BB unveils reform plans in financial sector

The central bank on Sunday unveiled its first ever long-term action plan for vigorous reforms in the country’s financial sector.

The plan, a guideline for the next five years, aims at a stable monetary policy, speedy automation and skilled development in the banking sector.

It also addresses development of agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and financial inclusion of rural majority to attain inclusive growth for establishing social parity.

Capacity building of the banking sector and developing an effective credit policy are also two major areas of attention of the plan.

“We should go far from our present position for ensuring a sound banking sector,” Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said while unveiling the plan in the city.

He said Bangladesh banking sector showed resilience to the recent global recession, but the central bank prepared the strategic plan as a contingency policy to make this sector stronger.

The central bank prepared the plan after detail discussions with all banks and financial institutions, World Bank and International Monetary Fund and with leading chambers and trade- bodies.

The plan will assist boosting the capacity and efficiency of the banking sector through consistently endeavoring automation programme, stable monetary policy, skilled development, capacity building and a prudent credit policy.

In the past few years the banking sector had been modernised to some extent, but majority of bank branches were still running on a combination of old and modern system, leaving the vast majority out of efficient banking services.

The strategic plan will support banks to expand their automation programme to bring more people under institutional financial facilities with new and innovative products.

It underlines the importance of continuing support to the agriculture sector and increase assistance to the small and medium enterprises (SME) by two to three times of the present rate.

The overall investment will get more attention in the plan, but it will encourage more investment in the agriculture and SME sectors.

Human resource development will be another area of major development under the strategic plan.

The central bank will review the plan once a year to update it with new measures.

A monitoring team of the central bank, however, will oversee the implementation process regularly and will have meetings in every three or six months.

Industrial park to be set up: Light engineering, electronics, electrical industries at one place

A Cluster Industrial Park is likely to be set up in the country for the first time combined with four-type of industries- plastic, light engineering, electronics and electronical.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Foundation on behalf of the government is supervising the project where International Finance Corporation (IFC), an associate organisation of World Bank, is providing financial and technical assistance.

Sources said two locations have been selected for the project in Keraniganj area and the activities of the project are expected to commence in the beginning of the next year.

Syed Rezwanul Kabir, Chairman of the SME Foundation told The New Nation that the industrial park would accelerate production as well as reduce cost due to availability of all necessary raw materials in the same area. “Now these industries are situated in different places, especially in Dolaikhal area, a place renowned for light engineering. This hampers getting raw materials and related equipment easily,” he said,

adding, “Our target is to combine the plastic, light engineering, electronics and electronical industries under one roof which is also a demand of the industrialists for a long time.”

According to the plan all out preparations would be completed by December this year, the SME Foundation Chairman hinted, saying that ownership of the industrial park would be the owners of the industrial plots, not the government. But a government institution would supervise the activities of the industrial park, he added.

He said the importance of this sector is growing day by day nationally as it is contributing around Tk 10,000 crore in the national economy.

EPB sources said light engineering instruments worth US$190 million were exported in FY2008-09, US$219.68 million in 2007-08, US$237 million in 2006-07, US$111 million in 2005-06 and US$ 85 million in 2004-05.

About 40,000 light engineering industries are operating in the country generating employment opportunities to about six lakh people, according to the light engineering association.

The organisation said these cluster industries are the mother organisation of all industries as they produce capital machineries.

Farakka Day today

With holding different programmes by different organisations, the historic Farakka Long March Day will be observed today in the city and across the country with due respect.

On the day in 1976, the country’s legendary leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani led a massive Long March from Rajshahi towards India’s Farakka dam demanding demolition of the dam. The dam is located in West Bengal State of India nearby the border of Rajshahi.

The Indian government was constructing the dam violating the International River Law and denying Bangladesh to divert flow of Ganges waters inside its territory, triggering the drying up of river Padma and desertification of Bangladesh.

At that time Maulana Bhasani called the programme and formed a massive long march to the Farakka dam in India. The people of the country had responded to his call in the country’s interest. Thousands of the people participated in the long march forgetting all little political differences and expressed their demonstration against the dam by India.

The Long March was the first popular movement against India demanding a rightful distribution of the water of Ganges. Since then historic Farakka Long March Day is observed in the country on May 16 every year.

To mark the day, Bhasani Smriti Sangsad yesterday organised a discussion meeting at Bhasani Bhaban in the city where leaders of different political parties addressed.

Farakka Committee will form a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the city today at 10.00 am. A discussion will also be organised by the committee at the National Press Club at 11.00 am.

Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) will hold a roundtable at the National Press Club tomorrow at 10.00 am marking the day.

80 pc pass SSC exams: Record 82,961 secure GPA-5, cent percent successful schools number 2,927

Average passing rate and number of GPA 5 show extraordinary increase in this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations’ results published yesterday.

Of the total 12,09,075 students who sat for this year’s SSC and

equivalent examinations under the ten education boards, 9,60,492

came out successful with the pass percentage being 79.98, which is

9.09 percent higher than last year.

A total of 9,16,180 candidates appeared in SSC exams under eight boards- the conventional educational system, apart from the Madrasah and technical boards. Of them 713,560 passed returning a rate of about 78.19 percent.

A total of 82,961 candidates of SSC and equivalent examinations under 10 education boards secured GPA- 5 this year, while the number was 62,307 last year.

The number of GPA-5 holders in the SSC examinations rose sharply by 24.90 per cent compared to that of previous year.

The number of schools with cent percent success has also increased to

2,927 from last year’s 2,726 and the number of schools with zero success has come down to 49 from last year’s 72.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, at a press conference in the ministry, announced the results yesterday at 1:00pm in presence of the Education Secretary and Education Board Chairmen.

Earlier, the education minister handed over a copy of the results with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Prime Minister congratulated the students passed in the first public examination of their life. She also appreciated the Ministry of Education for making a number of initiatives to develop education system.

Referring to the overall improvement in SSC level Education, Nurul Islam Nahid said, in all the ten education boards including Madrasa and Technical board the results are comparatively better than the previous year.

The rise of 9 percent over last year’s pass rate of 71 percent was because of special efforts of the government, said the minister.

Referring to the higher number of candidates passing the exams, minister Nurul Isalm Nahid said, “We initiated some steps to prevent drop-out of the students. This is the reason behind the boost in pass rate”.

“Our target is to gain 100 percent pass rate in all the institutions”, he said.

In Dhaka Education Board 77.99 percent students passed, in Rajshahi Board 85.61,in Barisal Board 74.64, in Sylhet Board 78.42, in Comilla Board 81.03, in Jessore Board 79.18, in Chittagong Board 72.31, in Dinajpur Board 71.70, in Madrasa Board 86.70 and in Technical Board 82.72.

Rajuk Uttara Model School and College came up as the top school at the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations this year by attaining 94.29 point under the new ranking system of the board.

Viqarunnisa Noon School came up at the fourth position losing its unique position in previous years but it grasped the highest number 926 of GPA 5 out of its 1,115 examinees. This year, a total of 62,134 students secured GPA-5 under eight education boards while the figure was 45,934 last year.

The number of GPA-5 achievers stood at 21,142 in Dhaka Board, 10,568 in Rajshahi Board, 7,399 in Jessore Board, 6,634 in Dinajpur Board, 5,863 in Comilla Board, 5,800 in Chittagong Board, 2,751 in Barisal Board and 1,977 in Sylhet Board

The number of GPA-5 holders increased in all education boards except Comilla Board.

In Madrasa Board, 20,777 students secured GPA-5 this year while in Technical Education Board only 72 students got GPA-5. Last year, 16,309 madrasa students obtained GPA-5 while 64 students under the Technical Education Board attained GPA- 5.

A total 50,624 male students got GPA-5 the better results than the female 32,337 GPA- 5 this year SSC and equivalent examinations.

Of those institutions achieved 100 percent success rate, 150 institutions are from Dhaka, 141 from Rajshahi, 85 from Comilla, 33 from Jessore, 31 from Chittagong, 32 from Barisal, 43 from Sylhet, 46 from Dinajpur while 2,308 are under Madrasa board and 58 under Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB).

One school from Dhaka, two from Jessore, four from Barisal, two from Dinajpur, one from Sylhet, eight under the BTEB and 31 under Madrasa Board failed to have any successful candidate this year.

The Ministry of Education published the results within 59 days after the SSC examination held in last February.

This year for the first time creative question was introduced in the subjects of Bangla First Paper and Religion.

Principal says: Viqarunnisa victim of new ranking system

Viqarunnisa Noon School lost its first position this year and came up at the fourth position in overall SSC result.

Over the last few years, Viqarunnisa continuously secured first position but this year, they stood fourth in institutional ranking in the SSC exam.

Principal of the School Rokeya Aktar Begum claimed that because of the new ranking system, they lost their position. She told reporters after the publication of the results that if the previous system were valid then Viqarunnisa would get the first position.

It may be mentioned that the Education Ministry introduced new ranking system due to four facts- number of student of the institution, attending rate in the exam, passing rate in the exam and achievement of GPA 5.

Ramna thana ASI killed

Mirzapur police yesterday recovered the body of an assistant sub-inspector of Ramna Police Station from Charpara area of Tangail.

The body of Shah Mizanur Rahman, 35, was found lying beside the Dhaka-Tangail highway and it

was recovered at about 7:30 AM, police said.

Assistant Superintendent of Tangail police Mahfuzur Rahman Khan Mamun told The New Nation that the body bore several injury marks.

Police suspected that miscreants strangled Mizanur to death somewhere and later dumped his body beside the highway.

Officer-in-Charge of Mirzapur Police Station Habibullah Sarkar informed that the dead hails from Madhupur upazila of Tangail.

The body was sent to Tangail General Hospital for autopsy.

It was the second murder of a police officer in a couple of days after the killing of SI Goutam.

Delay in publishing results DU marks 21 faltering teachers

A list of 21 teachers responsible for delays in publishing exam results at Dhaka university has been made. It was prepared by the university authorities.

The University rule is that Results must be declared three months following the completion of the exams.

The drawing up of a list follows demonstrations by students from the philosophy and law departments and a recent meeting between the students of the sociology department and the vice-chancellor about providing their results immediately since the delay has hit unprecedented levels.

When contacted, pro-vice chancellor and head of the exam monitoring cell, professor Harun-or-Rashid said discussions would be held about these teachers with the concerned department chairmen, heads of exam committees and the deans.

The next step would be taken after presenting the matter in the syndicate meeting, he added.

Professor Khondakar Mokaddem Hossain took 34 days in collecting the scripts and 72 days for submitting them. He also ran 65 days behind schedule for submission of scripts of the masters’ exams of 2007.

Professor Sadeka Halim took three months 26 days and five days for submission of scripts. She also delayed four months six days in submission of masters’ scripts after evaluation.

Professor Amanullah Ferdous delayed three months 18 days in submission of scripts, one month seven days in accepting scripts and four months 27 days for submitting them.

Professor Kamrul Ahsan Chowdhury took one month two days in receiving scripts and took three months 11 days in submission.

Professor Sardar Aminul Islam delayed three months six days in receiving answer scripts and took one month nine days in submission.

Associate professor Nasima Sultana of the anthropology department was engaged as external examiner of the sociology department. She took two months 26 days to receive the scripts and took one month 18 days for submission.

The bachelor’s exam of 2008 of the sociology department was completed in Nov 2009 but the result has not yet been published.

Two teachers from the department delayed in submitting answer scripts of the first year bachelor’s exam of 2008.

Nurul Islam Nazem delayed six months and six days to submit the answer scripts, while Ziaus Shams took five months and eighteen days.

The examination was completed in Mar 2009, but the result was only given on Dec 30.

Israfil Shahin of the department took an additional six months and fifteen days in the evaluation of 14 scripts for the year 2007 while Wahida Mallick took six months twelve days.

This examination was held on Feb 1, 2009 with its result declared in December.

Associate professor Jamalunnessa took almost one and half months more than the allotted time to check her scripts.

Mamunur Rashid was late by one month and 14 days with the scripts of masters’ exam of 2007.

A student told bdnews24.com that result of the exam held in Nov 2009 has yet to be published.

Over and above the three months allowed, Md Zahirul Islam Mazumder took an additional two months and three days for submitting the masters’ scripts of 2007. Assistant professor Syed Mohammad Ullah took one month 27 days and HM Asadul Huq one month 14 days, Mamunur Rashid took one month 14 days and Md Zahirul Huq Mazumder three months three days.

The result is yet to be declared though the practical and viva exams were completed in March. The exam was held in Oct 2009.

Dil Rawshan Jinnat Ara Nazneen took an additional two months 25 days – over and above the allotted three months – to check her scripts from an examination completed in Nov 2009.

The result was only announced on April 28 the next year.

Professor Niranjan Adhikari took an additional two months 18 days in the evaluation of 29 scripts.

Professor Helaluddin Khan Arefin of the anthropology department took an additional one year eight months 12 days in the evaluation of an M Phil thesis.

Associate professor Mohammad Azizul Huq delayed one month twenty one days in receiving the scripts.

Bangladesh to examine power import deal with India

The Bangladesh government formed a committee Monday to review a deal signed earlier with India on open-ended import and export of electricity, before ratifying the deal for power purchase from the larger neighbour, an official said.Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Planning Minister AK Khandaker and Moshiur Rahman, finance advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, were given responsibility to examine the memorandum of understanding signed during the premier’s January visit to New Delhi, Hasina’s press officer Abul Kalam Azad said.Once the deal is ratified, the Bangladesh Power Development Board and India’s Thermal Power Corporation will sign a contract on the import, Azad said after a weekly meeting of the council of ministers, noting that the government had decided to increase domestic power generation alongside imports from neighbouring countries.Energy-starved Bangladesh presently produces a maximum of 4,200 megawatts of electricity against demand of 6,000 megawatts.Hasina had recently said her government would import 500 megawatts from India. The government was also pursuing energy cooperation with nearby Bhutan and Nepal.In a recent statement, Hasina outlined that her government would be able to add more than 9,000 megawatts of electricity in both public and private sectors by 2015.

Channel 1 goes off the air

Private television Channel 1 went off the air Tuesday due to non-compliance of regulations.

The regulator body has shut down broadcasting activities of Channel 1 Tuesday evening, said the chief of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

BTRC chairman Zia Ahmed said that the private television channel has violated the telecoms act as it had handed over its broadcasting equipment to another entity.

The channel had procured its equipments through bank financing and failing to pay, the equipment were auctioned.

“According to the telecoms act one cannot handover broadcasting equipments,” Ahmed told bdnews24.com on Tuesday.

He said that despite several notifications and show cause notices by the BTRC the private television channel did not respond.

Bangladesh anger over India films

Bangladeshi film-makers and actors say they have forced the government to reverse last weekend’s decision to allow cinemas to show Indian films.

Representatives of the film industry complained that the move could wipe out thousands of jobs.

There has been no official word yet from the government.

But a leading Bangladeshi film star told the BBC that the prime minister’s office had indicated the ban on Indian films would not be lifted after all.

The star, Razzak, said that a demonstration would not now go ahead as planned.

Film industry leaders had warned that 25,000 jobs could be in danger if Bangladeshi cinemas were allowed to show Indian movies.

They were banned in 1972 to protect local film makers and the local culture.

But cinema owners complain that Bangladeshi-made films are simply not popular enough, and that the middle-classes in particular prefer now to watch pirated DVDs of Bollywood films in the comfort of their own homes.

The previous government clamped down on the cinemas showing pornographic movies and many have since been forced to close.

On Saturday, the commerce minister announced that the ban on Indian films would be lifted to help the cinemas, but the actors seem to have won the argument – at least for now.