Contents TIMES
06 From the Editor
Word of Mouth
08 State of Affairs 12 Banking Corner 92 Happening 14 Column by Shamsul Huq Zahid 18 Op-Ed by Md Towhidul Islam 28 Ask the Expert: Matthias Gelber, GreenMan/Co-Founder of Maleki GmbH
Interviews
20 Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque,
Chairman, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority
24 Saif Kamal, Founder, Toru Rob Gradoville, Portfolio Manager, IDEO.org 36 Syed Naved Husain, CEO and Group Director, BEXIMCO
50 Arif Akram, CEO, Udoy
Contents TIMES
a global business magazine from bangladesh
TIMES
Vol. 7 No. 9 | May 2017
Publisher & Editor Director, International Publications Executive Director Managing Editor Assistant Editor Staff Feature Writer Designer Business Development Finance & Accounts Sales & Distribution
: : : : : : : : : : : :
Abul Khair Zeenat Chowdhury Nawshin Khair Tawhidur Rashid Irad Mustafa Asaduzzaman Sk. Yeahhia Md. Nizam Uddin Forhad Mohammad Imran Md. Abdul Alim Md. Nazrul Islam Md. Rubel Khan
This issue’s Photographs by Din M Shibly Kazi Mukul Asad Mahmud Sujon
Editorial & Marketing Queries tawhidur.rashid@ibtbd.net or send us a note at www.facebook.com/icebusinesstimes www.twitter.com/BusinessTimesBD
Be sure to visit our website www.ibtbd.net
Features 30 42 48 52 58 64 66 68 70 72 74 78 80 84 86 94
Agro-Transport: From the Field to the Table Special Report: Smoke Signals The Dimensions of Workers’ Well-Being Gracious Grants Photo Story: PRAN RFL Newage Farming: Rooted Above Smartphone Apocalypse? 10 Things We Know from the Global Social Report Threads of Change: Celebrating the Lives of Garment Workers XPoint Marks the Spot Be Tech (Un)Savy Salvation Through Satire Directionless DC Beyond the Augmented Veil Beyond the Business Capital Market Update
Published by Abul Khair on behalf of ICE Media Limited Kushal Centre, Plot 29, Sector 3, Uttara C/A, Dhaka- 1230 and printed at M.K. Printers,189/1, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208 Editorial and Commercial office: 3rd Floor, House: 4, Block: B, Road: 23 A, Banani, Dhaka 1213 Advertising, Sales, Subscription and Distribution: 01812656961, 01715732425, 01759391168, 01850824294, 01611227676 Tel: 02 55035336-8, 09666773313
* Not all the views expressed in the columns and interviews are the views of the magazine.
FROM THE EDITOR April saw the destruction of at least 2.5 lac hectares of boro rice crop areas due to flash floods in the haor belt in the country. The flash floods came about due to a rush of water from the hills across the border and were worsened by the rainfall which followed. As nature took its toll, farmers could only watch on helplessly as their bumper crop expectations for the year slowly submerged for good. According to the Department of Agriculture, Sunamganj bore the brunt of the incident, losing 97,826 hectares of its rice fields in the flooding, dealing a major blow to the rice supply for a nation of 165 million Bangladeshis. Bangladesh has been making the right headlines, as of late, thanks to its steady economic growth rate and remarkable improvements in human development. However, considerable challenges still remain due to the loss of arable land, frequent flooding and the effects of climate change, compounding the threats to food security for a nation where the agricultural sector serves as a major pillar, employing more than half the population. On top of the security issue, under-nutrition is exacerbated by low dietary diversity, with 70% of the diet comprised of cereals and inadequate protein and micronutrient intake according to a 2012-report by the USAID. According to a report by the Global panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition presented to the UN's Food and Agriculture organization, poor diets are undermining the health of one in three of the world's people. This also states that under-nourishment is stunting the growth of nearly quarter of children under five; adding more salt to the wound, as the report suggests, by 2030 a third of the population could be overweight or obese, thanks to poor diet. These red flags make it even more important for private sector organizations such as PRAN RFL, BRAC, ACI, Square, etc. who have a major hand in the agro-processing sector of the country to make an impact in terms of the dietary and nutritional habits of the people. Thanks to industrialization, processed foods are widely available. Nevertheless, consumers pay less or almost no attention to the aftermath of consuming such foods for a long time. We often focus more on the mass production of agricultural items but forget about ensuring their nutritional values. These items are good for combating hunger for the masses but they are not enough to offer the right nutrition. This is why further research and development is still required to steer the country towards the production of better nutrition based products, while at the same time quelling any scope for adulteration. According to a study by Katalyst, the agro-processing sector in Bangladesh is currently valued at $2.2 billion. Between the fiscal years 2004-2005 and 2010-2011, it has grown annually at an average rate of 7.7%. Despite the growth trends, the contribution of the food processing industry in Bangladesh has remained mostly static at around 2% of the GDP since 2004-2005. This indicates that the growth achieved in agro-food processing has not fulfilled its potential and there is room for improvement. Beyond the headlines of future prosperity, it is now imperative that government and private sector stakeholders can ensure the provision of food security and nutrition, otherwise deal with the loss of productivity from its nutritionally weak workforce. If the country has to move forward, it has to have a healthy population backing its growth.
S TAT E O F A F FA I R S
Word of mouth Honorable Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina was received by the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay and the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Bhutan as she arrived at the Paro International Airport in Bhutan
Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attending the ceremony for signing MOUs at the Royal Banquet Hall in Bhutan
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the joint press conference with her Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi where they made some important bilateral announcements
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina takes a tour of the Liberation War Museum's new home in Dhaka's Agargaon
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The Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina making a courtesy call on the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, during her visit to India
The Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina making a courtesy call on Sonia Gandhi, the President of the Indian National Congress party, during her visit to India
Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina delivering her speech at the opening ceremony as Guest of Honor at the “International Conference on Autism and Neuro-Developmental Disorders� at the Royal Banquet Hall in Bhutan
Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was received by H. E. Joko Widodo, Indonesian president at Jakarta Convention Center during her visit to Indonesia
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BANKING CORNER
Word of mouth
Bangladesh Bank has recently appointed Faisal Ahmed as its chief economist. Ahmed has served as senior economic adviser to the Governor of Bangladesh Bank since August 2015. Previously, he was the IMF resident representative in Cambodia during 2011-2015, a senior economist in the Asia and Pacific, Monetary and Capital Markets departments, and a core member of the emerging markets surveillance team at the IMF.
BRAC Bank Limited launched its renovated Day Care Center “Crèche” at its Head Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka. Tamara Hasan Abed, Senior Director, Enterprises, BRAC, formally inaugurated the relocated Day Care Center at the spacious new location on April 17, 2017
Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director & CEO of Dhaka Bank Ltd. handing over a cheque of Tk. 24.00 Lac to Sanjida Rahman, Chairman of PFDA-Vocational Training Center Trust for the welfare and development of underprivileged people with Autism and Neuro-Development Disability
Jamuna Bank Ltd. signed an agreement with bKash Limited recently to provide “Cash Management” services to the leading mobile financial service provider in the country
Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh successfully organized a workshop titled “Trade Guidelines and Automation: The Right Approach” recently. A total of 331 participants from 106 different client groups participated in the workshop.
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Column
Food for Thought The perils of food adulteration & what we should do about it By Shamsul Huq Zahid
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ll is quiet in the food front at the moment. The media is silent about food adulteration or food safety. So are the relevant government agencies. It's as if the problems concerning food quality have more or less been resolved and what the people are consuming every day is safe. But is the situation really healthy? Certainly not. Or, is it so that the consumers have resigned to their fate as far as the quality of food is concerned? There is no denying that consumers have accepted their random exposure to adulterated or unsafe food items as fait accompli. Adulteration of food is on as before with the government confining its actions mainly to making relevant laws, rules and forming a few
agencies. Like most other areas, what is lacking here is the proper enforcement of laws, rules and regulation and a proactive role played by the relevant agencies to punish the culprits who are engaged in the adulteration of foods, deliberately or otherwise. The mobile courts, headed by executive magistrates, are occasionally seen launching drives against adulterators and such sporadic actions are, in most cases, concentrated in Dhaka in complete disregard of the millions of consumers living in other areas of the country. It is not that administrative drives against food adulteration are helping much in attaining the goals relating food safety. Yet people in others districts do deserve the attention of the
government as far as food safety is concerned. Three to four years back the consumers were found to be really concerned about the use of chemical substances in food items as preservatives and ripening agents. The media, both electronic and print, had launched a sort of ‘Jihad’ against food adulteration. Some government agencies, coming under pressure, also had to plunge into action. Mobile courts conducted surprise raids in city kitchen markets and shops and clandestine factories manufacturing counterfeit and adulterated food items. The people found guilty of producing or selling adulterated food items were fined or served with prison sentences instantly. In the wake of administrative
Like most other areas, what is lacking here is the proper enforcement of laws, rules and regulation and a proactive role played by the relevant agencies to punish the culprits who are engaged in the adulteration of foods, deliberately or otherwise.
actions, some major markets in Dhaka city took a few measures to help stop the selling of formalin-treated fish and vegetables. However, later the kit used to detect the presence of formalin was found to be inappropriate and inadequate. During the summer fruit season, the police had set up makeshift ‘checkpoints’ to help prevent the entry of chemical-treated mangoes into Dhaka city. A large quantity of chemical-treated mangoes was also destroyed. After that, the anti-adulteration drives have been few and far between, despite the fact that the problem of adulteration of food items and use of harmful chemicals on food, vegetables, and fruits, both local and imported, as preservatives is very much there. None of the relevant agencies would dare claim any improvement in the situation. In 2013, the government adopted the Safe Food Act with a view to ensuring the people’s rights to safe food.
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The Safe Food Authority (SFA), as stipulated in the law, was formed in 2015. The act provides for tough penal actions, including a 5 years’ prison sentence or fines up to Tk 2 million or both, for an offense such as the use of formalin or other harmful chemicals on fruits, vegetables, and other food items. The fact remains that the latest act, compared to the old ones concerning food safety, is a tough one. But even four years after its enactment, not many people, including many manufacturers and producers of food items, are aware of the existence of the Food Safety Act and the authority formed under it. The FSA is yet to complete the formation of many committees as provided by the law. Earlier, enforcement of laws and rules in areas of food safety was a problem. The situation remains almost unchanged even after having a tough law in place. It is necessary for the relevant agencies becoming more active in areas of enforcement and awareness
creation among both producers and consumers of food products. None would deny the fact a few established manufacturers of food items do on occasions indulge in an offense like adulterating their products. But the propensity to adulterate food items is witnessed more among small and medium scale manufacturers and sellers of food items. In most cases, they are illiterate or half-educated. They are incapable of comprehending the ill-effects of adulterated food on humans. It is important to educate this particular sections of producers and sellers of food items about the harmful effect of adulterated foods on human health. Besides adulteration or use of harmful preservatives and additives on foods, there is another very common source -pesticides responsible for making food items such as staples, vegetables, fruits and fish hazardous for consumption. The use of pesticides on crops, vegetables, and fruits
at the farmers’ level remains unregulated. Farmers do very rarely use protective gears while they spray pesticides on crops, vegetables, and fruits. Nor do they use correct doses of pesticides that enter the food chain, ultimately giving rise to serious ailments among the consumers. The field-level agricultural extension workers of the department of agricultural extension (DAE), allegedly, have not been making the farmers aware of the dangers of such careless use of pesticides and insecticides. The act of preventing adulteration of food items cannot be accomplished by one single agency. It has to be a coordinated effort on the part of all the relevant agencies, private and public, and consumers. Hopefully, all concerned will realize it.
The writer is a senior journalist. He can be reached at zahidmar10@gmail.com
Op-Ed
NEWS
Broadcasting By Md Towhidul Islam
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n the past decade, we’ve seen the emergence of television channels in great numbers. Initially, viewers had to be content with news and entertainment coming from one source, which was Bangladesh Television (BTV). It was the undisputed champion in Bangladeshi television viewing until other channels such as Ekushe Television popped up. Then with the likes of ATN, the number of TV channels grew over 40 in the last few years. Among them, only BTV is state-owned while the rest are privately operated. Now the question arises as to what all these TV channels are broadcasting and selling? Most of them provide their own exclusive entertainment shows but what’s common amongst all
of them is that they all show news. To meet the demands of their news-hungry audiences, there has been a tremendous rise in news channels. Entrepreneurs understood this issue that news would be the best selling product in the showbiz market which is why we have seen the shift in many channels moving from an entertainment focus to news focus. Channels like Asian TV and Channel 9 started out as regular entertainment outlets but later on, they became mixed channels. The importance of news being a regular facet for these channels became apparent through the demand of the consumers. Every channel is showing a variety of programs and shows. In that context, news shows
also vary from channel to channel. News can be found in various areas and it us up to each respective channel to choose how they want to cover it. Whether the source is politics, sports or entertainment, news is something that is everywhere. It is, as an event, automatically produced and all the channels have to do is find them. Investigative journalism is still not up to the expected standard but it is still improving over time so that viewers have access to proper researched news. To produce news shows sometimes one issue is prioritized over another. The particular time and situation helps make up our minds regarding their importance. What we really try to do is to
Change telecast the truth. We serve the news as it is. We never mix up the serpent with a rope. However, perspectives might vary when people are covering the news, which is why teamwork is important so that there’s a clear and unbiased representation of the facts. After Ekushe Television started the revolution, new channels slowly started to pop up. Journalists from print media started working for the channels and dominated news telecasts. People started to see things on the television channels they’d never thought they’d see before. This rise in the number of channels also gave younger, enthusiastic journalists the opportunity to make their
The writer is the Senior News Editor of Jamuna TV.
News can be found in various areas and it us up to each respective channel to choose how they want to cover it.”
name in the industry. These are the people currently at the helm instead of the established journalists. The first generations of television journalists came from the print media while the second generation had their experience from the television industry. This lead to a change in presentation and style which also changed perceptions in the minds of the audiences. However, to produce a standard news show you need a good team of producers, video editors, videographers and of course, reporters. From this point of view, not all channels are equipped with the perfect blend of these requirements which can lead to subpar reporting. The scope for bias is limited for news based television as the audience can directly interpret what’s going from the news footage. However, it is up to the news providers to provide as much substantial footage as possible for the viewers, so they can make their own sound judgment. At times, it may become a challenge to telecast the whole story and the story behind it without proper footage. Modern news telecast is more dynamic, however, because the technology is available which can make the news more interactive. Now anyone can share a video clip or fragment of a story on social media, providing a brand new perspective on things. However, it still varies from person to person because of their varying perspectives. While making plans for news shows we also have to concentrate on how to keep viewers interested without having to exploit them. A big buzz surrounds the debate regarding fake and real news which might appear on social media. Nevertheless, the demand for established news media will
always be high because it is more trusted. Television media could not replace the print media; therefore, it can be assumed that social media will not replace mainstream news media. There will be a parallel coexistence but social media cannot overlap mainstream news media because of the authenticity that comes with it. Social media has proven itself to be the largest platform for sharing news but whether that news is reliable or not, is still a major issue. This is why people’s dependency on television news channels will never be gone. The television industry has to cater to a vast market which is immensely hungry for entertainment. People’s inclination towards foreign TV serials or sporting tournaments is quite evident, but has that lessened the demand for news? Not at all. Even people who aren’t aware of Shakib Khan and his latest films sat through hours of updates about the ongoing spat between him and Opu Bishwas. Among a plethora of news that covers political development, diplomatic relationships and domestic businesses, entertainment news can act as condiments to spice up the platter. There is never a shortage of news to hook audiences. News has become a source of entertainment for mass audiences. So it appears the reason behind the emergence of the news channels in such great numbers is because of the huge demand for it. What’s more, is that there are even more channels waiting in the pipeline to be added to your viewing list for the future.
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Interview
Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque is the Chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA). Previously, Mahfuzul Hoque, an additional secretary of the government, served as a member of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR). Receiving his Honors and Master’s Degree from the Economics Department of Chittagong University, he was an officer of the 1984 Batch of Bangladesh Civil Service.
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BFSA
“BFSA WILL COORDINATE FOOD SAFETY RELATED ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FOOD CONTROL SYSTEM AND ENSURE THAT THEY PUT THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE FIRST AND FOREMOST.” Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque
Chairman Bangladesh Food Safety Authority
Q
What is the vision and mission you have set for the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority?
The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) was established in 2nd February 2015 under the Food Safety Act 2013 which has been enacted through repealing the existing Pure Food Ordinance 1959. The Ordinance focused mainly on the norms for processed food products to avoid any adulteration that could harm human health. It does not cover the safety measures needed to be taken throughout the whole food supply chain. In addition, the Pure Food Rules 1967 under the Ordinance has become outdated and does not comply with the safety measures regarding several chemical contaminants in food fixed as global safety standards. On the other hand, food control systems in Bangladesh involve several ministries and
agencies with a number of laws and regulations, but there is a lack of proper coordination among the agencies and the existing rules and regulations are not adequate for ensuring the safety measure throughout the food supply chain. Under these circumstances, the Bangladesh National Parliament has passed the Food Safety Act, 2013 in order to make provisions for the establishment of an efficient, effective, scientifically based Authority and for regulation through coordination, the activities relating to food production, import, processing, stockpiling, supplying, marketing and sales as well as to ensure the people’s right towards their access to safe food through appropriate application of scientific processes and state of the art technology. Accordingly, BFSA has been formed and it has started work with a Vision - “Safe food for all to protect life and health” and a Mission - “To protect consumers’ health and life by formulating appropriate science based regulations, monitoring the safety of food supply chain and coordinating the work of official food control agencies to ensure the effective enforcement of food regulations taking food control agencies, food businesses and civil societies on board”.
There are many parties attached with the food and public health. How is your organization coordinating with these other parties?
By the Food Safety Act, 2013 Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has been mandated to regulate, through coordination, all the activities currently divided across a multiplicity of departments and agencies as an umbrella organization. Accordingly, three committees have been formed by BFSA to determine specific areas of cooperation with the relevant food control agencies across the relevant Ministries and Departments attempting to sign individual MOU through which BFSA will coordinate food safety related activities in www.ibtbd.net
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BFSA is organizing country-wide awareness campaigns engaging all possible stakeholders including local administration, producers’ communities, intermediaries, researchers, consumers, policy makers, civil society representatives, and so on.”
order to improve the effectiveness of the food control system and ensure that they put the health of people first and foremost.
What measures are being taken regarding the imported food items?
Quality and safety issues for the imported food items are looked after by the designated food control agencies/organizations as per the Import Policy Order 2015-2018. However, recent regulatory gap analysis revealed that there are scopes for updating the Policy Order since the safety issues like presence of contaminants (e.g. pesticide residues, heavy metals, PGRs, etc.) of the imported fresh produce like fresh fruits and vegetables are not adequately monitored.
What are you doing to address the concerns of the numerous stakeholders in this area?
Presently BFSA receives technical inputs related to food safety and to draft food safety regulations through eight Food Safety Technical Working Groups (TWG) that were formed by the Ministry of Food, where representatives from the relevant ministries/departments/
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organizations have been engaged. By this time, a number of regulations, namely (i) sampling, analysis and testing, (ii) use of food additives have been published and (iii) Chemical Contaminants, Toxins and Residues (iv) Food Hygiene, (v) Food Labeling are in the process of publication. In the process of promulgating the regulations, broad stakeholder consultations have been carried out. Apart from that, BFSA is organizing country-wide awareness campaigns engaging all possible stakeholders including local administration, producers’ communities, intermediaries, researchers, consumers, policy makers, civil society representatives, and so on. By this time seven awareness campaigns have been organized by BFSA in seven divisions of Bangladesh, and this is an on-going activity, and will go down to the district and Upazilla levels in the coming days. Various awareness materials like posters, leaflets, booklets, banners, festoons, etc. have been prepared by BFSA and being distributed to the consumers/stakeholders through the partner agencies. Campaigns are also being carried out though Mobile Apps, Videos, Guidelines, SMSs, Facebook and other electronic and print media.
As we know there is the Consumers Rights Protection Authority, BSTI and many more organizatiosn and at the same time the mobile courts are in operation. How are you coordinating with all of these entities?
At present, about 480 agencies/organizations including 18 ministries/departments are involved in the activities pertaining to food safety in Bangladesh, and they need to be coordinated, and this is a huge job to be shouldered by BFSA. In the various activities of BFSA, we are engaging relevant
organizations and stakeholders. For example, BSTI, DAE, DLS, DoF, DNCC, DSCC, BAEC, BARC, BAB, Consumers Rights Protection Department, law enforcing agencies, research organizations, universities, and other government & NGOs are being engaged in various activities of BFSA like TWG, training, meetings, market monitoring and inspection, awareness campaign, and so on. On a temporary basis, 242 Safe Food Inspectors have been designated from the local governments, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Food who have received training on risk-based inspection and are currently performing their duties in the field.
What is being done regarding the rumors that go around regarding food safety and compliance issues?
Due to the lack of scientific knowledge and evidences, rumors have been spread over the country through media that all fresh food including fruits and vegetables are being adulterated by formalin. In fact, formalin does not work on preservation of fruits or vegetables as it works only on protein based organisms. Improved technologies are being used around the world to increase the shelf-life of fruits which are recommended and healthy. For example, apples are being coated with ultrathin edible wax to increase its shelf-life and these are not harmful for human health. Recent a scientific study on a number of food samples including mango, apple, litchi, and fish, vegetable has revealed that no sample contained formalin above the tolerable limit. In order to remove the misconception among the people, BFSA has taken initiative to publish ‘Public Notice’ based on scientific evidences.
Social Innovation
Recently, Toru - Institute for Inclusive Innovations, organized the first Social Innovation Design Week in partnership with IDEO.org, supported by Levi Strauss Foundation and Mohammadi Group. The program was a unique learning journey, full of dynamic design exercises, for twenty Fellows who immersed themselves in the daily lives of Mohammadi Group's RMG factory workers. Guided by an experienced design mentor, they looked at the RMG worker community through an engaging and empathetic lens, with a view to solving some of the most pressing challenges they face through Human Centered Design.
ICE Business Times spoke to Saif Kamal from Toru and Rob Gradoville from IDEO.org to find out more about their vision for the future through Human-Centered Design.
Q
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Saif Kamal Founder, Toru
What can you tell us about your organization IDEO.org?
Rob Gradoville: IDEO.org was born out of the global design firm, IDEO, about six years ago. The parent company, IDEO, has been around for about 40 years. They started off in product design and they’re most well-known for designing the first house for the Apple computer. They’ve done all kinds of things beyond product design such as experience design, service design, interaction design and so on. So IDEO.org was developed as an offshoot of IDEO in 2011 and it was taking that same approach to solving problems to the social space. At IDEO.org we work with partners that are supporting vulnerable communities around the world. Part of our work is a program I work with called Amplify which is a design-inspired incubator for the social sector. We find and support entrepreneurs and
innovators around the world through a series of challenges that are focused on specific topics each year.
You just finished the Social Innovation Design Week. What made you start such a program?
Saif Kamal: Let me start with a macro-level perspective. While people often talk about startups and technology innovations, we’ve seen that generally, people often lack the skills to actually go and build an innovation. At Toru, we take a very skill-focused, human-centered approach. So this design week was an effort to help develop those skills among a group of Bangladeshi innovators and offer a space for ‘design’. People often confuse design with fashion or interiors; but design is core component of solving a problem. We also believe that
Rob Gradoville Portfolio Manager IDEO.org
support and mentoring for those interested in moving forward with their ideas.
multidisciplinary groups are where innovations happen organically and that’s where Social Innovation Design Week comes in - acting as a competitive and curated process to bring a diverse group together. The multidisciplinary team of these 20 Fellows were chosen through a rigorous selection process and while the applications for the design week were overwhelming we had an acceptance rate of only 7%. The Fellows were students, lawyers, engineers, architects, business entrepreneurs, professors, and so on. It was amazing to see these diverse individuals come together and work on designing real-life solutions. Rob Gradoville: What I was most interested in getting involved in when Toru reached out, was this crazy combination of things; that was kind of a fusion for how you could bring people together from all different sectors and teach them what the theory of human centered design is. During the design week we got to talk about human centered
design, and how it’s more about how you can be thoughtful in terms of identifying issues and solving problems. So it seemed like this was an amazing experiment which helped bring people in an environment where they could learn and immerse themselves in the design process in a really unique way.
Going down to micro-level, what actually happened during the whole program?
Saif Kamal: The RMG sector has faced a lot of challenges over the years. About 2 years back, I was at SOCAP in San Francisco talking to a gentleman, a point brought up was how most young people do not know much about this industry and they have these assumptions that are far from reality. He turned out to be Daniel Lee, the Executive Director of Levis Strauss Foundation. He agreed that we have to step in and say it’s time we need to immerse people in the sector by creating a learning opportunity. So the design
process starts with empathy and then moves onto creating a space where innovators and ideas can be introduced to help those involved in the sector. I remember Daniel echoing my thought of creating home grown innovators and responsible citizens who will work shoulder to shoulder to build social innovations for change rather than parachuting expatriates. At the design week, we had twenty people divided into five groups and each group was tasked with addressing different issues in the RMG sector such as child care, menstrual health and hygiene, improving living conditions, health and nutrition and finally mental health, the joy and happiness of the workers. One the most interesting things during this time was how the factory owners engaged in the sessions and shared their views and experiences. Later, we announced that some of these solutions will go back as insights to the factory management and we would be willing to provide
Rob Gradoville: Personally, I think that this was only the beginning of the journey of twenty people who will start to think differently in their own sectors and hopefully, continue with Toru to tackle issues in the garment sector. This was an educational experience and what came out of it was some interesting insights that I think the management of the factories will take forward, and hopefully, support. A bigger ripple effect will be seen in six months or a year down the road as these participants start the implementation process of their work.
How is Toru following up on these programs?
Saif Kamal: People who come into Toru have their ideas go through a certain funnel process and this happens for every sector that we work in. At Toru our programs are designed to engage design mentors, access to industry experts, end-users and subject matter experts to help these innovators with the process of nurturing innovations. They will be linked to the factories, after that we provide 5 hours of inspirational sessions for identifying and solving problems. Then we have 5 day programs such as the design week, where we immerse them and then we go onto a 5 week period where we help them to test and structure their ideas. After this, they move into another stage called Design and Innovation, which lasts for about 6 to 8 months. During this time, they iterate the solution they’ve designed and we give them a funding support of upto $4000. After that, we have www.ibtbd.net
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You’ve also held a program called Innovators for Impact where you’ve spoken about the Fourth Industrial Revolution and inclusive growth. Can you elaborate on this?
the ‘Impactpreneur’ stage, where we support them with $10,000 and advanced level business incubation support.
A lot of people don’t understand the concept of human-centered design; could you explain the concept for us?
Saif Kamal: When we’re trying to solve problems we make assumptions and ask people, “Do you want this?” or “Do you want that?”. To reconfirm our assumptions we use market research and focus groups. Human-centered design is very different from market research. This process gives you the ability to empathize and see things through the eyes of the people you’re trying to design for. Often there’s a difference between what people say they want to do, and what they actually do. Human Centered Design reveals why people do what they do and what can be done to meet their needs better. Rob Gradoville: I think this is a question a lot of people struggle to answer. A lot of the world tries to solve problems by analyzing and then deciding what is best. Human-centered design is different as it starts with a divergent process and we call this process a ‘double diamond’ where we start
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diverging and thinking very widely; gaining information from people who are associated with these issues, talking to them and hearing their stories. The next phase involves some brainstorming, understanding and breaking down what you’ve heard. Once you’ve got lots of thoughts and ideas, you slowly converge towards small prototype experiments that you can then use to continue a conversation with people in the center of these issues in a more concrete way.
Can you give us an example of a successful project that has used this approach?
Rob Gradoville: At IDEO.org we worked with an international non-profit called Marie Stopes International in Eastern Africa and this organization was really good at responding to young women who recently had a child and supporting them with family planning, spacing and other issues. When they came to us, they were really struggling to figure out how to reach girls before they had their first sexual interaction or before they had a child. The best practice was to use rationale and logic to show girls that, ‘look if you don’t do these things (protective
methods), these are potential downsides. However, if you do follow our advice, then here are the upsides.’ So we engaged in a project with them and one of the insights that came out was that the girls perceived these conversations with nurses as high stakes conversations, although they were meant to be comforting and supporting. So the prototype that we ran involved setting up a small table with nail polish and lipstick and put some chairs around it. We brought in people who worked in this sector and some young girls and we observed them having conversations while painting their nails. They weren’t looking at each other because there was something else to focus on and it was clear that this setup wasn’t there to evangelize or change the way they thought. It was a very low stakes environment, and painting nails and talking around a table was a distraction. Once you don’t stare people in the eye, it makes it a bit lower at stakes and then you’re more open to having these conversations. So that insight was key in working with Marie Stopes International to redesign the kind of young women health clinic women, along the lines of a nail salon.
Saif Kamal: The reality of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is that it will rapidly change the skills needed to succeed. These are skills significantly different from what the traditional education system teaches today. People need to be made aware of the skills of tomorrow Toru explored what skills people currently have, how they need to grow and what the future will look like for inclusive growth. In Bangladesh, you can may see paradigm shifts when blue collar employees working in factories which may become unnecessary with automation in near future. In addition to that, majority of the white collar employees are doing repetitive work in offices which can be done by artificial intelligence. So what do you do with this population when their skillset becomes outdated? What we need to do is redefine the whole idea of having those values and skillsets to survive through inclusive growth and then you can move up the chain as an innovator or social entrepreneur. I believe that once you start innovating or have certain kinds of disruptions, policies catch up later. But you have to get to a critical mass at least and show that it works. Once that’s done, the next work is to go into academic institutions, work with them and then eventually influence policy level discussions with the government.
Ask the Expert
f you are an entrepreneur or business owner, then you have the power to decide, change, and create. You have the power to leave a green legacy. Yes, there will be obstacles. But entrepreneurship itself is no walk in the park. The question is, ‘What kind of difference do you want to make with your business?’ Maybe you’re wrestling with the voice in your head that says ‘Green is expensive and nobody wants to buy ‘eco-friendly products.’ At this point, it’s important for me to point out that if you DO decide to go down the green business route, it should be for the right reasons. It’s essential that your product or service is, in fact, eco-friendly. You should not be doing it purely to capitalize on the perception that green products are more expensive. Consumers will find out one way or another if you are selling genuine green products, or whether you are just green-washing. Bear in mind, the power of social media these days. Word spreads quickly! If you sell something that everyone else sells, you have competition forcing margins down. If you sell something special that few people offer, then you can sell it as a higher value product with higher margins. It is also important to be transparent about what makes your product green, as many consumers have been disappointed time and again by false green marketing that has created a lot of confusion and distrust towards green products. When we look at greening a business, we have two options: either green an existing business, or start a new green business.
I
Matthias Gelber
GreenMan Co-Founder of Maleki GmbH
The Green Legacy 28
GREENING AN EXISTING BUSINESS These are a few questions you should ask yourself for starters: • What is our annual electricity bill? • What is our annual water bill? • Are there efficiency measures we can put in place to reduce our electricity and water consumption? • How much money do we discard by turning raw materials into waste? • Can we reuse any waste material as raw material, or can another company use it? • Do we have an environmental policy and management system in place such as ISO 14001? Should we have one? • What are our main environmental impacts and how can we address and manage them?
GOING GREEN
• Do we have a green team or people focused on efficiency and waste minimization? • Do we have green procurement guidelines? • Do we have green design criteria for new product or systems development? • What green principles should we adopt for our buildings and new construction or development projects? • What are the green policies of our customers? Some of these questions are about minimizing your environmental impact and preventing pollution and hazards. Yes, I know it’s a lot to take in, but it’s all about taking one step at a time. Implement small changes first, and once you build up your comfort level and start seeing results (particularly in terms of minimizing energy consumption and waste generation), you can move on to the next level, and the level after that. To be perfectly honest, I know that a lot of business people simply don’t care. They only care about profits. Yes, we all need to make a living, to provide for our families, and to live a comfortable life. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t or are not capable of caring about the environment. Do you want to be one of those people who only care about making tons of cash, and nothing else? If your granddaughter would ask you now, or in the future, whether your business helped the planet or damaged it, what would your answer be? Preventing negative impact is important, and it is your ethical responsibility. Some people say that if a businessperson does a huge amount of damage to the planet, there will come a time in the future when the business and the people involved in it might have to pay the price. You may call it the Universal law of ‘karma’ or cause and effect. Instead of wasted electricity, wasted water and wasted raw materials, all representing a huge waste of YOUR money and resources, why not opt for resource efficiency, yield maximization, zero waste, and cleaner and leaner production? These
and many other concepts can help you focus on a simple reality: We can do well for our business and for the planet IF we eliminate waste.
STARTING A NEW GREEN BUSINESS
The world is your oyster, and you have a blank canvass in front of you to do with as you please. But first, do your research. Maybe you’re an aspiring entrepreneur working on launching your own business, and you’re genuinely passionate about helping Mother Nature. Great! Bring it on, but remember that motivation alone doesn’t guarantee success. I’ve known several young and enthusiastic eco-minded people who’ve started up green ventures and failed in getting them off the ground. The truth is that starting a green business is no different than starting any other business. You need a good understanding of the market, your target customers, competitors, the product cost, competitive pricing, and the effort required to make a sale. It is best to do detailed research first on the minimum volume and margin of sales you need to grow as a healthy business. Often people start with a product they’re passionate about and convince themselves that it will be a hit. I’ve gone through the same experience myself. There are people I know who have been trying to commercialize their inventions over the last decade and have still not had a breakthrough. I believe it’s all about striking the right balance in business. You can fail and try again and again. We have famous examples such as Thomas Edison with his light bulb and Walt Disney with his business. Only after many failures did they finally succeed. The key lies in minimizing your risk of failure and maximizing your chances of success. But it rarely happens immediately, so don’t lose hope if you don’t make it on your first attempt. SEERS, a Malaysian water heater manufacturer, is a good example of a new green company driven by passion, international research, and home grown innovation. Every building needs a water heater; the market is
huge. And if your product can save money and eliminate the risk of electrocution then you are in business. What makes the SEERS product particularly attractive for property developers is the savings generated on the power supply infrastructure compared to alternative water heaters.
So what steps should you take if you want to start a new green business?
1. Identify your passion, e.g. the thing you love doing 2. Identify what the market needs and is willing to pay for 3. Decide on a product or service in that field as the focus of your business 4. Estimate existing offers, pricing, and what the market is willing to pay 5. Identify your capabilities of developing it yourself, your cost of production, or the cost of outsourcing production 6. Identify your strengths and role in the business and additional resources you require to make it a success I’ve often debated this with many people, particularly in Asia. Often the society around you influences your path, or your parents want you to study a certain field as they believe it is the best path for your future success. I was told by my late dad not to waste my time hugging trees. ‘You can’t make money with that! When I was your age I already was earning a lot of money.’ But I decided to follow my own path and studied environmental science management. It’s not easy standing up to external resistance, but ultimately the choice is yours. My experience is that your field of study isn’t even all that important. It only matters if you want to enter a specific professional field (like medicine, engineering, or IT). If you want to become an entrepreneur then the doors are wide open for you. The ONLY question that matters is, ‘What kind of difference do you want to make with your life?’
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Agro-Transport
From the Field
30
A KAIZEN CRS REPORT
to the Table By Debojit Saha
The leading vegetable producing districts of Bangladesh are Comilla, Jessore, Bogra, greater Dhaka (Manikgonj, Savar and Norshingdi), Rangpur, Dinajpur, and so on. These districts produce almost similar varieties, but the land productivity differs considerably among them. The two primary reasons for this discrepancy are quality in farm management and usage of modern inputs. Currently Jessore is the leader in Bangladesh, both in terms of total production and land productivity.
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Parwal (Potol) Per Kg Bottle Gourd (Lau) Per Pc Flat Bean (Seem) Per Kg White Eggaplant (Begoon Sada) Per Kg Black Eggplant (Begoon Kalo) Per Kg Tomato Local Per Kg
Cost advantage in Jessore (TK)
Average Price in other areas (TK)
Gazipur (TK)
Savar (TK)
Product
Jessore (TK)
Manikganj (TK)
However, proximity with Dhaka ensures greater return for Comilla, Manikgonj, Savar and Norshingdi. Vegetable traders source most of their vegetables from these four regions since these areas are close to Dhaka and the businessmen find these areas comfortable to source their products. But they are operating their businesses inefficiently. As has been mentioned earlier, that Jessore is the leader in terms of total production and local productivity. Therefore, Jessore offers the best price to traders. In order to understand this phenomenon the research team collected data regarding a few vegetables such as parwal, bottle gourd, flat bean and eggplant from Jessore, Manikganj, Savar and Gazipur. The prices in Jessore were compared with the average prices from other areas and results show that, on average, Jessore offers 30% lower prices for the same product in other areas.
34 32 95 48
42 45 120 65
48 48 110 62
40 40 110 55
43 44 113 61
27% 39% 19% 26%
36
42
40
45
42
18%
45
60
65
58
61
36%
Figure 1 Price comparison of products from Jessore and that of other areas
Jessore is the leader in terms of total production and local productivity.
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If products are available at lower price in Jessore, then why is it that traders still prefer to source vegetables from other areas? One of the primary reason all traders have mentioned is the transport hassle. In the next step the research team from regarding transport cost of procuring goods from Jessore and the same for Manikganj. The whole analysis is provided in Figure no: 5.
TRANSPORTATION COSTS
The initial analysis shows that even though cost of transport and wastage is high in transporting goods from Jessore, it still has a 10% cost advantage over that of Manikganj and this should have been one of the primary motivations for traders to source goods from Jessore. However, a closer look reveals that the duration of travel from Dhaka to Jessore makes it an unpopular destination for sourcing vegetables in Dhaka. The 10% cost advantage can only be realized when the truck can reach Dhaka from Jessore in 10-12 hours. If not, then wastage goes up and the procurement is no longer profitable for the trader.
If products are available at lower prices in Jessore, then why is it that traders still prefer to source vegetables from other areas?
Price of Parwal (Potol)/Kg Quantity
Cost of Parwal 4MT Transport Cost
Total Cost of Procurement Wastage Cost/Kg
Duration of travel
Parameter Cost of Freight
Status
Cost Advantage of procuring from Southern Region
Jessore
Manikganj
4000
4000
34
136,000 15000
151,000 10%
41.94444 10-12 Hours
10.46%
42
168,000 10000
178,000 5%
46.84211
2.5-3 hours
• Double Charge: At present the practice among transport service providers are to charge shipper for both up and down journey and the reason they use is that they will not get any booking of freight on their way back. Thus the cost of procurement for shippers at both ends becomes double the actual cost and hence either the price increases for consumers or traders have to give up their profits.
Standardized Service • Customer Service Quality: Current transport service providers lack the understanding of customer service. They believe their only job is to just transfer the goods without being concerned about time of delivery. In most cases, drivers and helpers take long breaks during journeys so the travel time goes up and if travel time goes above 12 hours then wastage level also increases and the traders incur losses. • No Route Flexibility: Shippers have no control over the route that will be taken by the trucks. So if there are some issues at the ferry and the driver decides to wait for the ferry then the transporter/shipper has no control over changing the route of the car to save travel time. • Traceability of Goods: Once goods have been loaded on trucks then the shipper remains uncertain about the whereabouts of the goods until delivery. So in the midway if the driver decides to tamper with goods, the shipper will have no clue. Safety & Security
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• Vehicular Issues: The shipper cannot ensure whether the truck which is being used to transport the goods have all his papers updated according to traffic/BRTA rules. • Driver Issues: The shipper has next to no idea whether the drivers that are being used by transport agencies have adequate knowledge regarding traffic rules. Also the drivers may not be experienced enough to drive on highways. • Capacity Issues: Most shippers have no idea about the documented capacity of the vehicle/truck. Thus, if the transport agencies overload the truck then according to law necessary actions could be taken against the shipper. The article is based on research conducted by Kaizen CRS.
Types of Marke
In this study markets explored by various market intermediaries have been identified and defined. The researchers used distance from vegetable producer to the market as the parameter to define the characteristics of the market. Local Market: These are the markets which are usually 5-10 km away from vegetable producers. Small and marginal producers carry their goods to local markets either to sell them to local retailers or to sell to paikars. Upazila Market: Paikars usually sell their products to other retailers or to Aratdars. Aratdars and medium to large farmers take their products to Upazila Markets using Nosimon where they sell their products to Bepari’s. The Bepari’s transfer the products to national markets which are usually growth centers at a distance of 200-300 km. At present the current business model is working to connect growth centers in Upazila to the Growth centers in National level markets.
Local Market
>
Low cost Mode: Vegetable producers usually transport goods to Local Markets using cycles or by carrying it on their shoulders. Therefore, the cost of transport for vegetable producers are very minimal. Once products arrive at the local market, they are graded and sorted according to their size and appearance. High grade products move on to the next market and the lower grade products are kept for local consumption.
Upazila Market >
Vans and Nosimons: Paikars usually use Van to transfer goods among local retailers and the goods that are better in quality are sold to aratdars. Aratdars use Vans as well as Nosimon to transfer goods to Upazila level markets. - Capacity of Van: 200 Kg - Cost: TK 400 taka for entire trip (2 taka/Kg) - Capacity of Nosimon: 500kg - Cost: TK 800/Trip (TK 1.6/Kg)
National Market
Beparis collect goods at Upazila Markets. They aggregate products and transport it to National Markets using trucks. Truck capacity: 4 MT/10MT Cost: Cost of trucks fluctuates according to market demand and supply.
In order to minimize wastage, the following parameters are crucial: - Packaging: If the products are properly packed then products stay fresh for a longer time and wastage is reduced. - Efficient Transport: Efficient and standard transport services can help reduce wastage by ensuring on time delivery of products - Cold Chain: There is no intermediate step to preserve vegetables, not even with vans with freezer. The current practice is to transfer goods at dusk in open trucks so that there is good air flow. Bangladesh has increased its efficiency of producing agro products but with this success comes the next challenge and that is to develop the forward market linkages so that the crops of farmers can be efficiently delivered to the consumers at the right price within a reasonable amount of time. Thus, this efficient value chain development will benefit all the stakeholders: farmers, wholesalers, traders, consumers.
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ANALYSIS
The Trendsetters in the Bangladeshi RMG Sector
T 36
he emerging economy and stable political environment of Bangladesh has enabled the country’s RMG industry to grow. Bangladesh has set an ambitious $50 billion RMG target by 2021. However, to achieve this goal, substantial changes need to be made in terms of electricity, infrastructure, productivity, value addition and skill development. It’s
By Adnan Nafis
also imperative to strike the right balance between the workers’ demand of wage increases and what the industry can sustain. The price of garments is falling due to global economic conditions. The US and Europe, too, are facing a significant economic slowdown. In 2015, prices of apparels went down by 3.81% and 0.76% respectively in
After 30 years in the RMG sector, Bangladesh is now the 2nd largest exporter in the world. However, other than a few select brands, the country is yet to create a significant difference in the international market.
the US and EU countries. In 2016, the prices of Bangladeshi RMG items came down by more than 1% in the US market and 3.19% in the EU countries. The retail giant Macy’s is closing 68 stores in USA in 2017 and laying off 6200 workers whereas JC Penny is closing down 138 stores in USA which will eventually have a direct effect on the Bangladeshi market. Asian countries are also growing at a tremendous pace and consumer markets have shifted towards Asia. The predicament is that Bangladesh relies heavily on the US and the European market and its stake in the Asian subcontinent is relatively low. After 30 years in the RMG sector, Bangladesh is now the 2nd largest exporter in the world. However, other than a few select brands, the country is yet to create a significant difference in the international market. (Source: CNN, CNBC)
PRODUCTIVITY
The average efficiency level in most RMG factories is around 45% however, some of the major factories have achieved 60%-80% which is in line with the best global standards. However, more factories need to start reaching these standards. If Bangladesh can boost its productivity, it can easily increase RMG export even further. A mere 20% increase in productivity will literally mean a $5.6 billion increase of our current $28 billion RMG export resulting in $33.6 billion.
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A mere 20% increase in productivity will literally mean a $5.6 billion increase of our current $28 billion RMG export resulting in $33.6 billion.
Why is this important?
To reach $50 billion export revenue by 2021 we need a 12.5% yearly grow rate. The current status till February 2017 is not very promising:
RMG Exports (in Millions $)
RMG Export Growth (Year on Year)
Total Bangladesh Exports (In Millions $)
RMG as a % of Total Exports
2016-17 (JulyFeb.)
$18,638.88
02.82%
$ 22,830.00
81.64%
2015-16
$ 28,094.16
10.21%
$ 34,257.18
82.01%
2014-15
$ 25,491.40
04.08%
$ 31,208.94
81.68%
2013-14
$ 24,491.88
13.83%
$ 30,186.62
81.13%
Year
Source: EPB
There are so many factors involved; while some can be tackled, others however, are here for the long run. But the fact still remains that there are issues that the private sector can look into which are in dire need for attention. So by focusing on the improvement of productivity, they can easily turn things around and it has little to do with government incentive or the global scenario. The factories can do a lot and it is time to focus on that. Bangladesh is seeing a surge in green factories and it is something that makes Bangladesh different from others. Currently Bangladesh has 67 LEED certified factories out of which 13 are Platinum and 20 are Gold. More than 220 factories are in the LEED certification pipeline.
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WE CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE WORKERS WILL BE MOTIVATED AND THE MORAL WILL BE HIGH WHICH WILL RESULT IN HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY”
Syed Naved Husain
CEO and Group Director BEXIMCO
Taking this information into account, I went out to look for trendsetters in the industry who are changing the environment and are leading by example. During this time, I met with Syed Naved Husain, CEO and Group Director of BEXIMCO. Through our conversation he shared the management’s vision and his role in leading the BEXIMCO Textile Division.
Q
What steps have you taken to ensure the company is profitable and competitive?
BEXIMCO follows a triple bottom line approach which involves the people, the planet and profits. The three go
hand in hand. If you focus only on profits, the gains will not be sustainable for the long run; as a result, you’ll have to shut down your business. We look at the planet and take different steps like reducing green gas emissions, moving towards waterless washing, ETPs and etc.
The company generates its own 30-35 MW of energy. We have also setup waste heat recovery boilers through which we saved 15-20 tons of steam and the payback is $300,000 per month. Greenhouse emissions have also drastically reduced because the efficiency of www.ibtbd.net
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I feel that Bangladesh has so much to achieve given its young and dynamic labor force. Investing in them and technology will give our country the boost it needs to be number one in the world.”
the turbines increased from 38% to 70%. By converting to LED lighting we saved 1 megawatt of power. We have state of a state of the art ETP and are also using less hazardous chemicals, alongside working towards zero discharges eventually. Our vision for our factory was to build it like a garden like the Central Park in New York or the Hyde Park in London. We wanted to become one of the support systems of Gazipur. We intended on establishing a building and factory where around 40,000 workers (or more) can work and enjoy the surroundings. We created an environment where the workers will be motivated and the moral will be high which will result in higher productivity. We do not see this as an investment, rather as a necessity as you get the payback. Bangladesh’s work force is the youngest and they are dynamic and fast learners. By investing in human resource and technology, BEXIMCO has achieved productivity of 70-80% which is in line with the top players in the world. It has reduced wastage and rejection rates so the efficiency has drastically improved.
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What innovative techniques have you introduced that haven’t been done by other companies as of yet?
Investment in technologies like pre-cutting, post-cutting and fabric optimization saves a lot like consumption of fabrics by 2-4% and reducing rejection by 1-2%. This is the general outcome. Seeing the results, BEXIMCO focused more on this and came up with Recycled Fashion. When you approach spinning or go for shipments, it will lead to wastage. You can only avoid this by upcycling or recycling your material. BEXIMCO uses a software to plan and track it all. Then we use the go-cost labor to make the garments. The designers use aesthetics to make it fashionable. Upcycling is a process that enables us to circulate the leftover materials back to the production with the help of design and by doing so significantly, we reduce environmental hazards. The company was the first manufacturer to receive UPMADE® Certification for their woven and jersey production lines. Mountains of leftover textiles that usually got dumped into a landfill are now partly upcycled into additional fashion collections. This has improved effectiveness and reduced environmental impacts - each item produced in this way uses on average 70% less water and 88% less energy compared to regular product. In addition to that, we are working with Aus Design, from Estonia. The researcher and designer Reet Aus is leading the concept.
Europe and USA market dynamics is changing, Asia as a market is getting lucrative so what plans do you have for Asian markets?
In the last 10 years the socio-economic scenario has been changing. The middle class is becoming more affluent and thus seeing the rise of international franchises entering Bangladesh such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Gloria Jeans, Burger King, Krispy Krème, as well as Apollo Hospital etc. Considering this aspect, BEXIMCO went for forward integration by opening Yellow. The success of Yellow surprised BEXIMCO. Yellow now has 15 outlets in Bangladesh and Pakistan. In the coming years, Yellow plans to expand internationally in the Asian hubs as well as USA and Canada.
Since you’re already working with top tier brands, do you have any plans to enter the leather sector?
BEXIMCO is the industry leader for RMG being the first mover in most segments. Since leather is not our forte, we will refrain from entering it. Instead, we will expand in areas which we are skilled in. I feel that Bangladesh has so much to achieve given its young and dynamic labor force. Investing in them and technology will give our country the boost it needs to be number one in the world.
The writer is a management consultant and can be reached at adnannafis@hotmail.com
Special Report
Smoke Signals By Tahera Ahsan
Contemplating the Impacts of Controlled Tobacco Cultivation in Bangladesh
1
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Introduction and Background Over the last two decades or so, the Bangladesh economy has started taking palpable measures towards adopting well-charted steps along the development pathway, with the aim of achieving a manufacturing and service-based economy. The measures undertaken by the government for this purpose have been sporadic in many instances. However,
despite this, there has been significant progress, as seen by the growth of the manufacturing, and in recent times, the service sector. While all this is appreciable, the fact remains that the Bangladesh economy, is still primarily an agrarian economy, with a majority of its labor force employed in agriculture, with the sector contributing an average of 15.4% to the GDP (Current prices) from FY2010-2015. 45.1% of the labor force of the country
is employed in the agriculture sector, with the share reaching 56.2% at the rural level. This constitutes the sector as the majority employer of the working population, with the remaining share being employed in the Service sector (34.1%) and manufacturing sector (20.8%).1 The major produce of the sector has historically been rice and other food crops, although there has been a gradual insurgence of tobacco cultivation.
1 Figures from Labour Force Survey of Bangladesh, 2013
The rising public health concern has increased along with the increased cultivation, and the government has undertaken some directed policy initiatives to curtail usage, mainly in the form of increased taxation.
Figure 1 - Tobacco Atlas Bangladesh Country Factsheet Daily tobacco use in Bangladesh
•
164,000 Children and 25.5 million Adults
Daily tobacco smokers by demography (2013 figures)
• 44.1% males and 1.8% females Daily smokeless tobacco usage (2013 figures) Tobacco cultivation was mainly introduced by British American Tobacco (BAT) in the Rangpur region and started picking up post-liberation. However, owing to research conducted by Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) around 1995, tobacco was abandoned only to be reintroduced more lucratively and strategically by multinationals.2 Tobacco users in Bangladesh have grown at alarming rates and deaths and diseases related to tobacco-usage has spiked as well. Figure-1 below
shows some recent rates on tobacco usage as reported by Tobacco Atlas. 3 The rising public health concern has increased along with the increased cultivation, and the government has undertaken some directed policy initiatives to curtail usage, mainly in the form of increased taxation. There was a substantial mainstreaming of tobacco taxation in FY16, with tax rates reaching 77% for premium, 76% for medium and 59% for low segments of cigarettes. While these
• 31.7% of adults demand-side measures have increased market prices, the government is now looking to undertake a more concerted approach by also addressing supply-side factors. In its effort to eliminate tobacco consumption by 2040, The National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently drafted the “Health Improvement Surcharge Management Policy, 2016”. The major aim of the policy
2 Sarkar and Haque, Tobacco Agricultural Research in Bangladesh in the 20th Century, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, 2001, Dhaka 3 ‘The Tobacco Atlas, Bangladesh Country Factsheet.’ http://www.tobaccoatlas.org/country-data/bangladesh/
is to curtail tobacco cultivation and encourage farmers to grow alternative crops. While this is an interesting and ambitious take on reducing consumption of tobacco, there are many underlying factors and consequent issues which must be addressed/noted to ensure the success of this policy. These factors, along with a broad picture of the tobacco cultivation scenario, will be discussed in the following section.
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2
Overview of Tobacco Cultivation Practices and Trends in Bangladesh Tobacco cultivation is mostly concentrated in three major regions of the country - Rangpur, Kushtia and Bandarban/Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). From FY05-FY13, Figure 2 - Decadal Growth Pattern of Tobacco Cultivation in Bangladesh
1996-2015 (20 Years)
1996-2005
2006-2015
10.6
Acreage
Growth (%)
7.5
2.5
Production (M. tons) 6.2
5.7
2.3 0.2
-2.1 -2.5
Source: Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh 2015 &Author’s own calculation
these three regions accounted for over 90% of all tobacco production (in metric tons) and total acreage under tobacco cultivation in Bangladesh. The total tobacco production of Bangladesh in FY13 stood at 79370 metric tons up, 109% from 37995 metric tons in FY05. A total of 119695 acres of arable land in Bangladesh was utilized for tobacco cultivation in FY13, growing by 63% from 73535 acres in FY05.4 Figure 2 shows the average
The main question arises as to why tobacco farmers categorize it as a lucrative crop, despite its extremely detrimental impact on soil quality and on the health of the farmers as well as their families. growth in tobacco acreage and production for Bangladesh over two decades, from 1996-2015. When viewing the data on a decadal basis, we see both tobacco production and acreage declined significantly on average, with acreage showing a negative growth. However, the subsequent decade from 2006-2015 showed a remarkable turnaround with acreage growing by 6.2% on average and production jumping to 10.6%. The regional concentration of tobacco farmers shifted away from the Rangpur region, moving towards Kushtia and CHT. The increase in acreage of tobacco cultivation in CHT and Kushtia was 87% and 75% from FY05-FY13, and declined in Rangpur by -42% in the same period, despite the region still accounted for one-third of total tobacco cultivation acreage in FY13.The same period saw a sharp increase in production of tobacco in CHT and Kushtia of nearly 600% and 200% respectively from FY05-FY13. The increase in production in Rangpur was a mere, 5% during the same period despite it once again contributing over 25% to the total production in 2013.5 There are three varieties of tobacco grown in Bangladesh, Jati, Motihari and Virginia, of which Virginia is mostly grown in the Kushtia and purchased by multinational tobacco companies. The other two variety are grown majorly around Rangpur and to some extent in
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4 Figures from Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh, 2015 and Author’s Calculation 5 Figures from Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh, 2015 and Author’s Calculation
CHT, used mostly to prepare bidis and lower segment cigarettes. The main question arises as to why tobacco farmers categorize it as a lucrative crop, despite its extremely detrimental impact on soil quality and on the health of the farmers as well as their families. The major reasons behind this perception revolves mostly around the infamous ‘recruitment’ of farmers by BAT and the general market for tobacco. The reasons are listed as follows: • The benefits provided by the tobacco companies to registered tobacco farmers range from extensive training programs, input supplies such as seeds, fertilizers etc. and follow-up services. Given such a comprehensive package is not even provided by the government, the overall experience of the farmers, in addition to the lump sum payout, remains unparalled. They tend to pursue tobacco cultivation, despite its obvious labor intensive nature, harmful health effects even during cultivation stage and the deterioration of soil quality. (Naher & Efroymson February 2007)6 • Only farmers contracted by tobacco companies have an assured market, that too depending whether the quality of produce meet the company stipulated
The main question arises as to why tobacco farmers categorize it as a lucrative crop, despite its extremely detrimental impact on soil quality and on the health of the farmers as well as their families. standards. Tobacco not accepted by the company, or even excess produce remains with the farmers who then have to turn to the open market or middlemen/beparis as their best bet. Farmers not operating under a company banner, who are said to constitute the majority of tobacco cultivators, sell in the open market or to beparis generally. There is widespread alleged practices of unionization and price collusion among middlemen who exploit the vulnerability of farmers who are indebted and have no other avenue
6 “Tobacco cultivation and poverty in Bangladesh Issues and potential future directions. Case study prepared by Firdousi Naher and Debra Efroymson. Study conducted as a technical document for The first meeting of the Ad Hoc Study Group on Alternative Crops established by the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ,February 2007 7 Et al 8 “Tobacco cultivation and poverty in Bangladesh Issues and potential future directions. Case study prepared by Firdousi Naher and Debra Efroymson. Study conducted as a technical document for The first meeting of the Ad Hoc Study Group on Alternative Crops established by the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ,February 2007 9 Et al.
to off-load their produce to redeem as much of their cost as possible. “On the whole, tobacco farmers do not have much of a problem in disposing of their harvest. Whatever be the supply, there seems to be a market for it. Though the farmers have to compromise on the price, they look at the brighter side, which is collecting the entire crop profit at one time.” (Naher & Efroymson February 2007)7 • A major attraction factor for tobacco cultivation for farmers is the low maintenance and storage hassle and extremely gradual risk of the leaves perishing. When growing food crops, farmers always face the major issue of storage, as food crops tend to perish at a much more rapid rate. “The absence in tobacco growing regions of sufficient cold storage where farmers can store
their food crops until an appropriate buyer is found further compounds their problems. For instance, in Comilla district, which is quite well developed compared to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, there are a large number of cold storage facilities, and essentially no tobacco is grown there.”8 • Additionally, food crops do not have preset prices and market prices are extremely volatile and sensitive to shifts in production quantities or quality. Tobacco companies collect produce directly from farmers thereby saving them from the hassle and the additional costs of transportation from remote regions. Food crop wholesalers do not provide any such services and the farmers in turn risk rotting of the produce the longer they hold on to it in hopes of better prices.9
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Given such a comprehensive package is not even provided by the government, the overall experience of the farmers, in addition to the lump sum payout, remains unparalled.
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Possible impacts of the Supply-Side Curtailing of Tobacco Cultivation All policy changes directed towards reduction of tobacco usage, regardless of how small, is appreciable and must be attributed as positive measures. However, in Bangladesh, the government seems to have jumped the gun in terms of shifting to supply side measures, since the country is nowhere near having exhausted the demand-side measures. Since the usage of tobacco is habit forming, demand side measures have historically proven to be more effective in curtailing usage. While the “Health Improvement Surcharge Management Policy, 2016” is yet to be approved by parliament, the highlights of the act allow us to chart some of the possible impacts of policy and also assess and opine on its overall effectiveness. These impacts are discussed as follows: • Expected and Possible impacts on Tobacco Companies: m From the perspective of tobacco companies, the control on tobacco cultivation is expected to limit supply, resulting in increased cost of production
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m
m
m
which would hopefully translate to higher market prices, thereby acting as a deterrent from usage. However, the largest tobacco company in Bangladesh, BAT, only source the best leaves from there registered farmers. Therefore, chances of them not being able to source their input requirements seem very slim. This also raises the possibility of tobacco companies using this act as a means of artificially raising market prices. Limited cultivation could also lead to decrease in tobacco quality, thereby feeding into the lower segment cigarette and bidi productions more than the premium and high quality segment. It should be noted that any increase in cost of production of lower segment cigarette and bidis should be actively pursued since these two categories pose the most harm to public health. Overall, the possibility of the tobacco companies to feel the pinch of controlled cultivation is improbable in the short to medium run. In the long run, effects could be seen if the policy can successfully shift a substantial amount of farmers
away from tobacco through aggressive efforts especially in the most dominant and upcoming regions such as Kushtia and CHT. • Expected and Possible impacts on Tobacco Farmers: m The Rangpur and CHT regions are some of the most impoverished regions of Bangladesh with high instances of seasonal poverty and resultant detrimental impact on the livelihoods, health and overall quality of the life of the people. It is understandable that farmers in these areas would be extremely interested in a crop that would provide almost assured prices, with unparalleled fringe benefits if under the patronage of tobacco companies. m Therefore, for farmers to shift away from tobacco cultivation would require similar guarantees and facilities. For food crop production, with its uncertainty and volatility, the government cannot rationally provide this pseudo-insurance to farmers, thereby reducing hopes of any quick transitions. m The government would have to increased agriculture support and services to the tobacco farmers in
m
m
m
these impoverished areas, sharply and drastically for it to be lucrative for them to shift. Therefore, once again, there seem to be a low possibility of any apparent shifts away from tobacco cultivation for farmers in the short and medium term and might happen in the long-run if the government manages to put together an incentive package to match that of the tobacco companies.
• Expected and Possible Impacts on Government Finances: m If the policy managed to increase the cost and hence, the market prices of cigarettes, the government revenue from the sector would increase sharply. BAT remains the largest corporate taxpayer of Bangladesh and since the cigarette taxation rates are almost near its highest possible
m
m
point, increase in market price is the only way revenues could also increase. However, since the possibility of cost-induced increase in market prices seem slim in the short and medium run, the government will have to wait for the expected long-run impacts to kick-in in order to collect increasing revenues. On the other hand, due to the very low rational and probable chances of seeing major shifts away from tobacco cultivation from farmers, the government costs on the agriculture sector would rise rapidly. The success of this policy hinges on the farmers being incentivized to shift away from tobacco cultivation, and this could result in sharp increases in agriculture subsidy and cost of input and support services to tobacco farmers to enable the shift.
While it is not possible to quantitatively forecast the overall impact on government finances, the timings of the expected financial inflow and outflow provides some indication. Agriculture subsidy and costs are expected to rise sharply in the short and medium run to ensure successful and smooth transition of farmers. Conversely, revenues are only expected to trickle in, once a substantial number of farmers make the shift. Therefore, the government would need to prepare to finance this increased bill in hopes of achieving long run positive impacts and financial flows. Failure to facilitate the smooth transition for tobacco farmers and instead, using coercion would achieve results faster but at the risk of pushing impoverish and vulnerable farmers further below the poverty line.
References: 1.”Tobacco cultivation and its impact on food production in Bangladesh” by Farida Akhter, Executive Director, UBINIG 28 March, 2011, Dhaka 2. “Tobacco cultivation and poverty in Bangladesh Issues and potential future directions Case study” prepared by Firdousi Naher and Debra Efroymson. Study conducted as a technical document for the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Study Group on Alternative Crops established by the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control February 2007 3. Statistical Yearbook of Bangladesh, 2015, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 4. GDP estimates, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
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Recommendations and Conclusion • This policy, if approved by the parliament, is an ambitious measure and its success would possibly require an aggressive, albeit costly, approach. Therefore, the government needs to ensure proper financial planning before the policy is adopted and pursued. • This policy would also allow the government to pursue simultaneous climate related policy changes, since tobacco cultivation damages soil quality rapidly. A very lucrative transition crop, the government could promote is hemp cultivation. This green revolution crop reverses soil damage and fertilizes it, while requiring minimal inputs. Hemp production has developed into a multibillion dollar industry globally and is one of the major poster crops of the green revolution. • This policy, can potentially reap the expected results, but most likely in the long run only. Therefore, before undertaking this, the government needs to also readjust their expectations accordingly and focus on the bigger picture of declining tobacco usage, and improved public health and climate.
The writer is an economic researcher, currently working as an independent consultant. She can be reached at tahera_ahsan@hotmail.com
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RMG ASHOKA-INNOVATORS FOR THE PUBLIC
The Dimensions of WORKERS’ Well-Being B angladesh is currently the second largest Ready-Made Garment (RMG) manufacturer in the world, with a total of $28 billion export revenue in last fiscal year. At the current growth rate, this figure will reach $50 billion by the end of 2021. One of the main driving forces for this growth has been the low cost labor available to the RMG producers in the country. However, while cheap labor is the key competitive advantage for Bangladesh, it faces challenges due to compliance and work condition issue. Even five years ago, it was a common practice among a significant number of garments factories to compromise workers’ rights, working condition requirements and overall
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compliance issues, as long as costs were kept low. However, recent post-tragedy reformations by ACCORD and Alliance in collaboration with major stake-holders, has successfully diverted the factories from these practices. Now, the RMG industry is known to be fully compliant in the country. Moving forward, in order to achieve sustainable development for the community and the businesses – development partners along with employers of the industry must look at the augmented scope of workers’ rights. Instead of a welfare point of view, where monetary benefit is the key determinant of living standards, a broader and more interconnected view of development must be envisioned – namely ‘well-being’.
The Difference Between Welfare and Well-Being Welfare and ‘Well-being’ are used interchangeably on numerous occasions. Seemingly synonymous, these two terms have quite distinct implications, especially in the context of workers’ development. The subsequent actions followed by these two concepts determines what social and
employment practices will ultimately be in place. The difference between them is rooted in their linguistic origin. Welfare means ‘faring well’ or in a more direct fashion –‘wealth’. Therefore, welfare practices are, by definition, more focused on monetary benefit provided as a general mean of living standard development. On the other hand, well-being means ‘living and faring well’, ‘flourishing’, ‘bound up with ideas about what constitutes human happiness and the sort of life it is good to lead’ (et. Al. Ryff 1995). In this concept, human life is viewed in the way it is – broad, complex and inter-connected. Well-being practices are focused on the sustainable development of life – covering the basics of welfare practices, and also enhancing the scope of it. Therefore, well-being practices not only cover the monetary benefit provided for a cause but also triggers the subjects’ willingness to utilize that benefit, creating an environment where the benefit can be enjoyed.
Dimensions of Well-Being
Well-being is a multi-dimensional and inter-connected process. Looking into the life of RMG workers, the following dimensions of well-being were identified. This categorization is inspired by Levi Strauss & Co. Workers’ Well-being Study (2013) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by UNDP.
Serial
Dimensions
Issues Under Dimension Primary Health Practices and Facilities Menstrual Health, Pregnancy & Contraceptive
Dimension 1
General Health of Self Children’s Health& Nutrition & Family First-Aid Practices at Workplace Health Insurances
Dimension 2
Water & Sanitation Access to Safe & Hygienic Environment Environmental Preparedness & Resilience Household Hygiene Practices Workplace Safety
Dimension 3
Dimension 4
Dimension 5
Dimension 6
Dimension 7
Economic Empowerment
Income Dependency Enhancement Financial Literacy & Education Access to Financial Services
Housing Facility and Support Family Living Standard Employment Diversity Ownership of Family Wealth Harassment & Discrimination in Workplace Harassment & Discrimination in Household Equality & Acceptance Workplace Negotiation Mobility and Transport Insurances and Benefits Awareness of Rights & Duties Awareness of Self-improvement Educational & Professional Professional Skill Development Development Basic Literacy & Primary Education Secondary & Tertiary Education Food & Nutrition Awareness of healthy diet
Table 1: Dimensions of well-being and issues
In search of sustainable change, the conversation has turned from fundamental rights to overall living and employment measures.
The Importance of Well-being in Relation to Development
At the Sustainable Development Summit on 25th September 2015, UN Member States have adopted the Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to combat poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. Well-being is a pre-requisite for achieving these global goals, both directly and indirectly. The third goal out of these seventeen is to ‘ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’. The elaboration of this goal covers a more
diverse scope of healthcare, requiring well-being concepts in full implementation. In addition, most of the other sixteen goals (e.g. education, no poverty, reduce inequalities etc.) demand comprehensive well-being practices to be achieved. Well-being of the RMG workers is a major step for that purpose. RMG is the dominant industry in the industrialization process of Bangladesh - altering employment structures and urbanization patterns in rapid fashion. Ensuring RMG workers’ rights has therefore, been a major focus for all development entities active in this nation in the past decade. Furthermore, in response to crises in recent past, the lives of the RMG workers is being taken more seriously than ever before. In search of sustainable change, the conversation has turned from fundamental rights to overall living and employment measures. The impact from improving the RMG workers’ living standards is not confined within the subject population only, but affects their immediate family and sets standard for the rest of the employment sectors as well. And given the complexity and massive scope of well-being, it will be much harder to achieve than workers’ welfare. With the sustainable development goals (SDGs) deadline of 2030 in mind, it is essential to speed up this process for the benefit of the people who are playing such an instrumental role in helping Bangladesh achieve its growth targets. This article is based on the research conducted by Ashoka Innovators for the Public (Bangladesh).
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Interview
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UDOY
“WE WANTED TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT CAN SOMEDAY RESONATE WITH THE MASS BANGLADESHIS WHO ARE ADOPTING THE MOBILE CULTURE SO RAPIDLY.” Arif Akram
CEO Udoy Personal Assistant App
Q
How does Udoy distinguish itself from other digital service providers?
The honest truth about the Bangladesh internet market is that to build a large Internet business, you need to find a way to build it for the 70-80 million common Bangladeshis. In a developing market like Bangladesh that is observing such an explosive adoption of smartphones, most of them being low-end devices with minimal storage and computing capabilities, Udoy is providing an enticing value proposition. By integrating with multiple apps and services, Udoy gives users the opportunity to get multiple things through one app. We have made that possible by building an AI-powered personal assistant, the first of its kind. A combination of real humans, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing makes Udoy unique in this crowded space of digital service providers. From my personal experience, I have faced the problem with services that are being offered to me in various ways. I had to ask my friends and families to know the proper and full detailed information before taking it. Then I decided to create a platform where one customer enters and can grab all the services under one roof and can get instant assistance through customer services in every possible way.
What led you to create such a platform for consumers?
My idea is that most Bangladeshi entrepreneurs build products for people like themselves – elite and westernized Bangladeshis who think and speak in English. This is also why almost all Internet companies fight it out for the first million internet users. We wanted to build something that can someday resonate with the mass Bangladeshis who are adopting the mobile culture so rapidly. An app that can solve most of your day to day problems with a few taps.
What can you tell us about your business endeavours other than Udoy? My business experience has been a bumpy ride throughout as I like taking difficult challenges. One of my first businesses was establishing an estate agency in Bangladesh, which was the first of its kind in the country at that time and we have faced numerous difficulties to come out from the traditional brokers to an institutional real estate brokering service. I have started SARCO Estate Agents Ltd. in 2011 and since then we have been trying to develop the mindset of property owners and seekers. Certainly, we have been successful in accomplishing our goal, now the urban areas have already adopted the concept of institutional real estate broking services, which is very much visible because a lot of big real estate corporates have recently opened up their own real estate agencies.
What Leadership traits are required to run such diverse businesses?
Framing targets by measures such as growth or services with continuous improvement of customer experience should be the foundation of any digital transformation. Excellence and innovation should be the traits to run such diverse businesses as a digital service provider.
What are you future plans with Udoy?
In future, Udoy will work towards a 100% customer oriented all-rounding platform. We have many plans and we are still building up strength and have a very long way to go, where the company will also engage at the highest level of professionalism in order to maximize profitability and improving its standard throughout the process.
What was the best Leadership advice you ever received? Someone once told me “you win or you learn” a true leader never loses. www.ibtbd.net
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THROWBACK SUBSIDIES
Gracious Grants
By Nasirra Ahsan
eynesian economists believe that government plays a huge part in the advancement process of a country. This kind of government intervention comes in three primary forms – subsidies/grants, direct provisions and/or regulations. Unsurprisingly, the Bangladeshi government has been the catalyst in the emerging and maintaining of many industries in Bangladesh. In this article we discuss the many ways the Bangladeshi government helps its citizens/industries through subsidies, what impact it has and what subsidy structures will possibly look like in the future. In the simplest terms, subsidy is a form of benefit given by the government to individuals or groups either in the form of cash payments or tax reductions. The purpose behind these is either to incentivize the development of certain sectors of an economy, assist a struggling industry or simply keep the price of a commodity competitively low. When it comes to revenue starved nations like ours, its predictable to expect that there is high competition for funds between different sectors of the economy and for numerous purposes. The budget for 2016-17 was a healthy amount of Tk 3406.5 billion ($41 billion). The following chart shows the breakdown of government spending in the fiscal year 2016-17.
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NON-DEVELOPMENT & DEVELOPMENT BUDGET: 2016-17 (TAKA 3,406.05 BILLION) USE OF RESOURCES RECREATION, CULTURE & RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS 0.8%
INDUSTRIAL & ECONOMIC SERVICES 1.0%
MISCELLANEOUS EXPENDITURE 3.5%
EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY 15.6%
HOUSING 0.9%
INTEREST 11.7%
PUBLIC ORDER & SAFETY 6.2% SOCIAL SECURITY & WELFARE 5.8%
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATION 11.0%
K
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 13.9%
DEFENCE 6.5% AGRICULTURE 6.7%
HEALTH 5.1%
ENERGY & POWER 4.4%
LOCAL GOVT & RURAL DEV. 6.9%
Sector-wise Resource Distribution (Including Subsidies & Incentives and Pension) Source: Ministry of Finance. Budget in Brief 2016-17.
NON-DEVELOPMENT & DEVELOPMENT BUDGET:2016-17 (TAKA 3,406.05 BILLION) Use of Resources RECREATION, CULTURE & RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS 0.8%
INDUSTRIAL & ECONOMIC SERVICES 1.1%
PENSION 5.0%
SUBSIDIES & INCENTIVES 5.2%
MISCELLANEOUS EXPENDITURE 6.6%
INTEREST 11.7%
HOUSING 0.9%
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATION 10.5%
PUBLIC ORDER & SECURITY 5.6% SOCIAL SECURITY & WELFARE 5.2% PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 7.2%
DEFENCE 5.8%
LOCAL GOVT. & RURAL DEV 6.8%
AGRICULTURE 3.8%
HEALTH 4.7%
Sector-wise Resource Distribution ( Subsidies &Incentives, Pension and Interest are shown separately) Source: Ministry of Finance. Budget in Brief 2016-17.
ENERGY & POWER 4.4%
For the year 2016-17, an amount of Tk 17,729 billion has been allocated to subsidy and grants, which makes up about 5.2% of the annual budget.
The above chart provides a sector wise resource dispersal. However, in order to get a clearer picture of this distribution we can further breakdown it down to separately include the subsidies, incentive. This is shown below: For the year 2016-17, an amount of Tk 17,729 billion has been allocated to subsidy and grants, which makes up about 5.2% of the annual budget. The Bangladeshi government distributes the subsidy among five major sectors of the economy.
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(Taka in Crore)
Sector Wise Subsidy Allocation (Taka in Crore) 10,000
9,000
9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000
7,101 5,909 7,000 4,100 3,909
666 364
2,000
Public Services
1072
341
564
Defense Services
Public Order & Safety
The above table shows the sectoral share of subsidies as a total percentage of subsidy. It can be seen that agriculture has consistently received the highest share of subsidy with public services and social security and welfare coming in second and third respectively. Public order and safety’s share has continuously declined while defense services have plunged too with Industrial and economic services have been completely eliminated starting from the fiscal years of 2015-16. Subsidy has always been a large component of the Bangladeshi governments budget. The budgeted figure has been around 6.6%, 5.3% and 5.2% for the fiscal years of 2015-2017 respectively. The government pursues a pro-poor policy by allocating the largest share of its subsidy budgets to sectors such as agriculture, public services and social security and welfare.
AGRICULTURE Farming has empirically received the largest share of the subsidy. Nevertheless, the recent trend suggest that this subsidy is being steadily reduced. According to the last Ministerial conference of the WTO,
Social Security & Welfare
2015-16
0
67
340
2014-15
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1790 550
355
1,000 0
Total 2014-15 : 12,513 2015-16 : 12,886 2016-17 : 17,729
0 Agriculture
Industrial and Economic Services
2016-17
countries like Bangladesh will have to slowly and surely withdraw their agriculture subsidy. Given that 47.5% of the Bangladeshi population depend on this sector for their livelihood, this change poses many questions about the future. Agricultures stronghold on GDP had lessened over the years, from 18.01% in 2011-12 to 15.9% in 2014-15 according to Bangladesh Economic Review. However, the 10th Ministerial meeting of the WTO has made it mandatory for LDC’s to reduce this subsidy. In Bangladesh, subsidy in the farming sector is mostly provided for agro inputs. According to the Finance Minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, “In the agriculture sector, initiatives have been taken to strengthen agriculture subsidy, provide low cost credit and high quality seeds, ensure availability of fertilizer, distribute agricultural input assistance cards, establish agricultural processing and marketing centers and diversify crops.” He also mentioned that better management of these projects have further reduced the need for higher subsidy. Other than that, irrigation projects have also been funded with the help of subsidies. (Dhaka Tribune, 2016)
PUBLIC SERVICES The introduction of the Medium term Budgetary Framework (MTBF) has provided a link between the allocation of subsidy budgets and the strategies and policies employed by the government. Government spending as a percentage of GDP has been on the rise in Bangladesh. Hence it is not a surprise that the subsidy allocated to this sector has jumped from 32.77% to 33.3% between the periods of 2014-2016. The recent jump in subsidy to this sector can be attributed to the governments continued efforts to improve the infrastructure with a massive project undertaken in the beginning of the year 2016. Great efforts have also been made to improve the repair, rehabilitation of damaged roads and construction of highways.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND WELFARE Social Safety Net is one of the most effective ways to tackle poverty in countries like Bangladesh. The provision for subsidy has been made chiefly for families with children with programs such as Cash Transfer and
Sectoral Share of Subsidies as a percentage of Total Subsidy 60
50
Percentage (%)
40
30
20
CONCLUSION
10
0 14-15
15-16
16-17
Public Services
Defense Services
Public Order & Safety
Social Security & Welfare
Agriculture
Industrial & Economic Services
Source: Ministry of Finance
Food Security programs. The government is aiming this subsidy towards the ultra-poor, distressed and backwards region of the society. This serves the twin purpose of reducing poverty while maintaining sustained growth. It is thus expected that the trend will continue and social security and welfare will possibly enjoy continued subsidy in the future.
OTHER SECTORS
Government spending as a percentage of GDP has been on the rise in Bangladesh. Hence it is not a surprise that the subsidy allocated to this sector has jumped from 32.77% to 33.3% between the periods of 2014-2016.
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sector loan financing from national budget, preferential tax treatments, and distribution channel subsidization.’ (theindependentbd.com, 2016). Nonetheless conscious efforts have been made to reduce this subsidy with a power and gas price hike starting in the year 2015. The government has encouraged the use of alternate sources of energy, namely solar panels.
Even though fuel and energy is heavily subsidized by the government, it technically falls under the losses being incurred by state owned power companies and thus, are not listed directly under the subsidy section. Bangladesh has been providing subsidy on petroleum imports since 1985, the end result of this was ‘price control has created shortage, rewarded wastage, and sometime promoted environmental damage.’ (Daily Star, 2015). Despite this, energy subsidy is provided directly and indirectly to producers and consumers alike. ‘In Bangladesh, energy subsidies are specifically provided in the form of direct subsidies, equity injections, artificial fixation of retail energy prices, natural gas purchase, concessional power
The government has been careful in laying out the framework to slowly phase out subsidies in certain parts of the economy so that it meets its MDG goals. Some would say that the under spending of the subsidy budget is a positive sign. Interestingly, the budget allocated for subsidy in 2015-16 was Tk 15,773 crore. However, the revised budget showed that only Tk 12,886 crore had been spent. Even though government underspending is lauded by most we need to see if this is a regular pattern in data projection before we label this budget under spending as good fiscal discipline in an organization or an indicator of efficiency. Another point to consider is the rapid removal of subsidy from key areas such as agriculture, public order and safety and defense services. These sectors are extremely relevant in maintaining a safe and self-sufficient society and hence equally important towards achieving a sustainable development goal.
The writer is pursuing an MSc in Economics at North South University and can be reached at nasirra10@gmail.com.
Photo Story
Harvesting
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Growth
PRAN RFL
PRAN started its business in 1985 as an agri-business venture. To serve the small farmers and marketing of farm produce. Realizing such a venture necessitates a processing facility, the group set up their first agro-processing plant in Narsingdhi with a canning and bottling line where they started processing pineapple and other fruits to make juices. Later PRAN diversified into snacks, confectioneries, rice and dairy processing. From the very beginning of their journey, they realized the importance of agro processing and till now, farmers have been one of the principal beneficiaries of the group’s work. www.ibtbd.net
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Today, due to its growth over the years, PRAN can contribute significantly to the socioeconomic development in the agricultural sector of Bangladesh. PRAN now exports their diverse array of products to 134
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countries worldwide. Some of their most successful products include PRAN Frooto, PRAN Spice, All Time, Bisk Club, PRAN Chanachur, Mr. Noodles, PRAN UHT Milk, Mr. Mango and ATOM. The Group manufactures its products in 15 factories situated in different locations across Bangladesh. PRAN have agreements with 100,000 contractual farmers to produce basic agricultural raw materials for the company.
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Photographs From Pran
NEWAGE FARMING
Rooted Above
By Shaikh Ashfaque Zaman
In the search for solutions to upscale the greenery in metropolitans, urban farming has gained leverage in the past few years. Using the concept of vertical space like skyscrapers, the only way this is remotely feasible is if the gardens start scaling up. The innovative minds at Aprilli have designed an Urban Skyfarm that has been proposed for Seoul, South Korea. The design has already received a number of awards including the Green Dot Design Award in 2013. Shaped like a large tree, the design will be located in the central business district, near the Cheonnyecheon stream. Not only will it promote a healthier and greener diet within the local area, it has environmental qualities that improve the air, water and renewable energy production.
The Hydroponic Farm is 18,000 m2; it is an indoor controlled environment that contains lighting and heating. The Water Recycling system collects grey water and rainwater. It then processes it through filtration for reuse or re-dispersed into the Cheonnyecheon stream.
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Source: re-thinkingthefuture.com
Roof
The wind turbines and photovoltaic system.
This space offers views Skybridge of the entire garden and a cafeteria.
Skyfarm
Transfer zone
The Skyfarm consist of decks that are 10m by 10m; these spaces have lighting, moisturizing and heating energy via the renewable energy source. The space was intends for midsize fruit trees. This space offers views of the entire garden and a cafeteria.
Roots on the Rooftop By Shaikh Ashfaque Zaman The only consistency in the rapidly growing urbanization of Bangladesh is the sprouting of gigantic concrete structures to house large companies, families, or markets. The dismal greys of concrete, cold touch of glass and rusting steel rods have replaced many of the scenic greenery around these areas. Nevertheless, given the favorable conditions within the nation, a botanical paradise can be found just a few floors above through the trend of urban gardening. ICE Business times considers the best tips before you decide to unleash your green thumb.
01
CONSULT BEFORE YOU CONSTRUCT Skyfarm
In order to retain the shape of a tree, this section of the Skyfarm is inverted as it descends.
Provided that you are not the expert on the construction of the building; it is imperative to consult a building engineer. They can provide you with the ideal methodology, the capacity, and best materials that will not damage your roof.
02
BEST IN BED Vertical garden
Farmers market
This section contains multiple levels; it is a garden space for local production, educational facilities and exhibitions.
Creating a raised bed for your garden serves for multipurpose utilization. Not only does is provide for a aesthetic space that allows seating, the elevation allows you to grow shrubs and small tress. Make sure you put waterproof membrane.
03
CONSIDERING COLOR
Let the plants speak for themselves. If you have a variety
of green plants and flowers, their natural color will create an attractive space. Use neutral colors such as beige, grey and white to allow the plants stand out.
04
DOWN WITH DRAINAGE
Plants need consistent watering but stagnant water may hamper your roof and the plants that inhabit it. If the plants retain water for too long, this will harm them. Similarly, the water may cause extensive damage to the roof. Ensure there is ample drainage throughout.
05
COLLECTING COMPOST
Your garden will produce a number of dead leaves, fruits, and flowers. All of this organic material is anything but waste; keep a small container to create compost. This will ensure that the garden is somewhat self-sustainable.
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NEXT BIG THING
Smartphone Apocalypse? By Irfan Aziz
A glimpse into the future and how Mark Zuckerberg along with Oculus plan on shaping it
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ark Zuckerberg made some huge announcements in this year’s F8 developers conference and you should be excited because the future is now. Facebook had already made its ambition for the future clear through its acquisition of Oculus and during the event, Zuckerberg gave everyone a sneak peek of what they plan to do over the next 10 years. Zuckerberg’s vision includes the implementation of Artificial Intelligence, ubiquitous internet (internet connectivity that is present everywhere) and most importantly Augmented Reality (virtual reality integrated into real life) through Facebook. The first step into Facebook's future showed us their new and improved in-app camera that now allows us to access augmented reality apps such
as the Nike app. Furthermore, we can now create our own Snapchat-esque filters. Zuckerberg dubbed this as the “first augmented reality platform”. Sounds simple enough, right? But this was merely the initial battle cry. The implications here are much more severe as Facebook has just started a war with all smartphone companies as they plan to create a new dimension for apps which are mutually exclusive from smartphones. Now the company will be directly going against the likes of Apple and Google with their own platform. As we mentioned earlier,
Facebook is going all out in their quest to imbue augmented reality into their products and have purchased Oculus who specialize in just that. Zuckerberg spoke of his visions of being able to wear your source of entertainment in the form of an easy to wear, standard looking glass. Imagine wearing a television screen bigger than the biggest television available in the market? “We don’t need a physical TV, we can buy a $1 TV app”. Zuckerberg’s minimalistic approach towards the future combined with the innovation of augmented reality will slowly turn the idea of owning a TV set
As we mentioned earlier, Facebook is going all out in their quest to imbue augmented reality into their products and have purchased Oculus who specialize in just that.
obsolete. In fact, it's not just the TV but anything that has a screen on it will be affected by this movement. Zuckerberg's glasses will function as a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet even as a tool to create a mural out of thin air, you name it! Michael Abrash, the chief scientist of Oculus also provided valuable insight on their ongoing project. He stated that the usage of augmented reality glasses will increase exponentially over the coming years. He also described them to be “one of the greatest transformational technologies of the next 50 years” and also as a minimalistic and more stylish version of the Google Glass. Abrash and his team are working to make technology more
“convenient”. The introduction of augmented reality would essentially mean that we would be wearing our smartphones instead of carrying them. Our smartphones will become more involved in our daily lives and will provide us with much more utility. The current set of smart glasses such as the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear uses virtual reality instead of augmented reality and their designs are not exactly socially acceptable. Socializing with someone whose eyes you cannot see can be uncomfortable. Augmented Reality means that the glasses will be see-through. They will also enhance the vision and the hearing of the user and also be stylish enough to be worn anywhere.
Some of the features of the glasses were revealed in the conference and man, do they seem impressive. The glasses will enable us to see in low light, translate words, give us an in-depth analysis of what we are eating, mute unwanted noise and also run diagnostic tests on people. It can even scan faces of people you know and display their name…. just in case you can’t remember them. Neat, isn’t it? The developers are making sure that these glasses can be used at all times and not just occasionally otherwise it will become difficult for them to replace smartphones. These glasses are meant to assist the user at all times, mixing the real and virtual world in order to give us a more vivid experience and serve our purpose at the same time. It has been suggested that the Augmented Reality glasses will make its debut in around 5 years as improvements are still required in the areas of display, designs, artificial intelligence, and usability. Much needs to be done but the future does indeed look exciting. We certainly hope Zuckerberg and co. know what they are doing because almost the entire world relies on TV’s and smartphones, the technology Zuckerberg will be going against. That’s not all, Facebook also relies on the very gadgets that they hope to replace one day. Even Zuckerberg admitted that it won’t be easy and they have a long way to go but he believes that these new camera effects coupled with augmented reality will captivate a lot of people. In hindsight, it looks like Facebook is still trying to compete with Snapchat, this time with a more potent plan. They plan on competing with all the tech titans out there as they look to pave the way for a bigger, better and more innovative generation of technology. In order to move forward with it, they need to make sure they hold on to existing users and attract new ones through exciting features and stay on par with its competitors. Even if the glasses are released in the next five years, it is going to take a while for everyone to be able to acquire them, let alone use them. There are parts of the world that are not yet familiar to even smartphones so it is safe to say that Zuckerberg’s mission is for the long run. Augmented reality is still a mystery and how mankind will react to it is uncertain but the prospect is exciting nonetheless! www.ibtbd.net
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GLOBAL SOCIALITES
10 INTERNET
Things We Know from
the Global Social Report By Taposh Ghosh
Social media research organizations We Are Social and Hootsuite recently released the Global Digital Statshot; a report outlining the changes in internet, social media and mobile statistics around the world in the recently concluded quarter. Here are 10 things we know from the report:
1. DIGITAL NATIVE BOOM Over half of the world’s population is on the internet now. The report shows an increase of 38 million internet users in the last quarter, elevating the total to 3.811 billion (51% of the total population).
2. GREATEST INTERNET GROWTH IN ASIA-PACIFIC The Asia-Pacific region has experienced exponential internet growth since January 2016. The region has had 247 million (15% increase) new internet users and 303 million (25%
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increase) new social media users. In contrast, other regions have had new users in figures of double digits only.
3. DECLINE IN LAPTOPS, DESKTOPS & TABLETS Despite the massive increase in internet users, people are moving away from traditional web devices. The year-on-year change has been a 19% decrease in internet traffic from laptops and desktops, and a 6% decrease for tablet devices.
4. EVERYONE IS GOING MOBILE The world currently has 4.96 billion unique individual mobile users, accounting for 66% of the total population. Also, 51.4% of all internet traffic is from mobile devices as per the report.
5. FACEBOOK IS DOMINATING THE SOCIAL PLATFORM ARENA Facebook as a company is widely ruling the social platform arena with 1.968 billion social network users. The following platforms, WhatsApp and FB Messenger with 1.2 and 1
billion users respectively, are both also owned by Facebook. Only YouTube amongst other platforms has over 1 billion users.
6. DIGITAL BOOM IN CHINA Despite not having access to traditional social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, China has experienced growth through its local social media platforms. Chinese messenger apps WeChat and QQ currently have over 860 million users each, with social networks such as Qzone, Sina Weibo and Baidu Tieba having over a billion users in total.
7. DHAKA HAS THE 2ND LARGEST NO. OF FB USERS
DHAKA
8. RISING NUMBER OF SMARTPHONE USERS As per the report 8.066 billion mobile connections exist globally. 55% of all existing connections are smartphone connections. With greater internet penetration and unprecedented increase in mobile users, this figure is only expected to rise further.
In the previous report, Dhaka was ranked as the city with the 3rd largest number of active Facebook users behind Bangkok and Mexico City. Currently the metropolis is ranked 2nd with over 22 million active Facebook users. Only Bangkok has more users with 30 million people accessing Facebook from the city.
9. ANDROID IS THE LEADING CHOICE OF DEVICE 71.6% of all mobile internet traffic is from Android devices. Apple’s operating system follows with 19.5%, with other devices holding only 8.9% of global mobile internet traffic.
10. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN MOBILE DATA USAGE Total monthly global mobile data traffic in Q4 2016 was 8 Exabyte (billions of Gigabytes), which was 1 Exabyte more than that of the previous quarter. This pushes the monthly mobile data used by the average smartphone worldwide up to 2.1 Gigabytes. www.ibtbd.net
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FASHION REVOLUTION WEEK
Celebrating the Lives of Garment Workers THREADS OF CHANGE
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ashion Revolution is encouraging people around the world to ask brands #whomademyclothes during Fashion Revolution Week 24-30 April 2017, to demand greater transparency to help improve the working conditions and wages of the people who work to make our clothes. Fashion Revolution Bangladesh is one of over 90 countries involved in the Fashion Revolution movement and will be calling on people across the
country to take part in the campaign for a fairer, safer, cleaner fashion industry, whilst celebrating those who are on a journey to make it happen. This year they are teaming up with SNV to showcase the event 'Threads of Change'. ICE Business Times was a strategic partner and the event was supported by Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangladesh The exhibition showcases photographs by the internationally acclaimed photographer Alison Wright, reflecting the lives of workers from the apparel industry. Inspired by the work SNV has been doing in garments factories all over Bangladesh, the photographs taken by Wright are a reflection of the changes in the
lives of garments workers since the development organization started their project. SNV is working with 20 factories and selected SRHR service providers to pilot and test activities. To create systemic change the program engages with industry stakeholders across Bangladesh’s garments value chain (businesses, workers, service providers including NGOs who already operate within the RMG industry, government and international customers). Workers’ needs and solutions were identified to design sustainable solution oriented Inclusive Business Models. The factories are supported and rewarded for the adoption of responsible and inclusive business practices. SNV has built their capacity to adopt and integrate such practices throughout their operations. The event was inaugurated by the Dutch Ambassador in Dhaka, Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere. During her inaugurating speech she said, “I think it's safe to say that the RMG sector in Bangladesh is safer, more compliant and indeed more competitive than it was four years ago.” “In a unique concerted effort, governments, and the garment industry, NGOs and trade unions have managed to prevent the sector from turning its back on Bangladesh,” she said.
The exhibition showcases photographs by the internationally acclaimed photographer Alison Wright, reflecting the lives of workers from the apparel industry.
ABOUT FASHION REVOLUTION
Fashion Revolution is a global movement that works for a more sustainable fashion industry, campaigning for systemic reform of the industry with a special focus on the need for greater transparency in the fashion supply chain. Fashion Revolution is a non-profit organisation with a presence in more than 90 countries around the world. Their vision is a fashion industry that values people, the environment, profit and creativity in equal measure. Fashion Revolution works all year round to raise awareness of the fashion industry’s most pressing issues, advocate for positive change, and celebrate those who are on a journey to create a more ethical and sustainable future for fashion.
She went on to say there’s no room for complacency and there is still lot of work required in areas like social dialogue, living wages, workers’ rights and environmental sustainability. “Of course, I understand such changes won’t happen overnight, and that progress is often slower than we would like it to be. That doesn’t mean that the Dutch government will not continue to push for changes.”
ABOUT SNV NETHERLANDS DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION
SNV Netherlands is a not-for-profit international development organization, working in Agriculture, Energy, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene. As a sustainable solution attempt, the Working with Women project of SNV assesses the gaps in services while the factories are made aware of the benefits of responsible practices. In order to implement a multi-stakeholder approach, a partnership between service providers and factories is initiated. To keep the partnership functioning effectively, SNV works on local capacity building through providing technical assistance in order to ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability of quality SRHR products and services for the beneficiaries. The Project is funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. www.ibtbd.net
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HARDWARE
Xpoint Marks The Spot By Abhijit Asad
Intel’s Optane is the next big thing in memory technology
O ver the last few years or so, mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs) are being assisted, and in some cases, supplanted by solid-state drives (SSD), which are incredibly fast, on account of being based on flash memory technology instead of moving mechanical parts. However, this also means that SSDs are also considerably more expensive than HDDs, and although they have made it to mainstream markets quite a while ago, they are still not held in consideration by
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most users, who tend to believe that SSDs are for elite enthusiasts. Semiconductor giant Intel aims to bring the speed of SSDs closer within the reach of the masses by introducing a new kind of storage memory called 3D Xpoint. Interestingly, Xpoint has very little in common with HDDs or even SSDs, and is actually far more closely related to RAM (random access memory), the memory which is used in the computer to hold currently running programs and processing files. However, the biggest difference between Xpoint and RAM is that, unlike RAM, Xpoint is non-volatile, i.e. its contents do not disappear if the system is powered off, and thus it can be used for storing files and programs. Intel’s new range of Optane
storage devices are based on 3D Xpoint memory, and they are all promising phenomenal speed boosts for home and enterprise users alike. What makes Optane drives even more exciting is their ability to serve as caching drives for existing HDDs. If that sounds Greek to you, it means that the little Optane drive serves as a sort of buffer between the RAM and the HDD, being just a bit slower than the former and a whole lot faster than the latter, and this buffer can be used to store programs and files that are frequently loaded by the computer, which includes its operating system, essentially serving as a more ‘grounded’ extension of the computer’s RAM. This feature allows for massive speed boosts of up to 97% in many cases,
especially given Optane’s high performance for random read-write cases, which makes it ideal for such use. The capacity of desktop Optane drives, which make use of a motherboard’s M.2 slot and are only compatible with Intel’s Kaby Lake series of seventh-generation chipsets, are quite low compared to most SSDs, ranging from 16 to 32 gigabytes, but since they are meant to exist in an assistive capacity, it should be more than adequate. Optane’s enterprise solutions are expected to have higher capacities of 375 GB (initially, at least) and make direct use of a computer’s PCI Express port.
International TRAVEL
ELECTRONICS RESTRICTIONS
BE TECH (UN)SAVVY By Irfan Aziz
he Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transport Security Association (TSA) in the US had announced a ban on large electronic devices such as laptops and tablets in the cabins last month. Following their footsteps, the UK government has issued the same ban. Now any and all flights from Egypt’s Cairo airport, Jordan’s Queen Alia, Kuwait’s Kuwait International, Qatar’s Hamad, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz and King Khalid airports, Turkey’s Ataturk, Mohammed V Airport in Morocco, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports in the United Arab Emirates cannot have any form of electronic devices that exceeds 16cm X 9.3cm dimension in the cabin. Both direct and connecting flights are affected by this ban What this essentially means for Bangladeshis is that we can no longer carry our laptops or tablets or even smartphones (provided, they do not meet the aforementioned specifications) to the UK and US. The reason being, all flights from Bangladesh to these two nations are connected through at least one of the eight airports. People going on leisure trips will more or less remain unaffected through this ban but this is a massive, massive setback for anyone going on a business trip. Although there are still a few ways that your business trip can gain immunity from this ban, but bear in mind that some of these solutions are in no way cost effective or credible.
How to deal with the recent ban imposed on large electronic devices and a few ways you can remain unaffected by it
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RELYING HEAVILY ON SMARTPHONES
We can actually get a lot done with our smartphones on business trips. Smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S7, iPhone 7 and even 7 plus are still eligible to be carried on cabins as they do not exceed the specified dimensions. The android and iOS platforms offer a plethora of apps that will make working on-the-go easier for you. Hence relying on the comparatively smaller yet powerful devices will leave you relatively unaffected by the ban.
BUYING A LAPTOP OR A TABLET EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOUR TRIP
You always have the option of purchasing a laptop or a tablet after you have reached the UK or USA. This may sound like an expensive alternative but what’s intriguing is that you can actually purchase more than decent tabs such as Amazon Fire Tablet for under $50. Laptops such as the Samsung chromebook and HP Stream can be purchased for under $170. These devices are more than enough to serve your purposes for a few days. This also removes the risk of damaging your more valuable electronics on the trip.
MAILING YOUR DEVICE PRIOR TO YOUR TRIP
You can send your devices to your destination through DHL or Fedex before you board your flight. We advise you to not go down this road because not only is this an expensive solution but you have to plan ahead and get the timings right so that your device reaches the US or UK in time for you to actually go there and use it. There is no guarantee that they will and there is even the risk of losing your device.
GOING OLD-SCHOOL By this we mean ditching your laptops and tablets for your trip and reliving the good old days where people used to rely on pen, paper or their sharp digital organizers (anyone remember those?). Let’s not kid ourselves though, we know no one will be going down this road but if all else fails, this option is always available.
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Politics and Humor
Salvation through Satire The story (or nightmare) that is Donald Trump’s Presidency underwent yet more twists and turns since “the Frightening Five” article last month. Steve Bannon, one of the Five, was removed from the National Security Council. Not only that, Donald Trump downplayed Bannon’s significant role in the election. To top it all off, Trump then gave prominent roles to his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, a man with whom Steve Bannon did not get along with from the get-go. While most people will be inclined to rejoice at the removal of an openly racist, misogynistic, Darth Vader wannabe, it may be a bit premature to start celebrating. This is Donald Trump’s administration after all and there are still plenty of climate change denying, science-bashing, alternate fact making employees available.
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So how to fight this? Well believe it or not one of the most effective ways to defeat them is by… mocking them. That’s right, the way to defeat Trump and his new “sinister six” is by laughing at the ridiculous things they do. Traditional journalists cover news seriously, which is to be fair, their job. Even when covering the ludicrous statements coming from the Trump administration, they feel that in order to be taken seriously, they must report everything in a serious manner, even for extremely simple and obvious lies. Take the inauguration numbers for example. The Trump administration claimed that Trump’s inauguration was the largest of its kind ever, period. No amount of evidence disputing this was tolerated. Traditional media covered the story as one would expect, with plenty of discussions from both sides
Each joke that gets a laugh is a laugh at Trump’s expense. It is bringing people closer together and making them more knowledgeable
of the political divide, debating on a simple matter for hours and days. Not only does numb the viewer’s brains, it also spreads misinformation through repetition. Comedians, on the other hand, saw through the blatant lies and called it out for what it was. A lie. While CNN was holding debates about the number of people in attendance, Stephen Colbert cracked a joke about how Donald Trump was already putting Americans back to work by displaying pictures of the inauguration and the lack of people in it. He does not spend countless hours debating an obvious truth, but by pointing it out and cracking an ironic joke. Short, informative, and devoid of irrelevant counter-arguments from the proponents of the lie. In this case, Colbert just utilized his brilliant sense of humor with the age old “a picture is worth a thousand words” idiom. And this method is proving far more effective at informing people than watching traditional news channels. Ratings for late night comedy has gone up since Trump took office, with comedians Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Trevor Noah, Seth Myers, Bill Maher, Samantha Bee and many more enjoying increased views on their respective YouTube channels.
So yes, as ridiculous as it sounds, comedy is the answer America has been looking for. With an abundance of talents at her disposal, America can go toe to toe against Washington itself. What they need is a leader, a veteran of the industry, someone with 16 years of experience, someone who can be credited as the creator of the late night format enjoying so much success today. Yes, this is a job that is meant for Jon Stewart. Jon Stewart is the anti-Trump. While Trump is all ego and boasting and bravado, Jon makes people laugh through self-efficacy to the point of disappearance. He probably didn’t know it at the time but his methodology is exactly what is proving the most effective against Trump and his cronies. He has long coined the term “bull**** mountain” which is a fairytale mountain where Republicans who don’t consider facts reside. Jon Stewart calls it out for what it is. Though currently retired, Jon has made a number of appearances on other talk shows and is scheduled to start a project with HBO in early 2017, though a release date has not been specified. The timing could not be better. With Trump in the White House for at least the next four years bar some miracle, the world could use some of the thought-provoking comedy that Jon Stewart has in store. Jon, however, is one guy and may not be able to take on the entire administration by himself. The good news is America has a “host” of other talents who can add plenty to the dream team, many of whom were under Jon’s tutelage. But the first
pick is also another veteran of the late night comedy show, none other than HBO’s Bill Maher. Bill Maher hosts his show, Real Time, on HBO and has been in the business since 2003. Where Stewart is more toned down and relies on, let's say a more diplomatic approach, Maher is an unapologetic angry guy who loves to rant about all the things wrong with the establishment. He is unafraid to say what he thinks even if it results in him getting fired. This actually happened when he hosted the show “Politically Incorrect” and he praised the courage of the suicide bombers flying into the Twin Towers. Bill Maher has not changed his stance since then and he goes for the kill when interviewing guests on his show. A great analogy would be to think of Jon Stewart as Superman while Bill Maher is more like Batman. On top of that, Bill Maher has personal history with Donald Trump who attempted to sue Bill Maher back in 2013 after Maher insinuated that Donald Trump was the result after an orangutan mated with Trump’s mother. The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn but needless to say, they did not become friends after. Bill Maher and his brand of comedy will likely engage a lot of Americans who are angry at the current administration. Apart from Maher, the team will also have Jon Stewart’s old crew, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and current Daily Show host and Stewart’s replacement Trevor Noah. These comedians followed in the footsteps of Jon Stewart and
portrayal of Sarah Palin effectively destroyed her during the elections in 2012. John Oliver used his brand of comedy to mobilize armies of netizens who eventually stopped the FCC from passing the “net neutrality” law. Satire depends on irony, where the satirist says one thing and means another. This is a key weapon in the fight against stupidity, faulty logic, and downright fabrications; which is what the Trump administration dishes out on a regular basis. Comedians like Trevor Noah and Seth Myers use their charm and charisma to attack Trump but they also use a huge dose of witty sarcasm which often has viewers laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all. Because satire is fun, it can play a major role in helping combat a culture of fear. The Trump team doesn’t only try to frighten its supporters; it also consistently threatens any opposition. Having an arsenal of comedians who delight in making people laugh while discussing important issues is a great weapon against this administration. So whether it is laughing at a skit on SNL, or laughing at an angry tirade from John Oliver or Bill Maher, these people are making a difference. Each joke that gets a laugh is a laugh at Trump’s expense. It is bringing people closer together and making them more knowledgeable. And for someone like Donald Trump, who is more concerned about what is being said about him than any crisis, satire could be the best weapon ever. After all, if this works, who wouldn’t want to see all comedians come together for a collective “YOU’RE FIRED!”.
Ratings for late night comedy has gone up since Trump took office, with comedians Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Trevor Noah, Seth Myers, Bill Maher, Samantha Bee and many more enjoying increased views on their respective YouTube channels.
used that formula to create great shows for themselves. Their use of satire to promote logical and critical thinking has proven very effective in getting audiences to question Trump. Before moving on to Late Night, Stephen Colbert did the Colbert Report, where he played a satirical version of Bill O’Reilly. It was brilliant in portraying the ridiculous things coming out of O’Reilly from an ironic point of view. He now uses a similar technique to tear apart false claims coming out of the Trump camp. Satire has a way of rallying supporters and creating a community of those who are in on the joke. While Donald Trump’s regime is actively trying to divide the nation and instill fear into them, these comedians are using jokes to bring people together and form a collective resistance. And history shows us that this technique works. Tina Fey’s
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hollywood
Directionless
By Asir Intisar Samy
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he DC Extended Universe, or DCEU, as it is more popularly called, hasn’t quite hit the ground running in comparison to its Marvel counterpart. With only three movies out till date, comparisons to Marvel’s ever-growing slate (slate currently standing at fourteen) and success might still be unfair. However, there is still a substantial level of deserved enthusiasm from the DC side of things. These are particularly difficult times for old DC comic book fans since Warner Brothers, the parent company of DC Entertainment, keeps churning
out movies that leave people with negative brand perceptions and leaves longtime fans having to explain why they ever liked this stuff in the first place, especially when put against the more comprehensible and fun alternative, that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the perspective of branding and financing, DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers aren’t yet in the promised land, particularly because fan reception has always been divided. From a
box office perspective too, the DC movies have only been satisfactory - despite their three films generating $710 million, $872 million and $746 million - compared to Marvel's movies, these numbers do not stand on high grounds. It is quite clear that DCEU films aren’t yet making Marvel-esque monies, but it still stands as a lucrative project given the fact that WB still makes huge merchandising profits from DC properties. However, even in the case of merchandising, DC seems to be losing out.
In May, License Global placed Disney first among licensors with sales of about $41 billion in 2013; Warner Brothers was seventh with $6 billion.
It is a known idea that licensing revenue generates tens of billions of dollars for Hollywood companies, and even there, DC needs a rather heroic effort to catch Marvel in licensing profits. In May, License Global placed Disney first among licensors with sales of about $41 billion in 2013; Warner Brothers was seventh with $6 billion. Both have strong properties: The Licensing Letter listed Marvel's Spider-Man global retail sales at $1.3 billion and Avengers at $325 million in 2013, compared with DC's Batman at $494 million and Superman at $277 million. These numbers have subsequently improved for DC and Time Warner, and their report revealed that consumers spent an estimated $4.5 billion on DC Comics merchandise for the year of 2016, contributing to their record performance in Consumer Products. Just two years ago, Batman and Superman accounted for almost $1 billion in merchandise sales but there was barely any merchandise for other characters. That scenario has changed now with the DCTV shows, DC Superhero Girls and now Lego as well as the DCEU movies. These numbers, albeit flattering, does show a change in fortunes but still hide a few
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things. The doubts have always been there. Warner Brothers, like any film company, has a limited amount of money with which to make films every year. They allot that money to various films in an effort to make more money by the end of the year. The way this is best achieved is by spreading the money out over a variety of film projects that appeal to many different interests. What that means is that Warner Brother has to invest in thrillers, romantic comedies, action movies, Oscar-bait dramas, and more. This leaves superhero films in a tough spot. Warner Brothers cannot simply start kicking out four superhero movies per year. Even today, when Marvel has five-six films in production, they’re spread out across three studios – Fox, Marvel Studios, and Sony. Marvel’s own Kevin Feige has stated that “we find that that’s a nice rhythm for our two films a year.” Two films a year is not a very high number, but it’s the best option for a studio (read Marvel) that only makes superhero films. If a dedicated studio can only manage two films per year, what chance does a diverse studio have at producing that kind of volume? Very little. On the other end of the spectrum stands the DC Animated universe. The DC heroes animated films series began in 2007 with The Death of Superman movie, and since then, there have been twenty of these made which includes as many as seven Batman films, four Superman films, two Batman and Superman films together, five featuring the Justice League and only two featuring the Green Lantern, and one featuring Wonder Woman. Warner Brothers had decided that both the Wonder Woman and Green Lantern movies didn’t move enough units to justify sequels, and have killed all attempts from producer Bruce Timm to make movies based on other properties like Batgirl, Teen Titans, and others. At the end of
the day, money matters and for and from DC Comics, only a few characters demand multiple outings, according to merchandise sales. Perceptions though may be changing now. Fans have been taught for years to think about individual characters as individual franchises. In their heads, Superman is a franchise, Batman is a franchise, and so on. DC fans have begged Warner Brothers for years to make individual films featuring the Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, and a long list of niche favorites. Warner Brothers were, as recent as last year, seeing characters like Nightwing, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Batgirl, Shazam, etc. as great additions to some future Batman or Superman sequel. With a turnaround in perspectives, a shift that has been partially fuelled by the admiration of individual performances of like Harley and Deadshot in the Suicide Squad movie, played by Hollywood favorite Margot Robbie and Will Smith, Warner Brothers is now planning multiple spinoffs for these once-disregarded characters, to turn them into legitimate business propositions. One only has to look as far as the Marvel Cinematic Universe to see the riches and benefits of a shared universe of interconnected movies. Not only do the producers get more and more out of each movie, mainly because each movie builds, molds and thrusts on an already extant franchise, but the messages too and meanings of these movies deepen by the content and addition of other films within the same universe. There is an accumulation of brand value, brand awareness and all this leads to better context, a brand story and a campaign that adds layers on top of one another. Over on the DC side of things, this has hardly been the case and there needs to be a collective effort with one message, to get DC Entertainment the value and importance it merits.
TECH
Beyond the Augmented Veil
Augmented reality will change the way we look at things - literally
By Abhijit Asad There are some video games (2009’s Wolfenstein comes to mind) that let the player slip at will into an alternate plane of reality within the same world, through magical or technological means, where they can see things and valuable secrets that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. While dimension-hopping technology is yet to emerge in real life, it is quite interesting to note that looking at the world through a digital veil and discovering secrets buried in it is already a reality, and it is very much likely to become mainstream over the next few years. It’s called augmented reality, popularly abbreviated as AR. But what is augmented reality? Basically, it’s a system of delivering relevant
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information visually on the display of a mobile device (it may be a phone, a tablet or even ‘smart glasses’) by means of overlaying it upon the visual feed received from its built-in camera. In fact, the output of AR does not even need to be in a visual format it can even be in the form of audio, or better yet, it can present the user with options for interactive control that can allow them to manipulate real-life objects or environmental factors. For example, if a product in an augmented reality-enabled ‘smart supermarket’ is viewed on an AR app through a smartphone’s camera, the user would be able to view the encoded information about the product on the phone’s display, in the form of a contextual bubble of
text, images, 3D models and/or animation overlaid upon the camera’s view of the product. One can see a landmark through their phone’s camera and instantly see contextual information about it on the phone’s screen. As futuristic as it sounds, the technology already exists. A form of augmented reality even sees regular use in the HUDs (head-up displays) of fighter planes, where the planes’ operating systems send information directly to the visors of the helmets worn by the pilots, as well as to the visual frames mounted directly in front of them within the cockpit. Needless to say, its adoption by the mainstream is only a matter of time. Augmented reality is an
extremely concise and user-friendly way of disseminating information, and combined with the power of the internet, it can easily be turned into a perfect sidearm for the age of information. Although the requirement of an always-on internet connection is a potential Achilles' heel for most features of augmented reality, since both Wi-Fi and mobile data packages are all but ubiquitous now, it isn’t that much of a problem. While augmented reality is not entirely a new form of technology, it it only fairly recently that it has been refined into a universally useful and practical format, and all the major players in the industry, be it Google, Microsoft or Apple, are investing their time, money and human resources into this technology because of its immense potential. Microsoft has been doing some interesting things with its HoloLens platform, which combines AR with its cousin VR (virtual reality). Google, however, is probably the hottest contender in the market for AR, given its vast reach, not to mention the ubiquity of its Android operating system in mobile devices everywhere. As a result of their research, augmented reality is already blossoming forth in the form of apps such as Google Goggles and Google Translate, which can recognize text in a myriad of languages from the
Augmented reality is an extremely concise and user-friendly way of disseminating information, and combined with the power of the internet, it can easily be turned into a perfect sidearm for the age of information. device’s camera feed, and translate that into other languages using Google’s servers. The idea of AR technology is to enhance the users’ experience in the real world by empowering them with the information they would otherwise not have instantaneous access to, saving a great deal of time and effort in the process. The possible applications of augmented reality are potentially endless, but its most exciting feature is probably the fact that it appears to be location-aware to human ranges of absolute proximity and can be put to use accordingly. Augmented reality apps can be programmed to perform certain tasks or display certain contextual information in response to the user’s arrival at a certain position based on the triangulated geographical coordinates of his/her device (detected using GPS satellites), or when in the presence of certain RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags installed at specific locations. Just one example - augmented reality can be a godsend for tourists who are visiting a new place by marking out places of interest all around themselves and allowing them to find out more details about them with just a few taps on the display. It can be used to provide walking/driving directions overlaid directly upon live visual feeds of streets from the device’s camera by combining the
visual data with GPS coordinates. It can translate road signs, shop banners, and even provide audio translations. Restaurants can present their menus to the user in AR-accessible formats so that customers can simply order food directly using their phones without requiring to even call over a waiter. A hotel room’s environmental controls can be presented to its occupants in AR format, allowing them to adjust things such as light levels or room temperature straight from their own devices. As the ‘internet of things’ (the popular name given to the intercommunication between ‘smart devices’ of the modern age) matures with time, we get closer and closer to these features breaking out into the real world. AR’s entertainment potentials are also immense, as evidenced by the popularity of the mobile video game Pokémon Go, which allowed players to go out into the real world and explore real-life locations in search of virtual and fictional monsters known as Pokémon, who could be defeated and kept as pets. The players could even meet up in real life and battle each other using their pet Pokémon. It was a dream come true for many Pokémon fans, and it doubtlessly paved the way for many other games which are due to arrive in the future. While it still sounds like something out of science fiction, augmented reality is startlingly close to becoming an actual reality. But what really remains to be seen is which company really makes the breakthrough that can help it to emerge into the mainstream markets.
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Beyond the Business
Advancing Through the Apps By Syed Apanuba Puhama
T
he right set of apps can turn your mobile device into a powerful business tool. Here are five apps that will let you keep up with your workforce on the go.
Slack - Committing to Communication
Since the emergence of the World Wide Web, the opportunity for collective participation in the corporate field has been one of its most engaging features. Enter Slack. Slack is a group messaging platform that brings team communication and collaboration into one place. It is designed to make your professional life effortless and productive. Key Features: • Organize your conversations with your team by projects, departments, or topics • Message or call any person or group regarding impromptu
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discussions • Share and edit documents with your colleagues • Integrate tools and services you already use, such as Google Drive and Dropbox, into your workflow
Evernote - Past the Paper
Ever had a corporative breakthrough while grocery shopping? What about in the middle of a family dinner? That’s alright, we’ve all been there. This is where Evernote comes in. Evernote is an app that allows its users to store, organize, and share their personal and professional projects. In a corporate environment, this app is a flexible and accessible tool that helps
employees share information and collaborate on projects, creating a workflow around various business processes. Key Features: • Capture a note in any format, whether it be text, handwritten notes, images, or even audio files, and share them with your team members • Effortlessly scan and digitize bills, receipts, and business cards with the help of your camera • Store and sync your content across all your devices • Organize your notes into separate notebooks • Collect ideas, promotional materials, and social media feedback that can help grow your business • Manage daily routines with checklists and reminders
MailChimp Design-It-Yourself Newsletters
If you’ve ever wondered how to set up a mailing list, create a newsletter, or send an automated email to your clients without any hassle, say hello to MailChimp. It is the go-to app for anything mass-email related. The powerful features offered by this app makes it an impressive email marketing solution that can help grow your business and expand your outreach. Key Features: • Add, manage and organize subscribers through accessible lists while you’re on the go • Set up emails (i.e. ‘campaigns’) using their
variety of email templates • Create automated email campaigns which allow you to personalize and strengthen the interaction between you and your subscribers • Test the campaign before launching it to simulate how it will look once it is received • Track subscriber and campaign activity and spot trends in your audience growth • Monitor list growth and performance by receiving statistical data and comparing them to the industry average
1Password - Keep It Together
Do you use the same weak password for different websites because it’s easy to
remember? How could you possibly use unique passwords on all the services you use? The solution is a password manager. 1Password is a powerful and secure tool that allows you to generate and save strong passwords that you can access anytime, anywhere. Key Features: • Create strong, unique passwords for your online accounts • Autofill usernames and passwords into websites and apps • Sync and access your information and passwords on all your devices • Store items in different categories (logins, credit cards, passports, etc.) • Organize your information with favorites and tags
Zoom - Mitigating Meetings
Are you looking for a video conferencing app minus the delayed video and terrible graphics? Put an end to your investigation and download Zoom right away. Zoom is a platform for high-definition audio and video conferencing that enhances team communication.
without having to create an account • Share your screen (desktop window, image, document, etc.) and give them the authority to annotate by drawing, typing, highlighting, among many other options • Record an entire meeting and download them in an MP4 format
Key Features: • Start a video conference with up to 50 participants • Schedule meetings, add participants and set reminders • Send out links to invited participants, allowing them to join the meeting www.ibtbd.net
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Top 7 Gadgets for Bangladeshi Travelers By Rubab Nayeem Khan
W
hether it’s a two day trip or a month-long vacation, travelling requires more than just a suitcase full of clothes. You need more than just a few selected gadgets to make sure you survive in a strange land away from home. Here are a few essentials that you can carry on your holidays to make sure your travel plans are up and running:
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If you’re planning on spending a quiet evening accompanied by your favorite reads, the Kindle Paperwhite will do right by you. Its features include 16 level grayscale, screen resolution of 1440x1080 and a pixel density of 300ppi. At a price of Tk 11,500, this digital library can be your best friend during long flights and transits.
When on a trip, you’ll be making/receiving calls, taking countless photos and/or listening to music on the road. For smartphone users, powerbanks are an absolute godsend especially when your phone’s down to 15% charge. While there are several brands in the market, Xiaomi has proven to a popular choice among consumers. Whether it’s 10,000 or 20,000 mAh, you should find the perfect one for your phone within the Tk 1,000-3,000 range.
Kindle
02
Selfie Stick
Want to take a picture of the Grand Canyon with yourself in it? Selfie sticks were made for such a cause. They are one of those convenient little knick-knacks that make taking photos of yourself quick and easy. You’ll find one of these in any tech store (physical or online) at a price range of Tk 900-2000.
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Powerbank
04
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Chaos manages to find its way into your life even when you’re at peace; it might be in the form of traffic or just an endless conversation carried out by the passenger beside you. Keeping your need for peace in mind, tech companies have launched a variety of noise-cancelling headphones within the price range of Tk1000-3000.
05
Fitness Band
If you’re worried about keeping your health in check when you’re overseas, bring along a fitness tracker. Xiaomi’s Smart Watch with Heart Rate Monitoring Functions, is one which you can consider for your trips, if you’re feeling slightly health conscious. You can also sync the device with your smartphone as per your preferences. It’s available in Dhaka within Tk 1,800 to Tk 2,000.
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Travel router:
Outside a WiFi zone and can’t send out emails to your office? Thank god for wireless routers that you can carry on your trips. TP-Link M7350 4G LTE-Advanced Mobile Wi-Fi Wireless Router has 20dBm transmit power, 2550mAh battery for up to 10 hours of working, 4G LTE supported with up to 150Mbps download and 50Mbps upload speeds, supports up to 10 devices simultaneously. It’s available in Dhaka at a price of Tk 10,499.
07
Power converter:
Power converters come in handy when you’re taking along more than a few selected electronics. Your miles away from home; you wouldn’t want your devices to be on the fritz. You should be able to find power converters within Tk 800-1,500 in any local hardware store.
Mental Tricks to Make Your Brain Age-Proof By Irfan Aziz
A
ge is just a number. As much as we would like to believe that, the sad truth is that years have their toll on us. Not only does age affect our bodies, it also affects our minds as well and while there are many products and exercises that help us cope up with physical aging, we know very little about how to make our brains age proof. So here are a few simple mental exercises and tips that will stop you from aging.
Learning to Play Instruments
Whether it’s learning to play an instrument or just simply listening to songs, music helps to boost brainpower by enhancing memory cells. Learning to play an instrument is directly correlated with better memory, the more you learn, the more exercise your brain gets. Furthermore, a study in Stanford Medical School suggests that listening to baroque music drastically improves your attention span as well as your ability to remember. So if you are among the millennials, you should start listening to some Bach.
Learning a New Language
Similar to learning to play an instrument, being bilingual enhances your ability to pay attention while at the same time improves your ability to multitask. In addition to that, learning other languages reduces the risk of developing disorders like dementia.
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Reading Frequently in Small Quantities
Staying Calm
Easier said than done but stress is one of the chief contributors of brain depletion. Remaining calm while using your brain is a very good practice as stress can damage brain cells by limiting our abilities to learn and remember. It causes irregularities in parts of the brain such as the hippocampus which is responsible for storing information thereby severely damaging cognitive processes. Yoga and meditating are proven ways of becoming a calmer individual. Another effective way is to write about your stress, this way if something is bothering you, you don’t have to keep it inside.
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Laughing
Probably the simplest tip on the list, the saying “laughter is the best medicine” is more useful than we think it is. Laughing releases dopamine which is the chemical that stimulates happiness. It also relaxes our brain and muscles and relieves us our stress enabling us to stay calm. (Sounds familiar doesn’t it?) Humor is strongly related with keeping our brains fresh and active. So, laugh more and worry less, it is good for you and will help your brain to stop aging.
The more you read, the more you learn, the more you work your brain right? The thing is though, reading less is actually better. The less you read, the less information your brain has to process so it can process it more effectively. You can pay more attention if you read in small quantity. Think of it this way, whenever you try to download multiple movies together, your download speed decreases, right? Similarly, if you read 10 articles back to back, your brain processes them at a slower rate. So instead of reading 10 articles, read one or two and try and analyze them, you’ll be able to extract more out of it.
Writing by Hand
Instead of typing all the time, we should try writing by hand every now and then. What it essentially does is, it forces your brain to process the information as you write them. Typing may be more convenient but writing polishes the brain. So the next time, try writing down someone’s number instead of just using your phone to save it or try writing an application with a pen and paper instead of printing it.
HAPPENING
Word of mouth All new Haval SUV series has recently been launched at the Dhaka Motor Show 2017
Apex arranged Boishakhi Utshob, to welcome the “Bangla New Year 1424” this year for their valued employees, partners and their family. The daylong event was arranged at Dhanmondi – 27 store premises for the first time
Standard Chartered Bank Presents the first ever Financial Innovation Forum 2017, powered by The City Bank Ltd. and initiated by Financial Forum Bangladesh (FFB), was held on April 29, 2017 (Saturday) in Dhaka. The theme of the forum was: “Shaping the New Paradigm for Growth in Bangladesh”
LankaBangla Finance Ltd. (LBFL) recently signed a MOU with Nagar Design & Developments Ltd & Nabo Uddoge Ltd for its customer privilege
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Le Méridien Dhaka organized a Summer Carnival for children and their families for a weekend getaway this summer. As part of the brand's global Le Méridien Family programme, Le Méridien Dhaka hosted 'LM Family Summer Soiree' on 22 April at their Skyline Infinity Poolside
Have you ever wanted to travel back in time to the era of Mughals and be invited to one of their lavish parties with exquisite dinner laid out before you on the table? That is exactly what Spice & Rice at the Radison Blu Dhaka is bringing for its guests
City Bank has recently signed an agreement with Rangs Limited as the exclusive Auto loan partner which will offer City Bank Auto Loan customers a competitive 10% interest rate and 50% off on loan processing fee
Lee Suen Ming, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore (Middle Right), Dr. Tan Kai Chah, Senior Consultant, Hepatobiliary & Liver Surgeon & Executive Chairman, Asian American Liver Centre, Gleneagles Hospital, Singapore (Middle Left), Cherinjit Kumar Shori, Group Chief Operating Officer, Asian American Medical Group, Singapore (on Right) & Zahid Khan, Director-Dhaka Office, Parkway Hospitals Singapore Pte Ltd (On left) attended a press interview on May 26, 2017 to promote the hospital’s various facilities
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Capital Market BOURSE UPDATE
Fortnightly Report of DSE, 16th March To 30th March 2017 Top 10 securities by turnover value in Tk. Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Name of securities
Category
City Bank Ltd. LankaBangla Finance Ltd. AB Bank Limited Bangladesh Export Import Company Ltd. Ratanpur Steel Re-Rolling Mills Limited IFIC Bank Ltd. Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. National Bank Ltd. Islami Bank Bd Ltd BRAC Bank Ltd.
A A A A A A A A A A
Total Turnover in shares 100,753,334 60,108,977 112,192,423 80,218,788 27,803,665 79,210,336 22,131,764 130,630,954 45,150,081 18,645,457
Total Turnover Tk. in mn
% of Total Turnover Tk.
3,963.16 3,755.95 2,943.23 2,852.49 2,550.93 2,388.64 2,384.60 2,022.62 1,962.69 1,511.46
3.82 3.62 2.83 2.75 2.46 2.30 2.30 1.95 1.89 1.46
Total Turnover in shares
% of Total Turnover shares
130,630,954 112,192,423 100,753,334 80,218,788 79,210,336 74,640,999 65,023,713 60,644,805 60,108,977 59,447,961
3.96 3.41 3.06 2.43 2.40 2.27 1.97 1.84 1.82 1.80
Top 10 securities by turnover in shares Sl. No.
Name of securities
Category
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
National Bank Ltd. AB Bank Limited City Bank Ltd. Bangladesh Export Import Company Ltd. IFIC Bank Ltd. C & A Textiles Limited Delta Spinners Ltd. Export Import (Exim) Bank of Bangladesh Ltd. LankaBangla Finance Ltd. Premier Leasing & Finance Limited.
A A A A A A A A A B
Total Turnover Tk. in mn 2,022.62 2,943.23 3,963.16 2,852.49 2,388.64 892.36 819.38 896.38 3,755.95 1,167.61
Top 10 gainer securities (based on closing price) Sl. No.
Name of securities
Category
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
National Feed Mill Limited Prime Bank 1st ICB AMCL Mutual Fund BRAC Bank Ltd. IFIC Bank Ltd. Investment Corporation Of Bangladesh Limited M.I. Cement Factory Limited ICB AMCL Second Mutual Fund AB Bank Limited National Polymer Industries Ltd Delta Brac Housing Fin.Corp.Ltd.
A A A A A A A A A A
Current Fortnight Closing Price 28.20 8.40 86.70 31.60 191.30 102.30 10.80 26.70 110.70 122.70
last Fortnight Closing Price 23.30 7.10 73.30 26.80 163.30 87.60 9.40 23.40 97.20 108.60
Current Fortnight Closing Price 47.10 24.80 43.60 23.90 17.20 16.90 17.50 11.90 23.10 17.60
last Fortnight Closing Price 56.90 29.20 50.20 27.50 19.70 19.30 19.80 13.40 25.60 19.50
change %
Turnover Tk. in mn
Daily Avg. Turnover Tk.in mn
21.03 18.31 18.28 17.91 17.15 16.78 14.89 14.10 13.89 12.98
1,332.34 139.57 1,511.46 2,388.64 1,147.16 757.44 114.83 2,943.23 980.49 494.03
133.23 13.96 151.15 238.86 114.72 75.74 11.48 294.32 98.05 49.40
change %
Turnover Tk. in mn
(17.22) (15.07) (13.15) (13.09) (12.69) (12.44) (11.62) (11.19) (9.77) (9.74)
5.37 189.76 555.34 395.76 567.02 4.91 469.34 4.52 26.29 0.24
Top 10 loser securities (based on closing price) Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Name of securities Reliance Insurance Ltd. R.N. Spinning Mills Ltd. Shepherd Industries Limited United Finance Limited Mercantile Bank Ltd. Global Insurance Co. Ltd. Bangladesh Finance and Investment Co. Ltd. Sonargaon Textiles Ltd. Continental Insurance Ltd. Shyampur Sugar Mills Limited
Category A Z N A A A A Z A Z
Daily Avg. Turnover Tk.in mn 0.54 18.98 55.53 39.58 56.70 0.49 46.93 0.45 2.63 0.02
Disclaimer: Dhaka Stock Exchange does not hold any responsibility for these date.
Fortnightly Report of DSE, 2nd April To 13th April 2017 Top 10 securities by turnover value in Tk. Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Name of securities LankaBangla Finance Ltd. City Bank Ltd. IDLC Finance Limited Bangladesh Export Import Company Ltd. Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. BRAC Bank Ltd. Ratanpur Steel Re-Rolling Mills Limited Regent Textile Mills Limited Islami Bank Bd Ltd SAIF Powertec Limited
Category A A A A A A A A A A
Total Turnover in shares
Total Turnover Tk. in mn
56,496,113 87,807,467 36,184,879 73,923,264 19,845,656 23,761,848 22,322,075 65,074,393 41,910,024 32,598,838
% of Total Turnover Tk.
3,591.17 3,571.27 2,723.37 2,659.94 2,281.50 2,069.64 2,063.43 1,675.50 1,445.04 1,415.80
4.28 4.26 3.25 3.17 2.72 2.47 2.46 2.00 1.72 1.69
Top 10 securities by turnover in shares Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Name of securities City Bank Ltd. PHP First Mutual Fund Bangladesh Export Import Company Ltd. Regent Textile Mills Limited One Bank Limited LankaBangla Finance Ltd. Tung Hai Knitting and Dyeing Limited Appollo Ispat Complex Limited National Bank Ltd. IFIC Bank Ltd.
Category A A A A A A A A A A
Top 10 gainer securities (based on closing price) Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Name of securities Regent Textile Mills Limited Tung Hai Knitting and Dyeing Limited Paramount Textile Limited Daffodil Computers Ltd. Hakkani Pulp & Paper Ltd. PHP First Mutual Fund Saiham Textile Mills Ltd. Fine Foods Limited Libra Infusions Limited Samorita Hospital Ltd.
Category A A A A B A A B A A
Top 10 loser securities (based on closing price) Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Name of securities Islami Bank Bd Ltd Union Capital Ltd. Phoenix Finance and Investments Ltd. AB Bank Limited Premier Leasing & Finance Limited. Mercantile Insurance Co. Ltd. BRAC Bank Ltd. Phoenix Insurance Company Ltd. Islamic Finance & Investment Ltd. Trust Bank Ltd.
Source: Dhaka Stock Exchange
Total Turnover Tk. in mn
Category A A A A B A A A A A
Total Turnover in shares
3,571.27 609.47 2,659.94 1,675.50 1,349.48 3,591.17 931.17 1,086.83 681.02 1,289.31
Current Fortnight Closing Price 34.10 19.40 29.40 42.00 61.20 7.80 21.60 28.50 484.30 84.10
last Fortnight Closing Price 21.00 16.40 25.00 36.40 53.80 6.90 19.20 25.40 435.20 75.90
Current Fortnight Closing Price 31.70 26.50 28.70 22.80 17.30 17.30 75.00 29.30 24.60 24.80
last Fortnight Closing Price 41.10 31.80 33.70 26.70 20.10 20.00 86.70 33.70 28.20 28.40
% of Total Turnover shares
87,807,467 79,930,212 73,923,264 65,074,393 57,050,388 56,496,113 52,753,529 49,244,096 47,368,959 45,001,547
3.77 3.43 3.17 2.79 2.45 2.43 2.26 2.11 2.03 1.93
change %
Turnover Tk. in mn
62.38 18.29 17.60 15.38 13.75 13.04 12.50 12.20 11.28 10.80
1,675.50 931.17 596.49 245.83 233.00 609.47 180.17 127.63 49.50 132.68
change %
Turnover Tk. in mn
(22.87) (16.67) (14.84) (14.61) (13.93) (13.50) (13.49) (13.06) (12.77) (12.68)
1,445.04 255.53 119.23 977.21 407.62 3.01 2,069.64 3.12 537.39 470.86
Daily Avg. Turnover Tk.in mn 167.55 93.12 59.65 24.58 23.30 60.95 18.02 12.76 4.95 13.27
Daily Avg. Turnover Tk.in mn 144.50 25.55 11.92 97.72 40.76 0.30 206.96 0.31 53.74 47.09
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