Bata launches over 400 new designer shoes for Eid shoppers

Bata Shoe Company on Monday launched more than 400 new designer shoes for Eid shoppers.

Bata Bangladesh managing director Muhammad Qayyum told a news conference at a city hotel that the company introduced the new designer shoes in all categories at its outlets across the country ahead of the great festival.

He said that he expects Bata's wide variety of designer shoes would enrich the shoe collection of the shoppers' families.

He said Bata designed a wide variety of leather shoes and sandals ahead of Eid keeping comfort in view.

Bata merchandising manager Omar Faisal Chowdhury said that genuine leather uppers are hygienically and scientifically processed at the company's own tannery.

He said Bata installed most modern effluent treatment plant at its tannery to ensure environmental safety.

In Bangladesh, he said, shoes are synonymous with the 'Bata brand.'

He said that as a pioneer footwear manufacturer and marketer Bata always made best efforts to design and develop new shoes to cater to the changing tastes of men, women and children.

Bata retail manager Bishwajit Roy, non retail sales manager Ruhul Amin, head of Human Resources Habibur Rahman were present at the news conference.

Source : New Age

Robi Axiata appoints adviser

Robi Axiata Limited on Monday announced that Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan OBE, former managing director of BOC Bangladesh, has been appointed adviser to the board of directors of the company.

Bhuiyan was the president of Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry for three times. He is currently an adviser to BOC Bangladesh, a member of the Board of Directors of ACI Limited, an executive board member of International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh chapter and was formerly director of Biman Bangladesh Limited and Chittagong Stock Exchange Limited, said a news release.

Source : New Age

Gallerie Apex includes over 300 new designs in Eid offers

Gallerie Apex, leading footwear manufacturer of Bangladesh, on Monday included 300 variations of shoes and sandals in its Eid-ul-Fitr offer for the consumers.

This collection includes 130 designs for men, 90 for ladies, 70 for children and 10 in the sports category, executive director of Gallerie Apex SAM Yousuf disclosed this in a press briefing at Apex building in the capital.

The new designs footwear will be found in 300 different apex outlets in the country         and the price range of the footwear are — men's shoes from Tk 1,450 to Tk 6,000, men's sandals Tk 450 to Tk 3,200, ladies' Tk 450 to Tk 3,000, children's Tk 390 to Tk 1,250 and sports Tk 550 to Tk 2,450.

The company chairman, Syed Manzur Elahi, managing director Syed Nasim Manzur, deputy managing director Syed Gias Hussain were also present at the briefing.

Source : New Age

Extra city buses for Ramadan

The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation will launch additional buses in the city streets during Ramadan while more compartments would be added to the Dhaka-Narayanganj commuter train, the communications minister has said.

'Even footpath hawkers won't be evicted during the fasting month,' Syed Abul Hossain told reporters on Monday, after a meeting with a delegation of the Asian Development Bank at the ministry.

'We've taken some initiatives to ease the city's gridlock during Ramadan, including closure of educational institutions,' he said.

About the meeting with the ADB representatives, he said there were discussions on launching a new bus service on the Airport-Gazipur route.

The minister also said that ADB has also agreed to help build rail tracks from Dhaka to Mawa.

Responding to a query, Hossain said, 'Compensation will be given for damage of property in the construction work of elevated expressway.'

Source : New Age

Demand for medical university in Rajshahi

Several hundred former and present leaders and activists of Bangladesh

Chhatra League on Monday formed a human chain in Rajshahi city in demand of declaring Rajshahi Medical College as a medical university.

Sources said more than two hundred BCL leaders and activists of Rajshahi University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi Medical College and Rajshahi College brought out separate processions and after parading several city points gathered at Shaheb Bazar Zero Point of the city.

Later, they formed a kilometre-long human chain also participated by activists of the ruling Awami League, Juba League, and freedom fighters.

Speakers from the human chain demanded upgrading the Rajshhai Medical College to a medical university and to rename it after the national martyred leader AHM Kamruzzaman.

The ruling party supporters vowed to continue their agitation and also threatened to launch a movement if their demand was not met.

They recalled the contribution of AHM Kamruz-zaman to the country and his pioneering role in the Liberation War.

The participants demanded setting up of an intensive care unit and casualty centre at the medical college.

Source : New Age

7 Ctg schools ordered to use school bus

The traffic police authorities have ordered seven schools of the Chittagong city to use school bus instead of allowing the students to use private cars in a bid to address traffic congestion on the city roads.

The traffic police have also given the schools authorities three months to manage own transportation system.

In this regard, the traffic police sent letters to the seven schools on Monday to buy school bus or to rent bus for the transportation of the students, sources in the schools told New Age.

Before that, the schools authorities in a meeting between the schools and the police at the Chittagong Metropolitan Police headquarters on July 27 were orally instructed.

Additional district commissioner, headmasters of the city corporations' schools and relevant officials were present in the meeting.

The seven schools which have been ordered to use school bus are Dr Khstogir Girls High School, Bangladesh Mahila Samity Girls High School and College, Ispahani Public School and College, William Kerry School, Chittagong Ideal School and College, Salima Siraz Mohila Madrassah and Radiant School and College —  all located beside the busy roads of the city.

Farooq Ahmed, deputy commissioner (traffic), CMP told New Age, 'Students of the seven schools use private transport in big number that cause traffic jam in the busy roads. So we have told the school authorities to buy school bus. I hope that traffic jam in the city will reduce to a great extent if this step is implemented.'

Source : New Age

School, house burnt in Ctg fire

A fire burned a school and a thatched house at Maijpara near Textile Gate under Baizeed police station in the Chittagong city early Monday.

The fire originated form a short circuit and burned a school, run by BRAC, and a four-room thatched house, owned by one Rasheda Begum, at Maijpara at around 1:00am.

Two units of fire fighters for the Baizeed fire station put out the fire after one hour's effort.

According to the officials of the Chittagong Fire Control Room, valuables worth about Tk 2.5 lakh was damaged in the fire.

Source : New Age

Rajshahi patients in grip of agents of clinics, physicians

Patients at public health centres, including Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, in the city are facing trouble because of the agents of physicians and clinics.

The agents take position at the entrance of public hospitals, bus stands, railway stations and other places to grab the patients and persuade them to go to their respective clinics or private chambers of physicians.

The first hurdle a patient has to cross to reach most physicians at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital are the agents who offer to fix appointments with the specialists — of course for a cut.

There have even been cases in which patients were not admitted to private clinics, run by unscrupulous physicians, because the patients did not approach through the agents, while regular patients burn a hole in their pockets paying the middlemen.

During a visit by the New Age correspondent on Monday, several dozens of these agents were seen at the main gate and other entrances to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Rajshahi Tuberculosis Hospital and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital's dental unit.

Their modus operandi is simple: at the sight of patients, the agents surround them and 'advise' them against getting admitted to the hospital since healthcare was not a priority for the physicians there.

Thereafter, the agents 'suggest' many clinics with state-of-the-art facilities and 24-hour presence of specialist physicians and nurses at a 'reasonable cost', sources at several government hospitals said.

Since most patients, or their family members and attendants, are ignorant about medical details, the pressure tactic acts in many cases and the patients often approach the private clinics in desperation, many victimised patients' relatives confirmed.

Sources said many physicians of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and other government hospitals in Rajshahi carry on private practice at clinics, and the authorities at these clinics appoint the agents to get patients for a commission.

New Age has learnt that many government physicians with private practice and owners of the clinics they work in give the agents printed cards.

But sources said once a patient is admitted to a clinic or visits a doctor, the clinic authorities or the doctor takes away the agent's card to hide their association with the agent and also to pay the agent his/her commission.

A female agent can be seen sitting outside one doctor's chamber at RMCH near the outdoor patient's ward. Any patient approaching the woman would be told that the doctor is busy but the patient can consult him at his private chamber.

The woman was caught by the police on several occasions but to no avail — she still carries out the same business outside the same doctor's chamber. 

According to sources in the hospital, the woman is paid a commission of Tk 50 per patient. Some rickshaw pullers are also working in Rajshahi city as commission agents of physicians.

A rickshaw puller, residing at city Asam Colony, told New Age that he was working in favour of a well-known gynaecologist who has a chamber at Zilia Medicare in the city. 

`While a female patient with her attendants get down from a bus or trains, I reach to them and persuade them to go to Zilia Medicare,' he said.

Tariful Islam, from Mohadevpur in Naogaon with his ailing wife Afroza Khatun, on Monday told New Age that they had decided to go Rajshahi Medical College Hospital but the rickshaw puller, carrying them, influenced them to go a private clinic.

'The physician of the clinic, after visiting my wife, prescribed several "unnecessary" tests which were very expensive,' he added.

Some physicians including Rajshahi Medical College orthopaedic Professor BK Dam also admitted the problems.  

He told New Age that awareness among the patients and their guardians and also civil society men should be increased to check this malpractice.   

When contacted, Rajshahi Medical College Hospital director Brigadier General Abdus Sabur, admitting the presence of agents, told New Age that the hospital authorities had formed a joint committee to wipe out this illegal business.

He said vigilance team, police men, members of special branch, medical staff and also member of the Directorate General Force of Intelligence are also working to stop these kinds of illegal practices.

Source : New Age

Child dies due to wrong treatment in Beanibazar

A minor girl died due to alleged wrong treatment and negligence of physicians at Beanibazar Upazila Health Complex early Monday.

The deceased was Mahima, 7, daughter of Abdul Kuddus Majnu of Kosba village in the upazila headquarters.

The police quoting family said Mahima was admitted to Beanibazar Upazila Health Complex with fever Sunday noon.

The physical condition of Mahima deteriorated when a nurse of the health complex pushed an injection into her body at around 4:30am Monday. Later, she died at around 5:00am.

Mahima's relatives alleged that they tried to wake the on-duty doctors up from sleep but they did not come.

A high level investigation of the health ministry on irregularities and corruptions of upazila health officer  Abdus Salam, doctors' wrong treatment and negligence of duty in the health complex was held last week.

Source : New Age

Businesses for stringent law to check fraud MNL cos

Business leaders and trade analysts have favoured stringent law to check multinational companies making hefty profit by alluring common people to have quick and fabulous return of their investments.

Tens of thousands of innocent people are being cheated by the unscrupulous practices of the companies due to absence of a legal basis to oversee their presence and functioning.

They were speaking at a seminar on 'Draft Direct Sales Act- 2011', jointly arranged by Bangladesh Tariff Commission and Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the conference room of the latter in the city on Monday.

The commerce minister, Faruk Khan, addressed the seminar as the chief guest while chairman of parliamentary standing committee on the ministry ABM Abul Qasem Khan addressed as special guest.

Commerce secretary Ghulam Hossain, MCCI president Amjad Khan Chowdhury, Tariff Commission chairman  Mujibur Rahman, vice-chairman of Export Promotion Bureau Jalal Ahmed, editor of The Financial Express AHM Moazzem Hossain former commerce secretary Feroz Ahmed and representatives from different trade bodies also spoke on the occasion.

Amjad said although a large number of people were involved in various business practices for their living, self-employment but, the fact remained that many of them had fallen victim to fraudulent practices of the companies.

Appreciating the government for taking steps to make a direct sales law, the MCCI chief said penalties for possible violation for fraudulent practices should be included in the draft.

Feroz said there should be a clear understanding whether the government could play an important role in fixing the prices at retail level for protecting the consumers as well as businessmen.

'Some multinational companies will make limitless profit .  it cannot be accepted, and any company wants to do such business must submit statement to the government before it starts,' said Golam Hosain.

Source : New Age