31-10-2022

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2022
8
General Banking Module of National Bank Limited has been concluded at the Training Institute of the
bank on 27 October 2022. 40 (Forty) Probationary officers from different branches of NBL participated
in this Training Course. Sheikh Akhter Uddin Ahmed, SEVP & Divisional Head, Human Resources
Division of NBL was present in the Concluding ceremony as the chief guest and distributed certificates
among the participants. Shah Syed Rafiul Bari, Vice President & Principal of NBTI was also present in
the program.
Photo : Courtesy
50 thousand CVs submitted at
Khulna BDjobs job fair
50 thousand CVs were
submitted in the day-long job
fair held to recruit 1,000
employees in various
organizations at BdJobs job
fair held in Khulna on
Thursday. Around 20
thousand job aspirants
gathered at the gymnasium
hall adjacent to Khulna
district stadium to participate
in the job fair.
"More than 20,000 jobseeking
boys and girls from
Khulna and its surroundings
have applied for jobs in tha
fair", said the founder and
chief executive officer (CEO)
of BdJobs A. K. M. Fahim
Mashroor.
Fahim Mashroor said,
leading companies of the
country including including
Akiz Group, Walton, Crown
Cement, Bangladesh Edible
Oil, Kazi Farms Group, Quazi
Enterprises, Sushilan, CSS,
Rupantor, Jagrata Jubo
Sangha participated in the
fair, a press release said.
Twenty thousand job
aspirants have applied for
more than 50,000 jobs in 200
posts of these institutions, he
said. The government's
special program for building
digital Bangladesh, A2I and
BRAC Skill Development
Program has given full
support to this job fair, he
added.
Prokash Roy Chowdhury,
marketing director of the
organization, said Bdjobs.com
aim is to facilitate the
employment of the educated
unemployed youth in the
remote areas of the country.
"By organizing fairs in
different cities of the country
like Dhaka, Chattogram,
Sylhet, the employment
system of the private remains
somewhat balanced and the
employer organizations find
regionally qualified and
skilled workers. The
participation of women job
seekers in the Khulna job fair
was remarkable", he added.
BGMEA calls on South
Korea's Youngone to invest
more in Bangladesh
DHAKA : The Bangladesh
Garment Manufacturers and
Exporters Association
(BGMEA) has called on South
Korea's Youngone
Corporation to invest more in
Bangladesh and increase
apparel sourcing from here.
A delegation headed by
BGMEA President Faruque
Hassan visited Youngone
Corporation headquarters in
Seoul Friday.
Faruque stressed the
importance of collaborative
growth and exploring the
areas of excellence, especially
a shift to non-cotton textiles
and garments, product
development and innovative
capacity building.
Youngone Chairman Kihak
Sung showed interest in
working for expanding
business in Bangladesh and
collaborating with the
BGMEA.
The BGMEA delegation
included its Vice-President
Shahidullah Azim, Director
Asif Ashraf; Managing
Director of DBL Group MA
Jabbar, Managing Director of
Hams Group Md Shafiqur
Rahman, and Director of
Giant Group Ashaab Adeeb
Hassan, and Managing
Director of Youngone
Corporation Shaikh Shahinur
Rahman.
Nuzhat Anwar, senior
country officer of the
International Finance
Corporation (IFC)
Bangladesh, and Nishat
Chowdhury, programme
manager of IFC's
"Partnership for Cleaner
Textile: PaCT," were also
present.
Key US inflation
measure maintains
pace in September
WASHINGTON : A key
measure of US inflation
kept its pace in September
while consumer spending
remained strong,
government data showed
Friday,
fueling
expectations of a further
interest rate hike by the
central bank next week.
The latest data fails to
provide reprieve to
President Joe Biden or the
Federal Reserve, with price
pressures still elevated
ahead of key midterm
elections.
The Fed's preferred
inflation measure, the
personal consumption
expenditures (PCE) price
index, rose 6.2 percent
from a year ago in
September, the same rate
as the month before,
Commerce Department
data showed.
While the index held
steady from August as well,
in line with expectations, a
measure removing the
volatile food and energy
components edged closer
to a multi-decade high.
Policymakers have been
battling to cool surging
inflation, worsened by
supply chain snarls and the
fallout from Russia's
invasion of Ukraine, which
sent food and energy prices
soaring globally.
The Fed focuses on the
PCE price index as it
reflects consumers' actual
spending, including shifts
to lower cost items, unlike
the more well-known
consumer price index
(CPI).
Although the CPI has
come down from June's
decades-high rate of 9.1
percent, higher prices
remain top-of-mind for
voters days before
elections.
While inflation "slowed
in the third quarter, with
energy prices coming
down," Biden said in a
statement, he reiterated
that policymakers have
more work to do to lower
costs.
Friday's data also showed
that household spending
rose 0.6 percent in
September, with housing
and utilities, along with
transportation services,
becoming more pricey.
"Consumers earned
more and ramped up their
spending," said Oren
Klachkin of Oxford
Economics.
But this is "a dynamic
that can't persist
indefinitely," with
households dipping into
savings to keep up with
price hikes, he said.
Food prices were 11.9
percent higher than a year
ago in September, while
energy prices spiked 20.3
percent, data showed.
The Fed has raised
interest rates aggressively
this year to try to cool
demand and lower
inflation pressures, and
officials are widely
expected to press on with
rate hikes at an upcoming
policy meeting next month.
Excluding food and
energy, the PCE price index
rose 5.1 percent from last
year, pointing to broader
increases in the costs of
goods and services.
This brings it "closer
towards a multi-decade
high," noted Klachkin.
Compared with the prior
month, the index rose 0.5
percent, excluding food
and energy.
High inflation is "forcing
the Fed to hike rates
further," said Rubeela
Farooqi, chief US
economist at High
Frequency Economics,
adding that this means
there are risks ahead to
consumption and growth.
Kuakata tourism, fisheries sector
hit hard by load shedding
PATUAKHALI : Already hit-hard by the
Covid-19 pandemic when the tourism
and fisheries sectors in Kuakata, are
trying to make a comeback the recent
increase is load shedding has become
another blow to the local businesses.
Among those who are taking the brunt
the most are hotel-motel owners in
Kuakata, wholesale fish traders in the
district's Alipur and Mahipur landing
stations and the trawler owners.
When the government decided to stop
buying liquified natural gas (LNG) from
the international spot market because of
a sharp price increase in July, the power
supply situation began to deteriorate.
Daily one hour area-based load-shedding
started across Bangladesh from July 19 in
a bid to tackle the ongoing energy crisis.
Owners of hotels-motels, ice mills and
fish traders said they are incurring huge
losses due to incessant power cuts.
However, Kuakata Palli Bidyut Samity
authorities seem unwilling to accept the
fact. According to them, power cuts have
no impact on the hospitality industry of
the district.
Motaleb Sharif, General Secretary of
Kuakata Hotel Motel Owners Association
and Owner of Kuakata Guest House, said
that the number of tourists in Kuakata is
decreasing due to load shedding.
"There are a total of 150 big and small
hotels and motels in Kuakata. Although
these places used to buzz with tourists in
the past, this isn't the case anymore.
We're frustrated as load shedding
happens five to six times a day. As a
result, tourists are losing their interest in
coming here," Motaleb said.
Motaleb added that although they had
informed the Prime Minister's Energy
Advisor Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury
about the problem and demanded the
establishment of a power sub-station in
the area, no steps have been taken yet.
Rahim Khan, Owner of Khan Palace,
said that electronic products including
refrigerators and air conditioners are
getting damaged due to the rampant
power outages.
"We've to spend more than what we
earn from the boarders. We experience
load shedding even on peak days like
Friday and Saturday, which is resulting in
the arrival of fewer tourists here.
Although a 1320MW thermal power
plant has been built in Payra, the people
of Patuakhali are yet to reap its benefits,"
Rahim said.
Ahsan Kabir, Assistant General
Manager (AGM) of Kuakata Palli Bidyut
Samity, denied the allegations, saying
that they supply sufficient electricity to
the southern part of the district.
"We've kept 6MW-7MW electricity in
reserve for Kuakata. There is no shortage
in electricity supply. Sometimes load
shedding happens if branches of trees fall
on the transmission lines during natural
disasters," Ahsan said.
The situation started getting worse in
July when the government decided to
stop purchase of liquified natural gas
(LNG) from the international spot
market due to a massive price hike.
Catching and selling of fish are the
primary sources of income for the coastal
people. There are a total of 5,000 fishing
trawlers, 25,000 fishermen and 86
warehouses in Alipur and Mahipur of
Patuakhali. Besides, a total of 46 ice mills
have been built on the two sides of
Khapravanga river to preserve fish.
Almost half of the district's ice mills
have been shut down due to load
shedding. As a result, traders have to
spend extra bucks in buying ice from
Khulna and Barishal and transport it to
Patuakhali.
First Security Islami Exchange, Italy S.R.L organized a Meet the Clients Program at Milan,
Italyregarding providing of modern technology based remittance payment. The program was organized
by First Security Islami Exchange, Italy S.R.Lwith the participation of its agent and clients. Syed
Waseque Md. Ali, Managing Director of First Security Islami Bank Ltd. was present as the chief guest
in the program. Among others, Md. Hamid Alam, Country Manager, Mr. Farid Ahmed Bhuyian,
Operations Manager, Rahat Jaman, Executive Officer, First Security Islami Exchange, Italy S.R.L
were present in the program.
Photo : Courtesy
Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) opened its 178th branch in Chuadanga on 30 October 2022. Dr.
Md. Mahbub Ul Alam, Chairman of SIBL, was present as the chief guest while Zafar Alam, Managing
Director and CEO of the Bank, presided over the program. Among others, Abu Reza Md. Yeahia,
Additional Managing Director of SIBL, Syed Asaduzzaman, Managing Director of Zaman Group, Md.
Shamsul Alam, Executive Director of SEHEO, Touhid Hossain, eminent political & social personality,
Md. Mohibul Kadir, Head of Khulna Zone, Md. Moniruzzaman, Head of Marketing and Brand
Communication and Saif Al-Amin, Head of BC & GBD, bank officers, local businessmen, journalists,
and dignitaries were also present at the event. Manager of Chuadanga Branch Md. Ashraful Haque
expressed thanks & gratitude at the end of the program.
Photo : Courtesy
Comfy introduces thirty new
designs of comforter in winter
Comfy, bedding brand of
country's leading business
conglomerate RFL Group,
has introduced thirty new
designs of comforter with
eye-catching designs for the
winter. R N Paul, Managing
Director of RFLGroup,
unveiled the new designs of
comforter at the head office
of the Group at Badda in the
capital on Sunday, a press
release said.
The comforter, made from
high quality raw materials
and using of automatic
machine, are now available
across the country. Not only
this, these comforters are
easily portable, light in
weight, comfortable and
easy to clean.
Addressing the occasion,
RN Paul said, "The demand
for comforters as an
alternative to blankets is
increasing day by day in our
country during the winter
season. Once, this comforter
was almost imported. RFL
always manufactures
products keeping in mind
the needs of the customers.
That is why, we are
producing the best quality
comforters in our own
factory with quality raw
materials using of automatic
machine and are getting
huge response from the
customers".
He also said that currently
there are ten designs with
two size-single and doubleare
available now in the
market. This winter 30 new
designs are launched
keeping in mind the
customer's choice.Now-adays,
people are fashion
conscious. They emphasize
on design of any product
apart from quality. That is
why,Comfy has brought
such a large number of
designs in the market so that
the customer can buy their
desired design.
KaziRashedul Islam,
Executive Director of Comfy,
said, "Currently, Comfy
Comforter is available across
the country through Regal
Emporium, Best Buy, Daily