Efficiency and performance of Islamic banks in Bangladesh

The aim of this study is to investigate the efficiency and performance of five Islamic banks in Bangladesh namely, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, Al- Arafah Islami Bank Limited, Social Islami Bank Limited, Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited and First Security Islami Bank Limited. Data are collected through their published annual reports from the year of 2006 to 2010. In addition, methods used to measure the performance and efficiency of Islamic banks are ratio analysis and data envelopment analysis respectively. With regard to banks’ performance, this study concludes that Shajalal Islami Bank limited is better than other Islamic banks in terms of its ROA, ROE, ETA, CAR, IER and AU ratios. On the other hand, with regard to banks’ efficiency, all Islamic banks have shown an improvement on their efficiency level. However, the result shows that First Security Islami Bank is better in terms of efficiency. This study complements other studies which discus about performance and efficiency in Islamic banks, particularly in the case of Bangladesh

Dynamics of Remittance in Bangladesh: A Case Study on United Commercial Bank (UCB)

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the inward as well as outward remittance performance of United Commercial Bank (UCB), Bangladesh. The study exposes that the inward and outward remittance of UCB has been increasing over the years i.e. from 2007 to 2013. In 2013, the highest inward remittances come through Xpress money among the leading five products (Xpress money, Western Union, NEC Italy, Money gram and Modern Exchange). In 2013, the remittance inflow has decreased compared to 2012 from Soudi Arabia, Libya and United States of America while remittance in flow has increased from Malaysia, United Kingdom, Italy, Kuwait and Qatar. The rate of growth of inward remittance of UCB has dropped after 2010, although in 2013, it increased a little bit compared to 2011 and 2012. While growth rate of outward remittance showed an erratic trend form 2010 to 2013. Based on the findings it can be said that UCB should introduce new inward remittance product as well as it should arrange seminar and symposium to introduce the cost and benefits of their remittance products in home and abroad which may increase the remittance flow from different countries and  this will ultimately benefit the county’s economy. Keywords: UCB, Inward remittance, Outward remittance, Growth rate, Erratic trend, and Cost and benefit

Correlation of serum uric acid level with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients attending at a tertiary level hospital

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as a common cause of chronic liver disease. It is potentially progressive towards non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and its complications including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). So, the need for predictive factors of NAFLD is important. Among the different serum markers in NAFLD, serum uric acid (SUA) has emerged as a possible predictor of severity of liver damage. This observational cross sectional study was carried out involving 100 patients from the department of gastroenterology, BSMMU, Dhaka, with the intention to determine the association of serum uric acid (SUA) level with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Among them, 55 were having NAFLD; and 45 subjects without NAFLD were considered as control. The diagnosis of NAFLD was based on the guidelines for the assessment and management of NAFLD in the Asia-pacific region. Serum uric acid, liver enzymes, glycaemic status, serum lipid profile and anthropometric measurements were compared between NAFLD group & control. The mean age was found 41.34 + 10.88 years in both the groups. Male were 62% & female were 38% among the study population. Forty percent of the study subjects were overweight, 23% were obese and 37% had normal body weight. NAFLD patients had significantly higher serum uric level (6.9 + 0.89 mg/dl) in comparison to non-NAFLD group (4.3 +0.87 mg/dl). The study showed that serum uric acid level was significantly associated with NAFLD. Serum uric acid may be used as a useful additional marker to assess the risk of development of NAFLD in the clinical setting of metabolic syndrome. BSMMU J 2021; 14(4): 125-13

Fragile Environment, Seasonality, and Maternal and Childhood Undernutrition in Bangladesh

Spatial distribution of poverty in Bangladesh shows that poverty is concentrated in ecologically unfavourable areas. Recently, the issue of spatial distribution of undernutrition has emerged as a matter of concern as well, considering the growing evidence of the strong persistence of existing inequalities.Therefore, whether ecological differences have affected nutritional outcomes is becoming an important issue for research. This paper aims to understand whether spatial and seasonal variations affect maternal and childhood undernutrition in Bangladesh. The study first tests the hypothesis whether agricultural and household incomes are same across different agro-ecological environments. It then carries out an in-depth analysis of the effect of unfavourable ecologies on maternal and child malnutrition. In the results, panel data analysis showed that household income is not equal across agro-ecology; the fragility of the environment may thus affect the household’s ability to access food, which may have negative influence on the nutritional status of mothers and children. Coastal areas have less dependence on agriculture, particularly on cultivation which diminished over time. Per capita income has been increasing in coastal areas, led by remittance growing at 8 per cent per year against 6 per cent in other areas. Regression analysis shows that a household in coastal zones earns 19 per cent lower than one in favourable zones. Although farm practices are lower in unfavourable areas, the deficiency is compensated by increased non-farm incomes. The results from the Food Security Nutrition Surveillance Projects (FSNSP) data found that overall the rate of stunting and wasting prevalence were 36 per cent and 11.7 per cent respectively. Among the mothers, nearly 28 per cent suffered from chronic energy deficiencies. The study found that highly significant regional heterogeneity in undernutrition exists in Bangladesh; alarmingly high levels prevail in the Haor Basin and coastal belt areas. The study also found significantly higher rates of underweight and wasting prevailing in the monsoon season compared to the two harvest seasons (post-Aman and post-Aus) among children under five. Month of birth failed to show any significant association with the nutrition outcome of the children. In order to determine the most effective strategies for accelerating reduction in undernutrition, it is important that the determinants of undernutrition are known. The findings of this study imply the importance of bringing geographical location and seasonal thinking back into the various current debates on hunger and nutrition

Computational Investigation Of Zn-based Single Buffer Layers Toward Cd-free High-efficiency CIGS Thin Film Solar Cells

The photovoltaic performance of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS)-based solar cells with Cd-free single buffer layers and a barium disulfide (BaSi2) back-surface field (BSF) has been studied through a numerical approach using a one-dimensional solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS-1D). The efficacy of the buffer layer of cadmium sulfide (CdS) via FTO/CdS/CIGS/BaSi2/Mo heterostructure has been studied first and thereafter toxic CdS is replaced by various non-toxic buffers; zinc selenide (ZnSe), indium-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:In), and indium sulfide (In2S3). Comprehensive research has been performed on the effects of buffer layer thickness, gallium (Ga) concentration in CIGS absorber, BaSi2 BSF doping density, various back contact metals, and cell operating temperature. The highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the CIGS-based solar cell with the CdS buffer layer is 26.24 percent, while solar cells with Zn-based buffers made of ZnS:In or ZnSe show improved PCE of 17.68 percent and 17.56 percent, respectively. This study demonstrates the enormous potential of Zn-based ZnS:In and ZnSe buffers for the experimental fabrication of high-efficiency thin-film solar cells with the following structure: FTO/buffer/CIGS/BaSi2/Mo

Antidiarrheal activity of methanol extract of Piper sylvaticum (roxb.) stem in mice and in silico molecular docking of its isolated compounds

Background: Piper sylvaticum (Roxb.), is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat a number of disease like in asthma, diarrhea, chronic cough, cold, piles, tuberculosis, and wounds. In this study, we investigated the antidiarrheal activity of methanol extract of P. sylvaticum stem (Met.PSS) in animal models. Later, molecular docking study was performed to better understand its molecular mechanism and to determine the potent phytocompounds of this plant for the antidiarrheal property.Methods: The stems were extracted with methanol and subjected to in vivo antidiarrheal study using the castor oil-induced diarrhea and castor oil induced enteropooling tests in animal models. And then, in silico molecular docking study was performed using Schrödinger suite Maestro v10.1.Results: Met.PSS exhibited a dose-dependent and statistically significant antidiarrheal activity in both castor oil-induced diarrhea and enteropooling tests at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg. Additionally, our molecular docking analysis exhibited that four compounds viz. piperine, piperlonguminine, sylvamide, and sylvatine have the best binding affinity against the target enzyme (M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor) in comparison to reference drug Loperamide.Conclusions: The present study suggests that Met.PSS possess significant antidiarrheal activity which could be related to the presence of various secondary plant metabolites or phytochemicals. Additionally, the phytocompounds, i.e., piperine, piperlonguminine, sylvamide, and sylvatine were found to be most effective in molecular docking study

Flexibility market and services in distribution grid

The incorporation of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) is growing in many power systems globally. This incorporation presents a significant challenge to the maintenance and service of new power systems, leading to a growing need for proactive distribution network services. Congestion is an issue that is rapidly emerging in distribution grids due to the upward increase penetration of DG in distribution systems. The DSOs are also obligated to evaluate and enhance their maintenance costs by implementing smart grid features and functions to minimize investment. Out of a variety of solutions, congestion control is amongst the most optimistic methods for solving network problems. Congestion control systems have historically been handled at the level of the transmission grid. However, with the extensive utilization of Distributed Generators (DGs) and the anticipated extreme loading conditions, the control technique would have to be extended to the distribution network also. Methods for controlling congestion in distribution systems have recently gained the attention of academics and others operating in the electric grid domain. A variety of techniques are being extensively explored to overcome the complexities of direct switching behaviour. However, non-market-based interventions wouldn't be the most successful and cost-effective option. Besides that, smart strategies that harness the flexibilities of users need to be built to leverage existing grid infrastructure effectively. Flexibility services can enable network operators to always resolve grid restrictions, sustain stability and quality of service, and optimize the integration of distributed power sources. The implementation of a local flexibility market (LFM) would enable flexible trade to be carried out by both processing and consumption units at the distribution stage, ensuring access to markets to DERs, a Distribution System Operators Support Tool (DSOs), and a valuable source for energy providers. The concept of the study is to resolve congestion in distribution systems through market processes, particularly the local flexibility market. This study provides a detailed analysis of four pioneering scalable business projects: Piclo Flex, Enera, GOPACS, and NODES. Attempts have been devoted to present a comprehensive summary of market architecture, which includes the framework, participation, placing bids, and clearing processes, of the local flexibility market initiatives produced in recent years. However, system operators need to cooperate for ensuring reliable, consistent, and cost-effective utilization of scalable facilities, since these tools can theoretically be used both locally and throughout the grid. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of synchronization schemes in power networks between transmission & distribution power grid, with a specific focus on the implementation of balancing as well as congestion control services