27-12-2020

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27 , 2020 8
BCB Ltd. has inaugurated its 68th Branch
‘Khutakhali Branch’ at Chakaria Cox's Bazar
The 24th Annual General Meeting of ACI Formulations Ltd was held through Digital Platform recently. M.
Anis Ud Dowla, Chairman of the company, presided over the meeting. The Audited Financial Statements for
the year ended 30 June 2020 together with Reports of the Directors and Auditors of the company were
approved by the shareowners in the meeting. They have also approved 20 per cent Cash dividend for the said
financial year. Shusmita Anis, Managing Director of the company, highlighted a few of the salient features of
the business and addressed the issues raised by the shareholders.
Photo: Courtesy
Bangladesh Commerce
Bank ( BCB) Ltd. has
inaugurated its 68th Branch
as "Khutakhali Branch" at
Chakaria, Cox's Bazar with all
the latest banking facilities
recently. The inauguration
program was presided by
Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the Bank Dr.
Engr. Rashid Ahmed
Chowdhury. The Member of
Parliament (MP) of Cox's
Bazar -1 Zafar Alam as Chief
Guest was present &
inaugurates the program.
Managing Director and CEO
of the Bank Mr. Omar
Farooque delivered his
speech as a special guest.
Additional Managing
Director of the Bank Zafar
Alam and Deputy Managing
Director Kazi Md. Rezaul
Karim also delivered their
speech on the occasion.
Among others Senior
Executives of the Head Office,
Manager of this Branch and
many prominent people of
the area and respected
customers were also present
on the occasion, a press
release said.
Member of Parliament
(MP) of Cox's Bazar -1 Zafar
Alam expressed his hope that
the Khutakhali Branch will be
able to win the hearts of the
customers by providing good
service. He hoped that this
new branch with the most
modern facilities would play
an appropriate role in
furthering the economy of the
region.
Dr. Engineer Rashid
Ahmed Chowdhury,
described Khutakhali as a
growing business area and
said that the branch is
committed to provide all
kinds of banking services to
the customers of the area
through banking rules. To
ensure the highest quality of
service to the customers, he
instructed all the officers of
the branch including the
branch manager.
Managing Director and
CEO of the Bank Mr. Omar
Farooque said that the
services of BCBL will be
spread out in all areas of the
country as well as he
emphasized on customer
service and informed all
present in the meeting about
various activities of the Bank
in all areas of business sector.
Finally, the great mercy of the
great Allah Ta'ala is sought for
the activities and progress of
the bank.
Lafarge Holcim Bangladesh Ltd(LHBL) recently organized a workshop with the engineers of Sylhet
City Corporation (SCC) where the need of sustainable construction was highlighted. Ariful Haque
Chowudhury, Mayor, Sylhet City Corporation inaugurated the workshop as chief guest. Nur Azizur
Rahman, Chief Engineer, SCC, Zafar Sadek, RSM, LHBL and Ali Ahammad, Sr. Manager-Technical
Services & CIAC Lab were present along with other officials of the company. Photo: Courtesy
Brothers Furniture is one of the best brands in the furniture industry in the world. In order to bring
the furniture industry to the doorsteps of the people, another new showroom of Brothers Furniture
was inaugurated at Shamoli on recently. The showroom was officially inaugurated by Chairman of
Brothers Furniture Ltd. Alhaj Habibur Rahman Sarkar, Director Sharifuzzaman Sarkar, head of
marketing Monirul Islam Bokshi. On the occasion of happy inauguration, there is a 5% to 15% discount
on all furniture purchases in that branch.
Photo: Courtesy
Social Islami Bank Ltd(SIBL) inaugurated 166th and 167th Branch respectively in Pragati Sarani,
Dhaka and Mirsarai, Chattogram recently. Managing Director & CEO Quazi Osman Ali inaugurated
the branches as chief guest from SIBL Head Office through virtual platform. Abu Naser Chowdhury,
Md. Sirajul Hoque and Md. Shamsul Hoque, Deputy Managing Directors, Abdul Hannan Khan,
Company Secretary, Md. Moniruzzaman, Head of Marketing & Brand Communication Division,
Sayed Mohammed Sohel, Regional Head (C.C), Chattogram, Md. Shakil Anwar, Vice President of BC
& GBD, Managers of Pragati Sarani and Boro Darogar Hat Branch, valued clients and local dignitaries
also attended the program virtually.
Photo: Courtesy
US Congress fails to agree
to boost stimulus checks
WASHINGTON :
Republicans on Thursday
blocked an effort to amend the
hard-won pandemic relief
package to more than triple
direct payments to struggling
Americans, something
demanded by President
Donald Trump, reports BSS.
After months of partisan
bickering, legislators late
Monday finally approved a
$900 billion stimulus package
to help families and
businesses struggling to
survive the hit to the economy
from the coronavirus before
millions lose their benefits.
The legislation includes
one-time payments of $600
to most taxpayers, but Trump
dropped a bombshell on the
celebrations this week,
hinting he might veto the bill
unless the amount was
increased to $2,000.
Democrats, who have been
pushing for months to
increase pandemic support,
cheered his statement, and
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
challenged Republicans to
support an amendment to
boost the dollar amount.
The Democratic-controlled
House of Representatives
held a Christmas Eve "pro
forma" session, normally a
brief affair with little business,
in an effort to win bipartisan
approval to send the revised
payments to Trump's desk for
signature.
But Republicans refused to
agree to the change. "So we do
not have unanimous
consent," said Michigan
Democrat Debbie Dingell,
who was acting as speaker pro
tempore.
Pelosi immediately
lambasted Republicans and
vowed to call the House back
on Monday to approve the
amendment in a regular
session.
"Today, on Christmas Eve
morning, House Republicans
cruelly deprived the American
people of the $2,000 that the
President agreed to support. If
the President is serious about
the $2,000 direct payments,
he must call on House
Republicans to end their
obstruction," she said in a
statement.
Later Thursday, Pelosi said
the bill has been sent to the
White House and called on
Trump to sign.
"The House & Senate are
now sending this important
legislation #ForThePeople to
the White House for the
President's signature. We
urge him to sign this bill into
law to give immediate relief to
hard-working families!,"
Pelosi tweeted.
The stakes are high,
especially if Trump vetoes the
bill: About 14 million
jobless workers will lose
their
pandemic
unemployment benefits right
after Christmas, and millions
more face losing their homes
when an eviction moratorium
expires at the end of the year.
Tokyo stocks open
higher in thin
holiday trade
TOKYO : Tokyo stocks
opened higher on Friday
supported by gains on Wall
Street in thin trade with
overseas investors absent for
Christmas holidays, reports
BSS.
The benchmark Nikkei 225
index was up 0.17 percent or
44.57 points at 26,712.92 in
early trade, while the broader
Topix index edged up 0.22
percent or 3.98 points to
1,778.25.
"Japanese shares are seen
supported by US rallies, but
trade is seemingly limited to
modest bargain-hunting with
a decline in the number of
market participants," senior
market strategist Yoshihiro
Ito of Okasan Online
Securities said in a
commentary.
Worries over a rise in new
coronavirus infections and its
impact on economic activity,
ahead of the year-end and
new-year holidays when
many people normally travel
in Japan, are weighing on the
market, he added.
"The 6th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals Limited was held on a digital
platform recently. The Meeting was presided over by Aziza Yeasmin, Chairman of The
Company."
Photo: Courtesy
Sterling, equities rise as Brexit
talks reach endgame
HONG KONG : The pound extended
gains Thursday and equity markets
mostly rose as Britain and the European
Union finally homed in on a Brexit trade
deal, while traders brushed off concerns
about the US stimulus package after
Donald Trump slammed it, reports BSS.
After months of painful, stuttering
talks, London and Brussels appeared on
the verge of signing an agreement as they
eventually found common ground on key
sticking points.
The two sides were working on the final
details of a deal early Thursday, ahead of
what negotiators hoped would be a predawn
breakthrough, helped by a series of
talks between Prime Minister Boris
Johnson and European Commission
chief Ursula von der Leyen.
"Brexit work will continue throughout
the night," EC spokesman Eric Mamer
tweeted just after 1:00 am (0000 GMT).
"Grabbing some sleep is recommended
to all Brexit-watchers at this point. It will
hopefully be an early start tomorrow
morning."
European officials had earlier
announced: "We are in the final phase."
A French government source said UK
negotiators had made "huge concessions"
on fisheries - the main point of conflict
that was holding up an agreement ahead
of Britain's departure at the end of next
week.
Sterling, which has swung wildly in
recent weeks as the talks ebbed and
flowed, extended Wednesday's rise of
more than one percent against the dollar,
while it was also holding similar gains
against the euro.
"So, the never-ending ebb and flow of
Brexit headline roistering might finally
see closure on the most widely contested
divorce in the history of humanity," said
Axi strategist Stephen Innes.
Optimism that the long-running saga
could be at its endgame also provided a
lift to European equities and Asia
followed suit with all markets in positive
territory.
However, Hong Kong was being
weighed by a fall of more than seven
percent in Alibaba shares after China said
it had launched a probe into the e-
commerce titan for "suspected
monopolistic practices", while authorities
were also holding "supervisory and
guidance" talks with the firm's financial
services subsidiary Ant Group.
Equity gains, however, remain tethered
by ongoing concerns about the surge in
virus infections around the world that are
forcing governments to impose fresh
containment measures, offsetting hopes
for the rollout of vaccines.
Analysts said that while Trump's
outburst against a $900 billion stimulus
agreement was holding up help for
American families, the general consensus
is that a package will eventually be
passed, and possibly with more cash
handouts.