Bangladesh Economic & Infrastructure Development - Updates & Discussions
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Bilal9
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Meghna EZ drawing Swiss investment
Star Business Report
Fri Sep 30, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Fri Sep 30, 2022 08:06 AM
Sika Bangladesh, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based construction chemical manufacturer Sika Group, is investing $6 million setting up a 10,000-square metre factory in Meghna Industrial Economic Zone (MIEZ) in Sonargaon of Narayanganj.
The factory will mainly produce admixture and grout, an official told The Daily Star, adding that about Tk 1,000 crore-worth construction chemical products were annually sold in Bangladesh.
Admixture is a mix of chemicals used to aid the properties of concrete or cement. Grout is a mortar or paste for filling crevices, especially the gaps between wall or floor tiles.
Sika's specialty chemicals enable developing products and systems for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry.
"Many big development projects are going on in Bangladesh. It will happen in the coming days as well," said Sanjiban Roy Nandi, country head of Sika Bangladesh.
"As we are a construction chemical manufacturing company, our primary target is to provide supplies to the major construction projects in Bangladesh," he told a ceremony initiating excavations for the factory at MIEZ yesterday.
"The company will start production in the 3rd quarter of next year. One hundred people will be employed here…Talk are underway for availing one more plot," he said
"Based on future demand we will decide how to expand the business…Since Sika is working in 100 countries, we are moving ahead with long term planning," he added.
Nandi said there were several international and local companies manufacturing construction chemicals in Bangladesh. But still there are opportunities to invest where there is demand. That is why Sika is investing in Bangladesh, he said.
Addressing as chief guest, Shaikh Yusuf Harun, chairman of Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, said, "I also want to mention how proud we are to be a part of a venture as big as yours."
"I want to take this opportunity and assure that your venture will have our all-out support in your every step of the way," he said.
"Bangladesh is transitioning from the list of least developed countries (LDC) to developing countries," said Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard.
"Foreign direct investment is very important for Bangladesh. We want to be a cooperative partner in the development of Bangladesh," she said.
Tahmina Mostafa, director of the Meghna Group of Industries, and Yumi Kan, area manager South Asia of Sika Asia Pacific Management Pte, were also present.
Sika has subsidiaries in 101 countries and conducts manufacturing in over 300 factories. Over 27,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF (Swiss franc) 9.3 billion in 2021.
It has been doing business in Bangladesh through a third party for almost 25 years. Sika Bangladesh officially started its journey in 2017.
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This is from 2017.
BAAR, SWITZERLAND: Sika AG has established its 100th national subsidiary in Bangladesh. Reaching a further milestone in the implementation of its growth strategy and is now represented in 100 different countries. 23 national subsidiaries have been established over the past five years alone, making it possible to tap into growth potential in new markets. Bangladesh has over 163 million inhabitants and is one of the most populous countries in the world with a flourishing construction industry.
The establishment of the 100th national subsidiary represents an important milestone in the successful implementation of Sika’s growth strategy. The new local head office in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city, enables Sika to benefit from the potential available in the local construction market, which has a total volume equivalent to CHF 15 billion and an annual growth rate of 12 percent.
Local and foreign investments are channeled primarily into the construction of transport and energy infrastructures. The new national subsidiary allows Sika to directly market products that have already become established in the area through distribution partners, as well as to optimize cost structures and further grow market share.
The company recently opened the 99th national subsidiary in El Salvador, Central America.
“Over the past few years, our more than 17,000 employees have been able to grow our company to an impressive level and have continuously expanded our global presence. We have established 23 national subsidiaries since 2012 and now generate 36 percent of our sales in emerging markets,” said Paul Schuler, CEO, Sika.
We enter emerging economies early on and area well established in mature markets. This enables us to harness potential at all stages in the development of the local construction sectors and to sell our entire product portfolio whether the requirement is for materials needed in new build construction, products that help to meet higher building standards, or solutions for refurbishment projects,” added Schuler.
Bilal9
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Apparel export increased 54% to US and 45% to EU from Jan to June compared to past year which is higher compared to China/Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia. Corona Lockdown in China and China-dependent countries like Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia is the cause.
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Mawa Rail Junction update, ignore the guy's sub-par Bengali....
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Karnaphuli Tunnel update : Completion ETA December 2022
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Mawa Rail Junction update, ignore the guy's sub-par Bengali....
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Karnaphuli Tunnel update : Completion ETA December 2022
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Bilal9
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Biman ground handling idiots have upped their game because of focus on them in media. Now luggage arrives before passengers! Sorry Bengali only. Whole luggage area and handlers have come under strict CC camera monitoring and vigilance.
But this won't help anything - Biman is under severe scrutiny with ground handling operations, they are going to lose this service to DNATA for the third Dhaka terminal being built now.
But this won't help anything - Biman is under severe scrutiny with ground handling operations, they are going to lose this service to DNATA for the third Dhaka terminal being built now.
Bilal9
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Pizza Hut BD's first branch to be run by women only
_A Monitor Report Date: 16 September, 2022
Pizza Hut’s Level 5 food court at the capital’s Jamuna Future Park is the first branch in the country being run by women only. The move is aimed at ensuring further empowerment of the women’s workforce
Dhaka : Bangladesh's most popular and trusted brand Pizza Hut has announced that its Level 5 food court at Jamuna Future Park will be run by women only.
They took the initiative in Bangladesh to ensure further empowerment of the women's workforce, according to a press release issued on September 2.
At the store handover ceremony, the CEO of Transcom Foods Limited Amit Thapa said that the past two years have been very challenging for Pizza Hut due to the pandemic.
The company's 20th store opened this year in Gulshan 2, and to ensure continuity, they intend to open a number of more stores before the year is over.
"Today, I am very happy to start a new chapter in the history of Bangladesh by opening our first women-run store. In this outlet, customer service, store management and food preparation will all be handled by women," he said.
"The full credit for our achievement today goes to the customers of Pizza Hut alone. Their love and trust in Pizza Hut inspire us to do more in the future," he added.
According to the CEO of Transcom Foods Limited, Pizza Hut is constantly working to build its brand and community, and also assured that steps will be taken to add more stores managed by women shortly to maintain this continuity.
He also wished the entire team for this initiative and praised the example they are setting to inspire other women.
Transcom Foods Limited is working on women's equality and diversity to continue the global Pizza Hut initiative. Pizza Hut has the largest footprint among all pizza chains in Bangladesh with dine-in, takeaway and delivery services at 20 outlets across the country.
Pizza Hut has spread the love of pizza in Bangladesh and become more accessible to all customers with unmatched quality and continuous opening of new stores.
Pizza Hut, since its emergence in Bangladesh, has been a crowd favorite among both youngsters and families. Over the years, it has been successfully expanding with new outlets and items.
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Eat Green: Fine dining with an exact calorie count
Eat Green offers a full-fledged salad bar, light sandwiches and grilled food items, providing a range of healthy and delicious alternatives to its customers
The interior of Eat Green emphasizes greenery. Photos: Eat Green
No matter how much we like to munch on junk food, at the end of the day, healthy comfort food is all we need.
In Dhaka, we have a handful of salad bars selling nutritious items. But no such restaurant offers a complete meal with an exact calorie count for the fitness-conscious community.
Addressing the gap in the market, Sadia Mushtari, chairperson of the fitness company Alternate Fitness, decided to launch 'Eat Green Café', an eatery serving city dwellers organic and healthy food.
"A healthy diet is crucial alongside a high-intensity training program for fitness and a healthy lifestyle," said Sadia.
The café offers a full-fledged salad bar, light sandwiches and grilled food items, providing a range of healthy and delicious food choices.
Eat Green primarily sources the ingredients for its menu locally. Some items are imported through selective vendors.
"The ingredients are as fresh as they could be. There is no use of sugar, tasting salt or any other harmful ingredients," said Prince Placid Palma, the head chef of the restaurant.
The café is a passion project of Mishal Karim and Adnan Imam, who jointly own Alternate Fitness Limited that brought the F45 fitness franchise to Dhaka. Mishal Karim, who owns a few restaurants in the country, is a strong healthy eating advocate.
Eat Green Café was originally designed to complement the fitness Centre F45 catering to its members with a wide range of healthy food items. Both Eat Green Café and F45 Training are located in the same building at Banani 11 in the capital.
"The responses we are getting from our guests are overwhelming. Even though we started this café mostly to cater to the F45 members, 50% of our customers are non-members," said Sifat Ahmed, the manager of Eat Green Café.
We asked the chef how the foods tasted so good even though they were made with simple ingredients.
"It's the freshness of the ingredients that decides the tastes," the chef explained with a smile.
The café is compact and gives out a warm, cosy vibe. The place can congregate about 15 people at a time. Recently, the restaurant introduced its buffet lunch offer for corporate workers in the vicinity, which has turned out to be its key attraction.
"Our lunch hour is from 1 to 3pm, and we are always packed during that time. The majority of our guests are foreigners," said Sifat.
The buffet includes full access to the salad bar and some hot items like prawn skewers, ginger chicken, chicken strips, chicken shashlik, fried onions, tofu, etc.
Here's our review of some of the best dishes and salad items available on the restaurant's menu
Spicy Tuna
Fulfilling in quantity, this sandwich is sure to give eaters a sense of satisfaction even before eating. The slices of wholegrain bread were crispy and we could taste the richness of oatmeal in every bite.
The sandwich filling contains pesto, tuna mousse, tomato, tabasco, jalapeno and a perfect amount of spices.
Calorie: 315 kcal
Price: Tk490
Rating: 8/10
Unmeat Burger
Being an extremist non-vegetarian, I was a little skeptical about ordering this one, but since I wanted to try out all their best-selling items, team Eat Green said, "You must have it."
As the name suggests, the unmeat burger is a plant-based, vegan-friendly gourmet.
The burger is light, well balanced and served with tomato sauce. Be it breakfast, lunch or supper, you can have it anytime.
The burger patty is made with a blend of shiitake mushroom, black beans, chickpeas, oats, lentils and beetroot. The addition of lentils and oats gives the patty a chewy texture.
Calorie: 385 kcal
Price: Tk450
Rating: 8.5/10
The Chicken Burger
This burger comes with a grilled chicken patty with a fried egg and a generous amount of fries. The patty is topped with iceberg lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese.
Overall, the taste of the burger is good but not particularly special. The bun-to-meat ratio is, however, a little off.
The burger's patty is somewhat thin and dry, but the toppings provide an excellent balance. Avocado slices give the burger a creamy texture, while jalapeno dressing gives a tangy taste.
Calorie: 550 kcal
Price: Tk450
Rating: 7/10
Salad Bowl
Since we went there a little late, all the hot items were not available. However, we still got plenty of cold items. Most of the items were individually good. We loved the prawn skewers and chicken shashlik. They were full of flavors. The couscous salad felt a little bland, though. The salad bar allows you the full freedom to mix and match.
Available Items: Garlic mushroom, Tofu with chickpeas, Sea Bass with pineapple, Thai vegetables, vegetable rice, couscous salad, chicken fajitas, Lentil salad, Caesar salad, Grilled chicken salad, sweet corn, Boiled chickpeas, Black olives, Green olives, chickpeas salad, Mushroom Rice, Tuna salad, Fruits Salad, Creamy vegetable pasta, sauteed vegetables, Hawaiian Salad, Caesar salad, kidney bean, seabass with chickpeas, Lemon butter chicken, Mexican rice, Green apple salad, Greek salad, Sweet and sour prawn, Cold chicken pasta salad, Meatball spaghetti, Boiled spicy potato, Boil beetroot(cold).
Calorie: N/A
Price: 0.95 Paisa/gm
Rating: 8/10
_A Monitor Report Date: 16 September, 2022
Pizza Hut’s Level 5 food court at the capital’s Jamuna Future Park is the first branch in the country being run by women only. The move is aimed at ensuring further empowerment of the women’s workforce
Dhaka : Bangladesh's most popular and trusted brand Pizza Hut has announced that its Level 5 food court at Jamuna Future Park will be run by women only.
They took the initiative in Bangladesh to ensure further empowerment of the women's workforce, according to a press release issued on September 2.
At the store handover ceremony, the CEO of Transcom Foods Limited Amit Thapa said that the past two years have been very challenging for Pizza Hut due to the pandemic.
The company's 20th store opened this year in Gulshan 2, and to ensure continuity, they intend to open a number of more stores before the year is over.
"Today, I am very happy to start a new chapter in the history of Bangladesh by opening our first women-run store. In this outlet, customer service, store management and food preparation will all be handled by women," he said.
"The full credit for our achievement today goes to the customers of Pizza Hut alone. Their love and trust in Pizza Hut inspire us to do more in the future," he added.
According to the CEO of Transcom Foods Limited, Pizza Hut is constantly working to build its brand and community, and also assured that steps will be taken to add more stores managed by women shortly to maintain this continuity.
He also wished the entire team for this initiative and praised the example they are setting to inspire other women.
Transcom Foods Limited is working on women's equality and diversity to continue the global Pizza Hut initiative. Pizza Hut has the largest footprint among all pizza chains in Bangladesh with dine-in, takeaway and delivery services at 20 outlets across the country.
Pizza Hut has spread the love of pizza in Bangladesh and become more accessible to all customers with unmatched quality and continuous opening of new stores.
Pizza Hut, since its emergence in Bangladesh, has been a crowd favorite among both youngsters and families. Over the years, it has been successfully expanding with new outlets and items.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eat Green: Fine dining with an exact calorie count
Eat Green offers a full-fledged salad bar, light sandwiches and grilled food items, providing a range of healthy and delicious alternatives to its customers
The interior of Eat Green emphasizes greenery. Photos: Eat Green
No matter how much we like to munch on junk food, at the end of the day, healthy comfort food is all we need.
In Dhaka, we have a handful of salad bars selling nutritious items. But no such restaurant offers a complete meal with an exact calorie count for the fitness-conscious community.
Addressing the gap in the market, Sadia Mushtari, chairperson of the fitness company Alternate Fitness, decided to launch 'Eat Green Café', an eatery serving city dwellers organic and healthy food.
"A healthy diet is crucial alongside a high-intensity training program for fitness and a healthy lifestyle," said Sadia.
The café offers a full-fledged salad bar, light sandwiches and grilled food items, providing a range of healthy and delicious food choices.
Eat Green primarily sources the ingredients for its menu locally. Some items are imported through selective vendors.
"The ingredients are as fresh as they could be. There is no use of sugar, tasting salt or any other harmful ingredients," said Prince Placid Palma, the head chef of the restaurant.
The café is a passion project of Mishal Karim and Adnan Imam, who jointly own Alternate Fitness Limited that brought the F45 fitness franchise to Dhaka. Mishal Karim, who owns a few restaurants in the country, is a strong healthy eating advocate.
Eat Green Café was originally designed to complement the fitness Centre F45 catering to its members with a wide range of healthy food items. Both Eat Green Café and F45 Training are located in the same building at Banani 11 in the capital.
"The responses we are getting from our guests are overwhelming. Even though we started this café mostly to cater to the F45 members, 50% of our customers are non-members," said Sifat Ahmed, the manager of Eat Green Café.
We asked the chef how the foods tasted so good even though they were made with simple ingredients.
"It's the freshness of the ingredients that decides the tastes," the chef explained with a smile.
The café is compact and gives out a warm, cosy vibe. The place can congregate about 15 people at a time. Recently, the restaurant introduced its buffet lunch offer for corporate workers in the vicinity, which has turned out to be its key attraction.
"Our lunch hour is from 1 to 3pm, and we are always packed during that time. The majority of our guests are foreigners," said Sifat.
The buffet includes full access to the salad bar and some hot items like prawn skewers, ginger chicken, chicken strips, chicken shashlik, fried onions, tofu, etc.
Here's our review of some of the best dishes and salad items available on the restaurant's menu
Spicy Tuna
Fulfilling in quantity, this sandwich is sure to give eaters a sense of satisfaction even before eating. The slices of wholegrain bread were crispy and we could taste the richness of oatmeal in every bite.
The sandwich filling contains pesto, tuna mousse, tomato, tabasco, jalapeno and a perfect amount of spices.
Calorie: 315 kcal
Price: Tk490
Rating: 8/10
Unmeat Burger
Being an extremist non-vegetarian, I was a little skeptical about ordering this one, but since I wanted to try out all their best-selling items, team Eat Green said, "You must have it."
As the name suggests, the unmeat burger is a plant-based, vegan-friendly gourmet.
The burger is light, well balanced and served with tomato sauce. Be it breakfast, lunch or supper, you can have it anytime.
The burger patty is made with a blend of shiitake mushroom, black beans, chickpeas, oats, lentils and beetroot. The addition of lentils and oats gives the patty a chewy texture.
Calorie: 385 kcal
Price: Tk450
Rating: 8.5/10
The Chicken Burger
This burger comes with a grilled chicken patty with a fried egg and a generous amount of fries. The patty is topped with iceberg lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese.
Overall, the taste of the burger is good but not particularly special. The bun-to-meat ratio is, however, a little off.
The burger's patty is somewhat thin and dry, but the toppings provide an excellent balance. Avocado slices give the burger a creamy texture, while jalapeno dressing gives a tangy taste.
Calorie: 550 kcal
Price: Tk450
Rating: 7/10
Salad Bowl
Since we went there a little late, all the hot items were not available. However, we still got plenty of cold items. Most of the items were individually good. We loved the prawn skewers and chicken shashlik. They were full of flavors. The couscous salad felt a little bland, though. The salad bar allows you the full freedom to mix and match.
Available Items: Garlic mushroom, Tofu with chickpeas, Sea Bass with pineapple, Thai vegetables, vegetable rice, couscous salad, chicken fajitas, Lentil salad, Caesar salad, Grilled chicken salad, sweet corn, Boiled chickpeas, Black olives, Green olives, chickpeas salad, Mushroom Rice, Tuna salad, Fruits Salad, Creamy vegetable pasta, sauteed vegetables, Hawaiian Salad, Caesar salad, kidney bean, seabass with chickpeas, Lemon butter chicken, Mexican rice, Green apple salad, Greek salad, Sweet and sour prawn, Cold chicken pasta salad, Meatball spaghetti, Boiled spicy potato, Boil beetroot(cold).
Calorie: N/A
Price: 0.95 Paisa/gm
Rating: 8/10
Last edited:
Bilal9
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Bangladeshi architectural atelier ARCHVISTA has been at the upper level of operating architectural design outfits in Bangladesh. Their work is exceptional and inspiring. Here are a few examples.
The interior design of the office of ADA Trading Co. Ltd, the national distributor of Huawei and other Chinese technology giants in Bangladesh, had the concept of showcasing gadgets on a backdrop but with a seamless flow, especially in the case of Experience Centre which focuses on creating experiences at every step.
Area : 6,000 SFT
Project Cost : 21.5 MILLION
Project Type : Office
Project Duration : 6 Months
Handover Year : 2019
Principle Architect :MAMUN AR RASHID
Design Team : MEHEDI HASAN, ZAKIA SULTANA NIRA
Electrical Eng : JAHIR UDDIN
Bangladeshi architectural atelier ARCHVISTA has been at the upper level of operating architectural design outfits in Bangladesh. Their work is exceptional and inspiring. Here are a few examples.
The interior design of the office of ADA Trading Co. Ltd, the national distributor of Huawei and other Chinese technology giants in Bangladesh, had the concept of showcasing gadgets on a backdrop but with a seamless flow, especially in the case of Experience Centre which focuses on creating experiences at every step.
ADA TRADING CO. LTD
Location : POLICE PLAZA, 144 HATIR JHEEL LINK ROAD, DHAKA-1212Area : 6,000 SFT
Project Cost : 21.5 MILLION
Project Type : Office
Project Duration : 6 Months
Handover Year : 2019
Principle Architect :MAMUN AR RASHID
Design Team : MEHEDI HASAN, ZAKIA SULTANA NIRA
Electrical Eng : JAHIR UDDIN
Bilal9
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Now for a change of pace, a govt. office. Looking for stacks of dirty file cabinets and peons with betel juice teeth? Not really. I've worked at some very well-appointed workplaces in the US and this approaches those standards. Moreover, this is a "green workspace".
Area : 6,633 SFT
Project Cost : 40.5 MILLION
Project Type : Office
Project Duration : 6 Months
Handover Year : 2019
Principle Architect :MAMUN AR RASHID
Design Team : SAIMA AKTAR LIZA
BANGLADESH INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE FUND LIMITED (BIFFL)
Location : LEVEL-3, BORAK, UNIQUE HEIGHTS, 117 KAZI NAZRUL ISLAM AVE, Dhaka 1217Area : 6,633 SFT
Project Cost : 40.5 MILLION
Project Type : Office
Project Duration : 6 Months
Handover Year : 2019
Principle Architect :MAMUN AR RASHID
Design Team : SAIMA AKTAR LIZA
Bilal9
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Kalna Bridge on Modhumati river at Narail is now open for traffic. This reduces travel time from Dhaka to Jessore by two hours. This is the first six lane bridge in Bangladesh and is of the arch suspension cantilever design.
Bilal9
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With high-value products, apparel makers of Bangladesh now aim to gain a bigger slice of the $24 billion Japanese market taking advantage of growing exports to the potential destination.
Bangladesh's apparel shipments to Japan regained the $1 billion-mark in FY22 after two consecutive years of the pandemic-induced slowdown, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
The apparel sector hopes that its exports to Japan will reach $2 billion in the current fiscal year, with sportswear, outerwear, denim and lingerie.
A good number of work orders are pouring in from big Japanese buyers. Besides, many buyers and brands are expressing interest in investing in Bangladesh's man made fibre industry, industry people say.
#MadeInBangladesh
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স্টার অনলাইন রিপোর্ট
বৃহস্পতিবার, অক্টোবর ১৩, ২০২২ ১১:৫১ অপরাহ্ন
সিজিএস আয়োজিত সেমিনারে বক্তব্য দিচ্ছেন চীনের রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং। ছবি: সংগৃহীত
সিজিএস আয়োজিত সেমিনারে বক্তব্য দিচ্ছেন চীনের রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং। ছবি: সংগৃহীত
বাংলাদেশে নিযুক্ত চীনের রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং বলেছেন, 'তিস্তা নদীর সমন্বিত ব্যবস্থাপনা প্রকল্প বাস্তবায়নে চীন যথেষ্ট গুরুত্ব দিচ্ছে। কিন্তু এ প্রকল্পটি সংবেদনশীল বলে কিছুটা অনীহাও কাজ করছে।'
আজ বৃহস্পতিবার রাজধানীতে সেন্টার ফর জেনোসাইড স্টাডিজ (সিজিএস) আয়োজিত 'ন্যাশনাল ইমেজ ও চায়না ইন বাংলাদেশ' শীর্ষক এক সেমিনারে তিনি এ কথা বলেন।
চীনা রাষ্ট্রদূত বলেন, 'বাংলাদেশ আনুষ্ঠানিকভাবে প্রকল্প প্রস্তাব দেওয়ার পর চীন সেটিকে অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বলে মনে করেছে।'
'কিন্তু আমি খোলাখুলি বলতে চাই যে চীন এই প্রকল্পের ব্যাপারে কিছুটা অনীহা দেখাচ্ছে। কারণ হিসেবে আমরা বুঝেছি যে প্রকল্পটি বেশ সেন্সিটিভ,' যোগ করেন তিনি।
তিনি আরও বলেন, 'এছাড়াও, আমার হয়তো এটা বলা উচিত নয়, কিন্তু আমি ব্যক্তিগতভাবে উদ্বিগ্ন যে বাংলাদেশ সরকার পরবর্তীতে… বাইরের কোনো চাপে তার অবস্থান পরিবর্তন করবে কি না, আমি নিশ্চিত নই।'
লি জিমিং বলেন, 'চীন যদি প্রকল্পটি এগিয়ে নেওয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় এবং পরে প্রকল্পের বিষয়ে "চীনা ঋণের ফাঁদ বা ভূ-রাজনৈতিক সংবেদনশীলতা" উল্লেখ করে কারও পরামর্শে বাংলাদেশ যদি সিদ্ধান্ত পরিবর্তন করে, তাহলে একটা বাজে পরিস্থিতি তৈরি হবে।'
২০২০ সালের জুলাইয়ে পানিসম্পদ মন্ত্রণালয় বাংলাদেশের অর্থনৈতিক সম্পর্ক বিভাগের কাছে একটি চিঠি দিয়ে প্রকল্পটি বাস্তবায়নের জন্য চীনের কাছ থেকে ৯৮৩ মিলিয়ন মার্কিন ডলার ঋণ চেয়েছিল।
বাংলাদেশ সরকার মোট প্রকল্প ব্যয়ের ১৫ শতাংশ বা প্রায় ১৩০ মিলিয়ন মার্কিন ডলার খরচ বহন করবে।
এই প্রকল্পে নাব্যতার জন্য নদী ড্রেজিং, মজবুত বেড়িবাঁধ নির্মাণ, টাউনশিপ, নদীর দুই ধারে শিল্প, জলাশয় ও সেচের ব্যবস্থার কথা বলা হয়েছে।
তিস্তা অববাহিকায় ১ লাখ ১১ হাজার হেক্টর সেচযোগ্য জমির বেশির ভাগই শুষ্ক মৌসুমে চাষের অনুপযোগী হয়ে পড়ে।
কর্মকর্তারা জানানা, ২০১৩-১৪ সালে মোট সেচযোগ্য জমির মাত্র ৩৫ শতাংশে চাষ সম্ভব হয়েছিল।
ভারতের মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা ব্যানার্জির বিরোধিতার কারণে ২০১১ সালে তিস্তার পানি বণ্টন চুক্তি সই করতে পারেনি বাংলাদেশ।
সম্প্রতি গত ৯ অক্টোবর চীনা রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং রংপুরে তিস্তা নদী পরিদর্শন করেন। স্থানীয় সরকার ও জনগণ প্রকল্পটি চায় কি না, সেটি নিশ্চিত হতে তিনি এ পরিদর্শন করেন।
তিনি বলেন, 'সৌভাগ্যবশত আমি পরিদর্শনে অত্যন্ত ইতিবাচক বার্তা পেয়েছি। জনগণ এই প্রকল্প সম্পর্কে আগ্রহী এবং এ বার্তা চীনা কর্মকর্তাদের মধ্যে আস্থা তৈরি করতে সাহায্য করবে।'
এদিকে রোহিঙ্গা প্রত্যাবাসনের বিষয়ে চীনা রাষ্ট্রদূত বলেন, 'রোহিঙ্গা প্রত্যাবাসনে সহায়তার উপায় খুঁজতে চীন সক্রিয় আছে এবং ইতোমধ্যেই কিছুটা এগিয়েছে।'
'আমরা নীরবে কাজ করছি। আমরা কর্মপ্রবণ, বক্তা নই,' বলেন তিনি।
সম্প্রতি মিয়ানমারের আন্তর্জাতিক সীমানা লঙ্ঘনের বিষয়ে লি জিমিং বলেন, 'বাংলাদেশের অনুরোধের পর চীন মিয়ানমারের সঙ্গে এ বিষয়ে আলাপ করেছে।'
'আনুষ্ঠানিকভাবে বাংলাদেশকে এ বিষয়ে জানানো হবে,' যোগ করেন তিনি।
সেমিনারে মূল প্রবন্ধ উপস্থাপন করেন সিজিএসের পরিচালক অধ্যাপক ইমতিয়াজ আহমেদ। এতে আরও বক্তব্য দেন সাবেক রাষ্ট্রদূত নাসিম ফিরদৌস, মুন্সী ফয়েজ আহমদ, ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের অধ্যাপক এম এম আকাশ ও ড. দেলোয়ার হোসেন।
Bangladesh's apparel shipments to Japan regained the $1 billion-mark in FY22 after two consecutive years of the pandemic-induced slowdown, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
The apparel sector hopes that its exports to Japan will reach $2 billion in the current fiscal year, with sportswear, outerwear, denim and lingerie.
A good number of work orders are pouring in from big Japanese buyers. Besides, many buyers and brands are expressing interest in investing in Bangladesh's man made fibre industry, industry people say.
#MadeInBangladesh
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তিস্তা প্রকল্প সংবেদনশীল বলে চীনের কিছুটা অনীহা আছে: লি জিমিং
স্টার অনলাইন রিপোর্ট
বৃহস্পতিবার, অক্টোবর ১৩, ২০২২ ১১:৫১ অপরাহ্ন
সিজিএস আয়োজিত সেমিনারে বক্তব্য দিচ্ছেন চীনের রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং। ছবি: সংগৃহীত
সিজিএস আয়োজিত সেমিনারে বক্তব্য দিচ্ছেন চীনের রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং। ছবি: সংগৃহীত
বাংলাদেশে নিযুক্ত চীনের রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং বলেছেন, 'তিস্তা নদীর সমন্বিত ব্যবস্থাপনা প্রকল্প বাস্তবায়নে চীন যথেষ্ট গুরুত্ব দিচ্ছে। কিন্তু এ প্রকল্পটি সংবেদনশীল বলে কিছুটা অনীহাও কাজ করছে।'
আজ বৃহস্পতিবার রাজধানীতে সেন্টার ফর জেনোসাইড স্টাডিজ (সিজিএস) আয়োজিত 'ন্যাশনাল ইমেজ ও চায়না ইন বাংলাদেশ' শীর্ষক এক সেমিনারে তিনি এ কথা বলেন।
চীনা রাষ্ট্রদূত বলেন, 'বাংলাদেশ আনুষ্ঠানিকভাবে প্রকল্প প্রস্তাব দেওয়ার পর চীন সেটিকে অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বলে মনে করেছে।'
'কিন্তু আমি খোলাখুলি বলতে চাই যে চীন এই প্রকল্পের ব্যাপারে কিছুটা অনীহা দেখাচ্ছে। কারণ হিসেবে আমরা বুঝেছি যে প্রকল্পটি বেশ সেন্সিটিভ,' যোগ করেন তিনি।
তিনি আরও বলেন, 'এছাড়াও, আমার হয়তো এটা বলা উচিত নয়, কিন্তু আমি ব্যক্তিগতভাবে উদ্বিগ্ন যে বাংলাদেশ সরকার পরবর্তীতে… বাইরের কোনো চাপে তার অবস্থান পরিবর্তন করবে কি না, আমি নিশ্চিত নই।'
তিস্তা খনন প্রকল্প বাস্তবায়নে চীন আন্তরিক: রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং
Read moreলি জিমিং বলেন, 'চীন যদি প্রকল্পটি এগিয়ে নেওয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় এবং পরে প্রকল্পের বিষয়ে "চীনা ঋণের ফাঁদ বা ভূ-রাজনৈতিক সংবেদনশীলতা" উল্লেখ করে কারও পরামর্শে বাংলাদেশ যদি সিদ্ধান্ত পরিবর্তন করে, তাহলে একটা বাজে পরিস্থিতি তৈরি হবে।'
২০২০ সালের জুলাইয়ে পানিসম্পদ মন্ত্রণালয় বাংলাদেশের অর্থনৈতিক সম্পর্ক বিভাগের কাছে একটি চিঠি দিয়ে প্রকল্পটি বাস্তবায়নের জন্য চীনের কাছ থেকে ৯৮৩ মিলিয়ন মার্কিন ডলার ঋণ চেয়েছিল।
বাংলাদেশ সরকার মোট প্রকল্প ব্যয়ের ১৫ শতাংশ বা প্রায় ১৩০ মিলিয়ন মার্কিন ডলার খরচ বহন করবে।
এই প্রকল্পে নাব্যতার জন্য নদী ড্রেজিং, মজবুত বেড়িবাঁধ নির্মাণ, টাউনশিপ, নদীর দুই ধারে শিল্প, জলাশয় ও সেচের ব্যবস্থার কথা বলা হয়েছে।
তিস্তা অববাহিকায় ১ লাখ ১১ হাজার হেক্টর সেচযোগ্য জমির বেশির ভাগই শুষ্ক মৌসুমে চাষের অনুপযোগী হয়ে পড়ে।
তিস্তা ব্যারেজ পরিদর্শনে চীনা রাষ্ট্রদূত
Read moreকর্মকর্তারা জানানা, ২০১৩-১৪ সালে মোট সেচযোগ্য জমির মাত্র ৩৫ শতাংশে চাষ সম্ভব হয়েছিল।
ভারতের মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা ব্যানার্জির বিরোধিতার কারণে ২০১১ সালে তিস্তার পানি বণ্টন চুক্তি সই করতে পারেনি বাংলাদেশ।
সম্প্রতি গত ৯ অক্টোবর চীনা রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং রংপুরে তিস্তা নদী পরিদর্শন করেন। স্থানীয় সরকার ও জনগণ প্রকল্পটি চায় কি না, সেটি নিশ্চিত হতে তিনি এ পরিদর্শন করেন।
তিনি বলেন, 'সৌভাগ্যবশত আমি পরিদর্শনে অত্যন্ত ইতিবাচক বার্তা পেয়েছি। জনগণ এই প্রকল্প সম্পর্কে আগ্রহী এবং এ বার্তা চীনা কর্মকর্তাদের মধ্যে আস্থা তৈরি করতে সাহায্য করবে।'
বাংলাদেশ চীনা ঋণের ফাঁদে নেই: রাষ্ট্রদূত লি জিমিং
Read moreএদিকে রোহিঙ্গা প্রত্যাবাসনের বিষয়ে চীনা রাষ্ট্রদূত বলেন, 'রোহিঙ্গা প্রত্যাবাসনে সহায়তার উপায় খুঁজতে চীন সক্রিয় আছে এবং ইতোমধ্যেই কিছুটা এগিয়েছে।'
'আমরা নীরবে কাজ করছি। আমরা কর্মপ্রবণ, বক্তা নই,' বলেন তিনি।
সম্প্রতি মিয়ানমারের আন্তর্জাতিক সীমানা লঙ্ঘনের বিষয়ে লি জিমিং বলেন, 'বাংলাদেশের অনুরোধের পর চীন মিয়ানমারের সঙ্গে এ বিষয়ে আলাপ করেছে।'
'আনুষ্ঠানিকভাবে বাংলাদেশকে এ বিষয়ে জানানো হবে,' যোগ করেন তিনি।
সেমিনারে মূল প্রবন্ধ উপস্থাপন করেন সিজিএসের পরিচালক অধ্যাপক ইমতিয়াজ আহমেদ। এতে আরও বক্তব্য দেন সাবেক রাষ্ট্রদূত নাসিম ফিরদৌস, মুন্সী ফয়েজ আহমদ, ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের অধ্যাপক এম এম আকাশ ও ড. দেলোয়ার হোসেন।
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