26-11-2021

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021
8
Malaysia PM launches Huawei customer
solution innovation center
The 28th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) was held on
24th November 2021 at 6:30 pm in Hotel Intercontinantal, Dhaka. Chairman of GTCL Board of
Directors and Senior Secretary, Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Md. Anisur Rahman
presided over the meeting while, Shareholder and Member of Board of Directors Mr. A B M Abdul
Fattah Chairman, Petrobangla and all other Shareholders and Members of the Board Directors of
the Company attended the meeting. The Audited Accounts & Management Report for the fiscal year
2020-21 of the Company was approved by the shareholders at the AGM. During the FY 2020-2021,
the Company earned an amount of Tk.1,120.17 crore as revenue by transporting 25,597.17 million
cubic meter gas and 361.33 million liter condensate. The Company earned Tk.237.85 crore as Pre-tax
Profit and Tk.74.09 crore as Post-tax Profit and a total amount of Tk.753.17 crore was contributed to
the Government Exchequer.
Photo : Courtesy
Prime Bank wins prestigious Efma-Accenture
Banking Innovation Awards 2021
Prime Bank limited shines
in the international
Financial Sphere receiving
the Analytics & Artificial
Intelligence (AI) award-
Bronze at the prestigious
Efma-Accenture Banking
Innovation Awards 2021
along with Bank of
Santander, Spain (Gold) and
ING Bank, Turkey (Silver).
The accolade comes from
Prime Bank's AI driven
digital nano financing
platform, "PrimeAgrim" that
focuses on innovation that
facilitates banking needs
and propel financial
inclusion, a press release
said.
The Efma-Accenture
Banking Innovation Awards
have been a catalyst for
innovation in the banking
sector worldwide. The
awards ceremony is widely
recognized as the 'Oscars' of
the Banking industry. Efma
recognizes the best in
banking innovation,
attracted a record-breaking
816 entries from nearly 300
financial institutions in 73
countries.
PrimeAgrim, is a digital
nano financing platform that
is embedded with artificial
intelligence, machine
learning and alternative
credit to address emergency
needs of Blue-collar
Working Community.
PrimeAgrim is an end-toend
digital product that
assesses customers' credit
eligibility and completes
disbursement digitally,
negating the hassles of
document submission to
save time and energy.
Prime Bank Limited's
Head of Consumer Banking
Division and DMD, ANM
Mahfuz commented on this
occasion, "Prime Bank has
been working relentlessly to
promote financial inclusion
through
digital
transformation.
Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited inaugurated its 381st Branch at Kaliganj of Keraniganj Upazila in Dhaka
on 25 November 2021, Thursday. Mohammed Monirul Moula, Managing Director and CEO of the bank
inaugurated the Branch as chief guest. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing Director presided
over the program while Abu Sayed Md. Idris, Head of Dhaka South Zone of the bank addressed the welcome
speech. Md. Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, Executive Vice President of the bank, Md. Jahangir Shah,
Chairman of Aganagar Union Parishad and Md. Shwadhin Sheikh, President of Keraniganj Garments
Babosayee O Dokan Malik Samobay Samiti addressed the program as special guest. Syed Zinder Kabir,
Head of Kaliganj Branch thanked the audience. Sushil Kumar Modak, Sayed Jobaer and Md. Nazmul
Hasan, businessmen addressed on behalf of clients and well-wishers. Executives and employees of the
bank, clients, well wishers and local elites were present on the occasion. Later, the new branch distributed
SME investment.
Photo : Courtesy
Walton declares huge discounts on combo packages
Bangladeshi Superbrand
Walton has declared special
discounts on combo packages
for the purchase of its various
products of electronics, home
and kitchen appliances under
its new initiative 'Wedfest
Combo Offer'. Under the
campaign, customers are
getting huge discounts on
specific models of refrigerator,
TV, AC, washing machine,
microwave oven, blender, rice
cooker, gas stove and fan
under three packages-
Platinum, Gold and Special,
says a press release.
On Thursday (November
25, 2021) the announcement
was made at a declaration
programme held at the
Walton corporate office in
Dhaka. The the 'Wedfest
Combo Offer' campaign,
customers can choose
products on three packages-
Platinum, Gold and Special
and get cash discounts from
Tk 23,000 to Tk 40,000 from
Walton Plaza, distributor
showroom or e-plaza across
the country. The benefits are
available from November 15,
2021 and will continue until
March 15, 2022. However, the
facilities under Walton's
ongoing Digital Campaign
Season-12 will not be
applicable for customers who
avail 'Wedfest Combo Offer'.
Rifah Tasnia Swarna,
Director of Walton High-Tech
Industries Limited, was
present at the programme as
chief guest. Deputy Managing
Directors Nazrul Islam Sarker,
Eva Rezwana, Amdadul
Haque Sarker and Eva
Rizwana Nilu, Walton Plaza
Trade's Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) Mohammad Rayhan,
Top officials of Walton pose at the declaration of its 'Wedfest Combo Offer. Photo : Courtesy'
Senior Executive Directors SM
Zahid Hasan, Ariful Ambia,
Walton AC's Chief Business
Officer (CBO) Tanvir
Rahman, Refrigerator's CBO
Anisur Rahman Mollick, TV's
CBO Mostafa Nahid Hossain,
Electrical Appliance's CBO
Sohel Rana, Home
Appliance's CBO Al Imran,
Kitchen Appliance's CBO
Mahfuzur Rahman, Media
Adviser Enayet Ferdous were
among others also present on
the occasion.
The Platinum package
include one model of 563-liter
side-by-side glass door
refrigerator, 1.5-ton's highenergy
saving AC, 43-inch
android smart TV, front
loading automatic washing
machine and 30-liter
microwave oven and three
unit of celling fan, one model
of blender, rice cooker and gas
stove. The market price of
these products are Tk
2,38,340. However, the
products can be bought
together with Tk 2,00,511
under the package which will
save Tk 40,000.
Customers have the
opportunity to purchase the
above-mentioned products of
other models with Tk 1,38,626
on a discount of Tk 27,000
under Gold package while the
customers can buy those
products with Tk 1,19,313 with
a discount of Tk 23,000 under
the Special Package.
The newly refurbished and
upgraded Huawei Customer
Solution Innovation Center
(CSIC) has been officially
launched by Prime Minister
Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri Bin
Yaakob recently as part of
the celebrations to
commemorate Huawei's
20th anniversary in
Malaysia. The CSIC, located
in Integra Tower at the heart
of Kuala Lumpur,
aggregates the company's
over 120 reference
applications and services
globally. Michael Yuan,
Chief Executive Officer of
Huawei Malaysia, was also
present at the event.
The state-of-the-art
technology and solutions
displayed in Huawei
Malaysia CSIC aims to assist
the nation in becoming the
ASEAN Digital Hub.
Huawei's CSIC was designed
as an Information and
Communications
Technology (ICT) Hub and
Centre of Excellence to drive
the industry's open
ecosystem and accelerate
digital
economy
transformation in Malaysia,
a press release said.
Delivering the keynote
address during the launch,
Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri said,
"Tthe CSIC is a testament to
Huawei Malaysia's
commitment to the nation's
digital transformation.
"Thank you, Huawei, for
accelerating digital
transformation and
strengthening the
development of Malaysia's
innovative platforms since
20 years ago."
CEO of Huawei Malaysia,
Yuan, meanwhile, said,
"Through the CSIC, Huawei
will continue to bring global
experiences to serve the
needs of the ICT industry in
Malaysia and to assist local
stakeholders in succeeding
in their businesses. This
center will act as a catalyst to
accelerate Malaysia's digital
transformation and to
capitalize on the potential of
Berger Paints Bangladesh
Limited (BPBL) has
inaugurated its latest Berger
Experience Zone at Khulna to
provide one-stop painting
solution to all kinds of
painting requirements. The
leading paints solutions brand
of the country has expanded
its service of excellence
further in the southern parts
of the country, as it opened
this franchised outlet under
the dealer "Mukut Hardware"
at the district's 383,
Khanjahan Ali Road, Ferighat
Mor.
Among the Berger officials
present at the inauguration
event were - Mohsin Habib
Chowdhury, Senior General
Manager, Sales and
Marketing; Ata E Muneer,
Divisional Sales Manager;
Shabbir Ahmed, Head -
Project, Prolinks and
Experience Zone; Sayed
Shorif Russel, Category Manager - Marketing and Shakil M Humayun, Branch
advanced technologies and
assist in driving investments
in the digital economy for
the nation at the same time."
Huawei launched CSIC in
Bangladesh in 2016. Since
then, it has been playing a
pivotal role in ICT through
the exchange of the world's
best technological
knowledge and practices
and innovation in business
solutions.
New Berger Experience Zone
inaugurated in Khulna
Manager - Khulna Sales, a
press release said.
Mohsin Habib Chowdhury,
Senior General Manager,
Sales and Marketing, BPBL,
said, "Khulna is a city that is
always full of life and festivity.
As we inaugurate this
franchised outlet in the heart
of the city, we are hopeful of
adding more colors to this
festivity and celebration of
life. Now the people of Khulna
can avail of genuine, top of
line paints solutions without
any hassle."
The core objective of Berger
Experience Zones is to offer
Berger's comprehensive
painting solutions to
maximum possible
consumers across the nation.
The outlets provide various
services, such as hundreds of
color shades, vibrant palettes,
and resolve all sorts of paintrelated
queries for the
common customers.
Why Bangladesh Inc is wary of a sturdy dollar
DHAKA : A stronger US dollar
is usually grody news for
emerging market economies
with heavy dollardenominated
debt. And
Bangladesh is no exception,
reports UNB.
In this country, the
corporate sector has
borrowed heavily in foreign
currencies from external
sources at lower interest rates.
A stronger dollar has now
made their foreign debt
expensive, hitting them really
hard as they struggle to tide
over the Covid-induced
economic slowdown.
Those entrepreneurs who
took hassle-free loans from
abroad some five years agowhen
the interest rate on bank
loans in Bangladesh was more
than 12% -- are now facing the
wrath of the appreciating
dollar, having forced to count
10% more on money they
borrowed at just 3-4%
interest.
The approved debt from
external sources for
Bangladesh's private sector
stood at USD 14,003.95
million as of June 2021, of
which USD 9,601.27 million
had been repaid along with
USD 677.37 million interest.
In the January to March
quarter of the last financial
year, the approved external
debt for the private sector was
USD 617.95 million, while it
declined to USD 230.81
million in the last quarter of
2020-21 fiscal, as per
Bangladesh Bank (BB)
statistics.
Experts say the size of the
Bangladeshi economy has
expanded and industrial
production has increased
significantly over the past
decade, but financing for
domestic investment still
remains a big challenge. In
addition, a large number of
entrepreneurs are still leaning
on foreign loans.
The loan money from
external sources comes to the
country in dollars or any other
currency and it has to be
repaid in that foreign
currency. For this reason, if
the exchange rate of a foreign
currency goes up, then the
borrowers will have to buy it
at a higher price, according to
the experts. Five year ago in
April 2016, one US dollar was
sold in Bangladesh at
Tk76.60. The rates remained
the same for almost three
years. However, Bangladesh
taka has lost 10% more value
over the past two years.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar,along with
Professor Dr. Md. Golam Rahman, Advisor of Daffodil International
University's Department of Journalism, Media and Communication and
Editor of the Daily Ajker Patrika, Prominent Film Director Amitabh Reza
Choudhury, Syed Ishtiaq Reza, editor-in-chief of GTV, RafeSadnan Adel,
Head of Media and External Relations of BRAC, Digital Media Specialist
Nurunnabi Chowdhury Hasib at the closing ceremony of the 'JMC Media
Buzz' program organized by the Department of Journalism, Media and
Communication (JMC) of Daffodil International University. Photo : Courtesy