Sunday, May 27th, 2007The overall shipping charges for inbound cargoes have decreased significantly after cancellation of terminal handling charge (THC) and replacement of the outmoded stevedoring system with berth operators at the Chittagong port.The shipping agent sources said the feeder vessel operators have lowered the freight rate by at least 30-40 percent as the country's premier port has been congestion-free, reducing the turnaround time to 3.8 days in May from 11.6 days in January.The shipping lines can now operate more voyages than they did before. So, instead of $300-340, they charge $230-240 for per twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) on Chittagong-Singapore or Chittagong-Colombo route, ...
(read more) Saturday, May 19th, 2007A quarter, which has long been allegedly damaging the image of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) by using it in their personal interest, has again become active ahead of the apex trade body's biennial election.With the election to be completed by August 20, the leaders of some associations and chambers--that many consider as fake--are now very prominent in the federation building or around like previous years. Sources said the aim of these leaders is to remain available for bidding votes to intending candidates.Sources also alleged that there is more than one loan defaulter on the FBCCI ...
(read more) Friday, March 16th, 2007An inter-ministerial meeting yesterday finalised a proposal defining hoarding and setting storing time for nine essential goods at the levels of import, wholesale and retailing.The government will issue administrative orders by March 20 in this regard, meeting sources said.The meeting held at the commerce ministry was chaired by Additional Commerce Secretary Golam Mostakim and attended by representatives of home, law and food ministries, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and other trading agencies.The essentials for which the storing time is set, are -- paddy, rice, wheat, lentil, sugar, edible oil, onion, milk powder and baby ...
(read more) Sunday, March 11th, 2007The performance of Chittagong Port improved significantly after a number of steps were taken by a taskforce formed by the joint forces.The age-old practice of underhand dealings inside the port for container movement has been checked considerably as well.Although bribing of customs officials for customs clearance has stopped, a small number of highly secretive underhand dealings still take place in the port, according to sources.According to sources, the joint forces had formed a taskforce immediately after the declaration of emergency in the country for improving the situation at the port.The task force had a series of meetings with ...
(read more) Thursday, February 22nd, 2007The persisting tussle between foreign and local ship owners is greatly hampering exports making thousands of tonnes of cargo stockpiled at the ports.Around, 21,000 tonnes of raw jute to be exported to Pakistan piled up at Mongla port recently due to conflicts between the two groups of ship owners, according to sources.Foreign flag carrier ships have to take a waiver (no objection certificate) from Bangladesh government before loading any export cargo as the flag vessel protection ordinance 1982 gives priority to local ships to carry goods from the country.Local ships take advantage of this and create obstacles to ...
(read more) Wednesday, February 21st, 2007The government from now on will carry out commodity price analysis on a regular basis in order to curb illegal syndication both at wholesale and retail levels.As part of monitoring the market situation the authorities will collect information about international prices of imported essential products and currency depreciation to determine actual costs of commodities.The decision was taken yesterday at a task force meeting on prices of essential commodities in the commerce ministry conference room with Finance and Commerce Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam in the chair.The ministry will post wholesale price lists of essential commodities at all retail markets in all ...
(read more) Sunday, February 11th, 2007Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday urged the business leaders to play their part in keeping the prices of commodities under control.He made the call when a 41-member delegation of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), led by its President Mir Nasir Hossain, paid a courtesy call on him at his office in the afternoon.The apex body of country's business organisations formally proposed to the head of caretaker government to make Sunday weekly holiday instead of the two-day weekend and two-hour break for Juma prayers on Fridays.They put forward a number of other major proposals ...
(read more) Thursday, January 25th, 2007At least 19 persons appointed on political considerations between 2005 and 2006 by the immediate past four-party alliance government are still serving as directors in nine different affiliates of Petrobangla.In addition to this, there are five other directors on contract--also appointed on political considerations--who lost jobs after the caretaker government took over power.There are 59 posts of director in the nine affiliates of Petrobangla, which annually fetches the government more than Tk 3,000 crore revenue.Out of eight directors of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co Ltd, the former government appointed five on political grounds.Four of them are Md Shah Alam, ...
(read more) Monday, January 22nd, 2007Investigation into the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) rally further dips into mystery following a news that quoted a commander of Assam's insurgent group Ulfa as saying their men made the attack "with the help of Bangladeshi intelligence agencies".The news released by a Bangladeshi private news agency from Guwahati said Ulfa commander Pallav Saikia confessed that his group was behind the attack on the AL rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004.The new claim has created controversy and raised questions about its authenticity. It also contradicted a few previous disclosures made by the local investigators since the ...
(read more) Sunday, January 7th, 2007Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance's countrywide 72-hour blockade starts today amid the caretaker government's resolute and elaborate plan to thwart the demonstration for electoral reform 'at any cost' short of a negotiation. The blockade slated to be a 48-hour one was stretched by another 24 hours last night by the grand alliance. It has threatened to lay siege to Bangabhaban, the office of the president, on the extended day of the blockade.Sources said the government, if necessary, will use the army along with other law enforcement agencies to foil the demonstration as the army was already used to face a ...
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