. In spite of all these factors in favour along with long coastline and large freshwater and marine water bodies, fisheries are underdeveloped compared to other industry sectors. Inland fishery production has escalated over the last few years, but the productivity per hectare water area is yet to attain its optimum level.  But since water bodies in the country have been declining, production of natural and traditional fish species has also gone down drastically.  Secondly, although total production of fish increased the increased, production cannot meet the nutritional requirement on the one hand and the cultured varieties of fish lack the taste and flavour of traditional local varieties on the other. This highlights the necessity of augmenting production of local varieties before everything else and to do so rivers and canals of the country will have to be brought back to their old shape. It is a cultural loss that should not be ignored.  Statistics shows that 54 species of sweet water fish are almost extinct, 28 species are under threat of extinction while there are 14 endangered species. A mid-term plan has to be in place to bring them back to life. As a result of pollution fishes are becoming scarce and hundreds of thousands of people have lost their livelihoods.  To see the fishery sector in shape, pollution of rivers and canals due to mindless disposal of domestic and industrial waste and excessive use of pesticides must be prevented and encroachment and resulting construction of structures on water bodies must be stopped. If done properly, all these will also help increase production of local species and restore their forgotten taste. A popular complement to rice in our national diet, fish has lost its traditional taste. Given adequate government support, the fishery sector has the potential for ancillary industries in rural areas that often have a high rate of economic return. Employment opportunities for poor rural citizens would also stem their flow of migration to urban areas. The sector also opened employment opportunities for rural women. According to a survey conducted in 2015, more than 80 per cent of labourers engaged in fish processing industries were women.  Many industrial units known to be accountable for pollution of rivers and agricultural lands, do not have certificates from the Department of Environment (DOE) and are running without Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP). These units will have to be compelled to comply with rules regarding disposal of waste. The DOE has to take action against accused units. Restoration of lost rivers, increasing navigability of rivers, prevention of pollution, protection of bio-diversity and providing encouragement to fish farmers to cultivate local species etc.; are the demands of the time.  saleh.akram26@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-26 05:00:05

THE government of Bangladesh has been providing stipends to meritorious students for brilliant results in examinations of PSC, JSC, SSC, HSC etc.; to support them financially. In recent years the number of stipends against PSC and JSC examinations has been increased in view of manifold increase in the number of students. The stipends are allocated on the basis of number of students in each upazila to ensure equitable distribution of stipends across the country. Undoubtedly, these stipends encourage recipient students to concentrate on their studies more. Each SSC passed student under talent pool gets Tk 600 per month while those receiving general category of stipend get Tk 350 per head per month for two years. In addition, each stipend recipient gets an additional amount of Tk 300 each per year to purchase educational accessories. The amount given as scholarship is really inadequate considering the present level of commodity prices in the market. To make the stipend meaningful, the value of scholarship per month should be raised to at least Tk 1,000 for talent pool and Tk 800 for others and the allowance for purchasing educational accessories to Tk1,000 per year per head. The number of stipends for SSC and HSC examinations is very insignificant compared to the number of students and should be increased to four times the present number. In our country the government spends very little on education compared to other nations. The expenditure on education is regarded as an investment all over the world. So the suggested enhancement should not be seen as a burden and I strongly believe that the suggested amount is fairly affordable for the government. Md. Ashraf Hossain                                                                                                                                                             8/A Ramna, Dhaka-1000. mah120cb@yahoo.com  ....

Published at: 2017-08-26 05:00:05

MOST people living in Dhaka do not have their own houses and live in rented houses. There are no rules and regulations for house rents in Dhaka and even if there is, it is not being implemented. The house owners increase house rents every now and then according to their sweet will. The present trend of house rents does not match the pay scales of private service holders and they have to silently suffer the tyranny of the house owners until such time the authorities do not formulate policies regarding house rent. It is high time specific regulations were framed for house rent, may be on the basis of per square meter area, so that no house owner dares charge more. In 2015, the High Court had directed the government to form a high-power commission within six months to fix area-wise house rent in the metropolitan areas and update the Rent Control Act 1991. I would request the government to look into the matter and take urgent steps to reduce the sufferings of people with limited income who are already hard pressed due to price hike of essentials.  Hannan Bonosree, Dhaka  ....

Published at: 2017-08-26 05:00:05

Stocks posted a marginal gain last week that ended Thursday, after a single-week break, as investors took position on sector-specific large-cap stocks. Dealers said the market closed positive amid increased turnover as optimistic investors showed their buying appetite on sector-wise stocks while cautious investors opted for booking profit ahead of Eid Festival. There are only five trading sessions left before the start of the Eid-ul-Azha vacation. Trading on the bourses is scheduled to remain closed from September 1. "The optimistic investors took position on engineering, pharmaceuticals, financial institutions, food & allied and banks issues while some investors sold shares to bag profit from telecommunication and power stocks, taking the market in positive territory," said an analyst at a leading brokerage firm. He noted that the news of extending the share transactions from investors' accounts which were suffering from negative equity burden since the market crash in 2010-11 for another 16 months also attracted the investors.   The week witnessed five trading sessions as usual. Of them, three session closed higher while two faced correction. Week-on-week, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), which replaced the DGEN in four-and-a-half-year back, went up by 24.31 points or 0.41 per cent to settle at 5,885. The two other indices -- the DS30 index and the DSE Shariah Index (DSES) - also followed the suit to close at 2,111 and 1,306 points, after advancing 2.25 points and 1.44 points respectively. The port city bourse, Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), also finished higher with its Selective Categories Index, CSCX, gaining 34 points or 0.30 per cent to settle at 11,034 points. International Leasing Securities, a stockbroker, said, "The market returned to the green after a single-week break as investors took fresh position on the lucrative price levels in different stocks that helped the bourse to close in green". The total turnover for the week stood at Tk 41.64 billion on major bourse which was Tk 24.46 billion in the week before as last week saw five trading sessions instead of previous week's three. The daily turnover averaged at Tk 8.33 billion, which was 2.13 per cent higher than the previous week's average of Tk 8.15 billion. Engineering sector dominated the turnover chart, capturing 23 per cent of the week's total turnover, followed by banks with 16 per cent and pharmaceuticals 13 per cent. LankaBangla Securities, a stockbroker, said, "Small cap sectors mostly drove market activity throughout the week with jute, IT, engineering and ceramic sectors gaining 10.10 per cent, 4.65 per cent, 2.63 per cent and 2.15 per cent respectively". Among the large cap sectors, telecommunication and fuel & power lost 1.24 per cent and 0.71 per cent respectively, it said. "Overall, investors are gearing up for the Eid festival coming up on September 2 and activity in the bourses has been driven by profit taking ahead of the festive period, particularly by retail investors," the stockbroker said. The total market cap of the DSE remained almost unchanged to Tk 3,970 billion. BBS Cables topped the week's turnover chart with shares of Tk 2.28 billion changing hands, closely followed by Bangladesh Building Systems with Tk 2.08 billion, LankaBangla Finance Tk 1.33 billion, Fortune Shoes Tk 886 million, and ACI Tk 799 million. Monno Ceramics was the week's highest gainer, posting 42 per cent gain, while Sandhani Life Insurance Company was the worst loser, losing 18.31 per cent.     babulfexpress@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-26 05:00:05