CPD
recommends commission for Rana Plaza victims (The Dhaka Tribune, April 24, 2014)
The Centre for Policy Dialogue has suggested the government to establish a national commission with strong executive authority to solve the problems affecting the Rana Plaza victims and the garment sector as a whole. Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the local think-tank, said the commission would be headed by a high-powered person with other responsible people from within and outside the government, particularly from the civil society. Sobhan also said there should be full transparency and accountability about the funds being mobilised in the name of Rana Plaza victims from both domestic and international sources. Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of CPD, said the government would have to see whether April 24 could be declared Workers' Safety Day.
Understanding the pain of the victims (The Daily Star, April 24, 2014)
During the months of March and April this year, a multidisciplinary research team from Brac conducted a study to find out the present conditions of the survivors who received rehabilitation assistance from Brac. For the study, data was collected on the socioeconomic status of 26 survivors, their physical and mental condition, demographic information, assistance received from other sources, the treatments they sought in the last one year and their future goals and aspirations. As revealed through the research, the survivors mentioned that they are no longer receiving the free treatment they were once promised. Of the 26 survivors, 11 are amputees who received prosthetic and monetary support from Brac, the study reveals.
Bangladesh hardly benefited from duty-free Indian market, trade experts say(Dhaka Tribune, April 23, 2014)
Bangladesh has failed to take advantage of the duty-free access to Indian market due to reasons, including lack of leadership, coordination, infrastructure bottlenecks and cumbersome export procedure. According to trade analysts, Bangladesh needs to diversify its export base, in order to enhance exports to the market. India allowed all but 25 Bangladeshi products duty-free in their market in 2011, though the opportunity was used only to buy trucks instead of developing the infrastructure.
Bangladesh factory victims get fund payout(SBS, April 23, 2014)
A fund created to compensate victims of Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster has made its first payments as the country marks the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse. The fund is paying about 3000 people - survivors or families of the dead - 50,000 taka each as an advance against their claims. So far, only $15 million has been collected in the trust fund managed by the International Labour Organisation against the required amount of $40 million. Of the 29 retailers, only British retailer Primark has put in $10 million.The nine-storey factory complex, where dozens of Western retailers were making clothing, collapsed on April 24 last year, killing 1138 people and injuring more than 2000.
Rajuk asked to identify unauthorised buildings (Dhaka Tribune, April 23, 2014)
The parliamentary standing committee on public accounts has asked Rajuk, the city development authority, to prepare, within a month, a list of the buildings constructed in the capital violating laws as well as to initiate departmental action against its officials who were involved in destroying the files and allowed the realtors to construct high-rise buildings in prime locations in the capital.
BGMEA, GIZ join hands to bring sustainable dev in garment industries(The Financial Express, April 23, 2014)
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) with a view to bringing sustainable development in the garment manufacturing industries in the country. Under the MoU, the GIZ, an international enterprise operating in more than 130 countries worldwide, will implement a joint project undertaken by the governments of Bangladesh and the Germany to increase the environmental capacity of the local apparel industries, which are lagging behind to comply with the environmental issues.
Hero to set up plant in Bangladesh (Press Display, April 22, 2014)
India’s largest motorcycle maker has announced a joint venture with Bangladesh’s Nitol Niloy group. The two plan to invest around $40 million over the next five years. The joint venture, in which Hero MotoCorp will hold a 55% stake and the rest will lie with the Bangladeshi partner, plans to set up a new manufacturing facility which will have an annual capacity of 150,000 units when fully functional by the second quarter of 2015¬. The diversified Nitol Niloy group has interests in various sectors and also markets vehicles in Bangladesh.
Good job done-TIB finds 31pc pledges implemented, 60pc in progress, says Bangladesh proves it can tackle disasters like Rana Plaza (The Daily Star, April 22, 2014)
The anti-graft organization, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has released a report which assessed the country's progress in improving labour standards and working conditions since the garment industry saw its worst disaster on April 24 last year. The report praised the government for turning the factory inspection directorate into a full-fledged department, amending labour laws, formulating occupational and health policy, allowing trade unions, appointing more inspectors and raising minimum wages. In the previous assessment, the TIB identified 63 areas of governance challenges that Bangladesh needed to overcome to ensure a better workplace for more than four million garment workers
MCCI pushes for higher tax-free income ceiling(The Daily Star, April 21, 2014)
The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has urged the government to increase the tax-free income ceiling for individuals and cut corporate tax. The chamber recommended that the corporate tax rate should be lowered to 20 percent from 27.5 percent now for publicly traded for listed companies and to 25 percent from 37.5 percent for the other companies. The chamber also suggested reducing the flat corporate tax rate for banks, insurance companies and non-bank financial institutes to 35 percent from 42.5 percent.
$500m remittances flow in, 11 days into April (Dhaka Tribune, April 19, 2014)
In the current fiscal year of 2013-14, Bangladesh received a total of $10.479bn in remittances until March. According to a Bangladesh Bank statement, non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) living abroad have sent a total of $495.86m from April 1-11 of the current year. Of this, $160.63m came into the country in the first four days while the remaining $335.23m flowed in between April 5-11. The most significant portion of remittances entered the country through private banking channels.
Bangladesh files contempt case against British reporter (AFP, April 18, 2014)
Bangladesh's war crime tribunal launched a contempt case against a Dhaka-based British journalist, David Bergman, for allegedly criticising the court in his writings and questioning the death toll from the nation's 1971 independence war. The International Crimes Tribunal -- a domestic court set up by the country's secular government to try suspected war criminals including opposition leaders and key Islamists -- initiated the case after rejecting Bergman's assertion that the articles were "accurate".
Bangladesh seizes properties of owner of collapsed factory(Global Post, April 17, 2014)
The Bangladesh government has seized properties belonging to the Sohel Rana, owner of a building that collapsed and killed 1,138 garment workers, the worst industrial disaster in the country's history. The government announced the property seizures months after the High Court ordered them confiscated, and just one week before the first anniversary of the tragedy in the industrial district of Savar.
The Centre for Policy Dialogue has suggested the government to establish a national commission with strong executive authority to solve the problems affecting the Rana Plaza victims and the garment sector as a whole. Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the local think-tank, said the commission would be headed by a high-powered person with other responsible people from within and outside the government, particularly from the civil society. Sobhan also said there should be full transparency and accountability about the funds being mobilised in the name of Rana Plaza victims from both domestic and international sources. Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of CPD, said the government would have to see whether April 24 could be declared Workers' Safety Day.
Understanding the pain of the victims (The Daily Star, April 24, 2014)
During the months of March and April this year, a multidisciplinary research team from Brac conducted a study to find out the present conditions of the survivors who received rehabilitation assistance from Brac. For the study, data was collected on the socioeconomic status of 26 survivors, their physical and mental condition, demographic information, assistance received from other sources, the treatments they sought in the last one year and their future goals and aspirations. As revealed through the research, the survivors mentioned that they are no longer receiving the free treatment they were once promised. Of the 26 survivors, 11 are amputees who received prosthetic and monetary support from Brac, the study reveals.
Bangladesh hardly benefited from duty-free Indian market, trade experts say(Dhaka Tribune, April 23, 2014)
Bangladesh has failed to take advantage of the duty-free access to Indian market due to reasons, including lack of leadership, coordination, infrastructure bottlenecks and cumbersome export procedure. According to trade analysts, Bangladesh needs to diversify its export base, in order to enhance exports to the market. India allowed all but 25 Bangladeshi products duty-free in their market in 2011, though the opportunity was used only to buy trucks instead of developing the infrastructure.
Bangladesh factory victims get fund payout(SBS, April 23, 2014)
A fund created to compensate victims of Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster has made its first payments as the country marks the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse. The fund is paying about 3000 people - survivors or families of the dead - 50,000 taka each as an advance against their claims. So far, only $15 million has been collected in the trust fund managed by the International Labour Organisation against the required amount of $40 million. Of the 29 retailers, only British retailer Primark has put in $10 million.The nine-storey factory complex, where dozens of Western retailers were making clothing, collapsed on April 24 last year, killing 1138 people and injuring more than 2000.
Rajuk asked to identify unauthorised buildings (Dhaka Tribune, April 23, 2014)
The parliamentary standing committee on public accounts has asked Rajuk, the city development authority, to prepare, within a month, a list of the buildings constructed in the capital violating laws as well as to initiate departmental action against its officials who were involved in destroying the files and allowed the realtors to construct high-rise buildings in prime locations in the capital.
BGMEA, GIZ join hands to bring sustainable dev in garment industries(The Financial Express, April 23, 2014)
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) with a view to bringing sustainable development in the garment manufacturing industries in the country. Under the MoU, the GIZ, an international enterprise operating in more than 130 countries worldwide, will implement a joint project undertaken by the governments of Bangladesh and the Germany to increase the environmental capacity of the local apparel industries, which are lagging behind to comply with the environmental issues.
Hero to set up plant in Bangladesh (Press Display, April 22, 2014)
India’s largest motorcycle maker has announced a joint venture with Bangladesh’s Nitol Niloy group. The two plan to invest around $40 million over the next five years. The joint venture, in which Hero MotoCorp will hold a 55% stake and the rest will lie with the Bangladeshi partner, plans to set up a new manufacturing facility which will have an annual capacity of 150,000 units when fully functional by the second quarter of 2015¬. The diversified Nitol Niloy group has interests in various sectors and also markets vehicles in Bangladesh.
Good job done-TIB finds 31pc pledges implemented, 60pc in progress, says Bangladesh proves it can tackle disasters like Rana Plaza (The Daily Star, April 22, 2014)
The anti-graft organization, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has released a report which assessed the country's progress in improving labour standards and working conditions since the garment industry saw its worst disaster on April 24 last year. The report praised the government for turning the factory inspection directorate into a full-fledged department, amending labour laws, formulating occupational and health policy, allowing trade unions, appointing more inspectors and raising minimum wages. In the previous assessment, the TIB identified 63 areas of governance challenges that Bangladesh needed to overcome to ensure a better workplace for more than four million garment workers
MCCI pushes for higher tax-free income ceiling(The Daily Star, April 21, 2014)
The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has urged the government to increase the tax-free income ceiling for individuals and cut corporate tax. The chamber recommended that the corporate tax rate should be lowered to 20 percent from 27.5 percent now for publicly traded for listed companies and to 25 percent from 37.5 percent for the other companies. The chamber also suggested reducing the flat corporate tax rate for banks, insurance companies and non-bank financial institutes to 35 percent from 42.5 percent.
$500m remittances flow in, 11 days into April (Dhaka Tribune, April 19, 2014)
In the current fiscal year of 2013-14, Bangladesh received a total of $10.479bn in remittances until March. According to a Bangladesh Bank statement, non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) living abroad have sent a total of $495.86m from April 1-11 of the current year. Of this, $160.63m came into the country in the first four days while the remaining $335.23m flowed in between April 5-11. The most significant portion of remittances entered the country through private banking channels.
Bangladesh files contempt case against British reporter (AFP, April 18, 2014)
Bangladesh's war crime tribunal launched a contempt case against a Dhaka-based British journalist, David Bergman, for allegedly criticising the court in his writings and questioning the death toll from the nation's 1971 independence war. The International Crimes Tribunal -- a domestic court set up by the country's secular government to try suspected war criminals including opposition leaders and key Islamists -- initiated the case after rejecting Bergman's assertion that the articles were "accurate".
Bangladesh seizes properties of owner of collapsed factory(Global Post, April 17, 2014)
The Bangladesh government has seized properties belonging to the Sohel Rana, owner of a building that collapsed and killed 1,138 garment workers, the worst industrial disaster in the country's history. The government announced the property seizures months after the High Court ordered them confiscated, and just one week before the first anniversary of the tragedy in the industrial district of Savar.
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