Bangladesh Economy: News & Updates

[Bilal9]

Zahid Hussain is a brilliant academician/economist and the World Bank is lucky to have him. He used to teach at North South University and maybe still does.

 

[Bilal9]

Details of two projects at Western Marine (one naval, one civil):

Type of Ship:
Offshore Patrol Vessel

Customer:
JGH Marine A/S, Denmark

Owner & Operator :
Kenyan Ministry of Fisheries, Livestock & Agriculture

Hull No.: WMShL- 131
IMO No: 0

Principal Dimension:

• Length OA: 54.7
• Length BP: 50.90m
• Depth: 4.50m
• Displacement: 350 tons
• Draft molded: 2.20m
• Lightweight: 500tons
• Service speed:35knots
• Range: 1500 nautical miles
• Daily fuel consumption: 3.6 tons/day (incl. electrical load)
• Crew: 12
• Passenger: 60

Main Engine

• Maker: MTU/Niigata/MAN B&W
• Number: 2 for Controllable Pitch propeller & 1 for Waterjet propulsion
• Output: 2X4000kW for CPP & 2720kW for Waterjet

Auxiliary Engine and Alternators

• Auxiliary Engine Maker Northern Lights
• Output: 125 kW
• Alternator Maker: Leroy Somer
• Number: 02

Propeller

• Material: G-CuAI10Fe5Ni5-C (CU 3)
• Type: Controllable Pitch Propeller
• Number: 02

Others

• Gearbox: Finnoy Gear & Propeller A/S, Norway
• Propulsion Maker: Finnoy Gear & Propeller A/S, Norway

The design for the OPV was developed by Western Marine together with a South African design firm which specializes in design of OPVs & high speed crafts. The vessel will be built under Class Bureau Veritas.

The 55m OPV is being optimized to sail at a maximum sustained speed of 35 knots. The propulsion system is a robust hybrid system comprised of a combined controllable-pitch propeller & water jet system. The ship will have a range of more than 1,500 Nautical Miles in the Indian Ocean on the East African coast to ensure safety of Kenyan-flagged Fishing Vessels. The OPV will be equipped with fully automated & electromagnetically compatible navigation equipment. She will also be equipped with a helipad supporting landings & takeoffs of a 5 Metric Ton helicopter.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Although description of this SOLAS project was described earlier - we have new pictures which should be educational for those interested in shipbuilding.

Hull No.: WMShL- 130
IMO No: 9724934

Principal Dimension:
Length OA: 44.32m (appx)
Length BP: 38.56m (appx)
Breadth MLD: 9.90m (appx)
Design draft: 2.60m
Depth to weather deck: 4.10m
Depth to deck & atside deck: 6.60m
Weight & drafts
Lightship: 434 tons (appx)
Deadweight on 2.60m draft: 175 tons (min)
Displacement on 2.60m draft: 628.5 tons (appx)
Capacities
Marine diesel oil: 46m3 (min)
Lubricating oil: 3m3 (min)
Water ballast: 90m3
Grey water: 3m3 (min)
Fresh water: 40m3
10 feet container: 5 NTS
Break bulk cargo area: 40m2
Others
Service speed on design draft: 11.50 knots (85% MCR)
Engine power: 2 X 480 kW
Shaft generator: 2 X 150 kW
Aux Engine: 1 X 110 kW
Emergency genset: 1 X 80 kW
Cargo crane: 3.6 tons @ 12m outreach
Complement
Passengers (international service): 60
Crew: 10
Senior Officers: 2
Classification and Rules & Regulations
Class: Lloyd’s Register
Class Notation: *100A1, Passenger Ferry, *IWS, LMC
Additional Notation: ECO (R, IHM, EEDI) PCAC (2,3), PSMRL
Flag: Maritime Cook Islands (MCI)
Vessel is intended to operate on Unrestricted International Service as a Multi-purpose Passenger and Cargo Vessel for the transportation of passengers and cargo.

Vessel route provision
Apia to Tokelau
Interisland services in Tokelau
Occasional voyages to New Zealand

Series of sequential assembly shots,

 

[Bilal9]

With the shipbuilding sector covered in a microcosm above - let's move onto personal electronics.

The State-owned Telephone manufacturing enterprise "Telephone Shilpa Sangstha" (50 some odd years old) has recently started manufacturing Cellphone handsets in Bangladesh (various Bar and SmartPhone types). Of course all the innards (components) are from China but nonetheless it's a great start. One of their better models shown below which sells for about Tk. 12,000/-.

 

[damiendehorn]

With the shipbuilding sector covered in a microcosm above - let's move onto personal electronics.

The State-owned Telephone manufacturing enterprise "Telephone Shilpa Sangstha" (50 some odd years old) has recently started manufacturing Telephone handsets in Bangladesh. Of course all the innards (components) are from China but nonetheless it's a great start. One of their better models shown below which sells for about Tk. 12,000/-.

One step at a time, garments > leather > white goods > light engineering > ship building > tech services > one step at a time.

 

[Bilal9]

Walton Bangladesh Manufacturing Process for Motorcycle, Refrigerator, Freezer and Aircon.

Walton TVC for Locally manufactured Android Mobile Handsets showing models,

 

[Bilal9]

Walton Showroom in Nepal market,

Walton TVC for LED and LCD TVs,

Funniest TVC I have ever watched (locally made Walton 'SuperBike')

 

[damiendehorn]

In the next decade or so, Walton is going to be a major exporter of consumer goods. Hope they can setup some collaborations with universities around the country to encourage RnD and innovation.

 

[Bilal9]

A lot of the newer architectural marvels in Dhaka were posted in the General Media section. Here's the link (take a look),

Midrise Architecture in Dhaka Bangladesh

 

[extra terrestrial]

Export to Japan on rise | Bangladeshi leather, apparel products see higher demand

Export to Japan on rise
Bangladeshi leather, apparel products see higher demand

Japan has turned into a major export destination for Bangladeshi products as exports to the Far Eastern country are on the rise, thanks to an increased demand for apparel and leather items at competitive prices.
Riding on the back of generalised system of preferences, exports from Bangladesh to Japan increased by 14.90 percent to $862.08 million in 2013-14 fiscal year from $750.27 million in the previous FY, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
Against this backdrop, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is coming to Bangladesh tomorrow on a two-day visit to discuss a spectrum of bilateral issues.
And trade talks are likely to be a veritable focal point as chiefs of major Japanese multinational corporations are expected to be in the entourage of Abe during his maiden visit to Bangladesh.
Export of readymade garment, leather and footwear items constitutes the lion's share of the increased earnings from Japanese market.
Bangladesh shipped apparels worth $572.27 million to Japan in 2013-14 fiscal year. The figure was $478.49 million the previous fiscal, according to the EPB.
A meagre $74.37 million was earned by exporting garment products to Japan in 2008-09 fiscal. This means, the earning shot up more than seven times in just five years, thanks to the "China Plus One" policy that the Japan government adopted in 2008 with a view to reducing overdependence on China.
Japan has a $35 billion market of apparels and Chinese exporters hold 80 percent share of this huge market.

With the adoption of the new policy, Japanese importers started outsourcing garment items and other products from Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries, the industry insiders said.
And Bangladeshi exporters want to seize this golden opportunity.
“We can easily double our garment export to Japan within a year. We need proper branding of our country and our products as the Japanese customers are very quality conscious,” said Fazlul Hoque, former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
The Japanese premier's visit will help boost bilateral trades, he hoped.
The Japanese government has already given a lot of trade benefits to Bangladesh. So, now is the time for the private sector entrepreneurs of this country to explore the potentials of the Japanese market, said the former chief of the apex platform of garment makers.
“We should also work to attract more Japanese investment,” Hoque added.
The last fiscal year also saw a significant rise in the export of non-garment products to Japan.
In 2013-14 FY, the earning of Bangladesh from exporting leather goods and footwear products to Japan stood at $138.24 million, 65.35 percent higher from a year back.
Saiful Islam, managing director of Picard Bangladesh that makes shoes and leather accessories, said the export rise was largely because of the relaxation of rules of origin by the Japan government. “Japan might be our next export destination for leather goods and footwear items,” Islam said.
Expressing similar hopes, Akhtaruzzaman, managing director of Pacific Quality Control Co Ltd that inspects the quality of garment and other items meant for exporting to Japan, suggested some ways to make this a reality.
“We should reduce lead-time [shipment deadline] to increase export to Japan. Or else, our competitor countries like Vietnam and Indonesia, which are geographically close to Japan, will have an edge over us,” he said.
Meanwhile, many Japanese investors are interested in trying their luck in automobile, garment and fabrics, electronics and fast-moving consumer goods sectors in Bangladesh, according to an official of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).
Investment proposals worth $1.2 billion from Japan are pending with the Board of Investment in Bangladesh for a long time, said the JETRO official.
Besides the surge in export earnings, the import picture too gives a reason to cheer. In 2012-13 FY, Bangladesh imported goods worth $1.19 billion from Japan while the amount was $1.45 billion the previous year, according to Bangladesh Bank.

 

[Bilal9]

With some in the Bangladesh media providing very concrete proof of Indian interference in the foreign policy in Bangladesh (which includes export and import tariff policy), people in Bangladesh are justifiably expressing doubt whether the Japanese investment proposals are going to be followed through in a speedy manner. JETRO has already been complaining of the Bangladesh Govt. dragging their feet on many Japanese investment proposals.

I think if New Delhi has the proper strategy in mind (which is a busy productive Bangladesh) and does not want India's backyard to devolve into a Jihadi haven (another unproductive and problematic Kashmir as a thorn on their side), they will hopefully not interfere in Bangladesh' industrialization by dictating policies to the SHW Govt. Also - Indian Govt. will try to make Bangladesh more attractive to Indian business people - which they are already doing, to avail of the cheap and plentiful skilled labor as well as Tax benefits. Witness Bajaj and Hero Motorcycle's investments in Bangladesh. This sort of constructive engagement is to be welcomed by businesspeople in both India and Bangladesh.

What Bangladesh has to do is set up special EPZ's (SEZ's in India) for specific countries (Separate Indian and Japanese EPZ's like the Korean EPZ in CTG) and provide safe duty-free production zones free of hartals and bandhs, as well as provide a robust transport infrastructure (similar to Inland River Container terminals and river container ship facilities already built in NarayanGanj).

 

[Bilal9]

A new Inland ship (MT Saira 1500 DWT Oil Tanker) being launched at NarayanGanj Engg. & Shipyard Ltd. (NESL). This is shipbuilding at its most common basic level. Thirty or forty tankers and cargo vessels of this type are made in local shipyards every year. Witness the high risk lashing release!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=496998593776950

 

[Bilal9]

Bangladesh PR film

 

[Bilal9]

And more World Standard GL class vessels being built at Western Marine...excuse the atrocious pronunciation...

 

[Bilal9]

Western Marine has launched its most recent creation, a 300 Pax ALUMINUM CATAMARAN FERRY for a customer in Tanzania,

Stats:
• Length 37.50m
• Breadth: 11.50m
• Depth: 3.80m
• Draught: 1.70m
• Passenger capacity: 308
• Speed: 22knots
• Engine Power: 2X1140KW @ 1840 RPM

This was the same catamaran as reported earlier

Western Marine Shipyard Limited was visited by Indian High Commissioner H. E. Mr. Pankaj Saran on 15 Feb 2014.

Now five months later - Western Marine Shipyard Limited was again visited by a delegation from National Defence College (NDC), India & Asst. High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh on 26 Aug, 2014.

The Indians are certainly becoming interested (defense sector). Why is the big question...

In my opinion I'd be more enthusiastic if the private shipyards became more interested than the defence people. I'd be interested to see whether they let Bangladesh' High commissioner or our defense college folks visit Pipavav Shipyard or any other large shipyard in India.

 

[Bilal9]

Bus travel - Bangladesh Eesh-tyle