Value Web: Perspective of Cellular Phone Industry of Bangladesh

Cellular phone is the one of revenue generating sector in Bangladesh. 100 million subscribers milestone has been achieved in 2013. Significant development and availability of Internet brought new scope to add value to the customer which facilitates companies to redesign existing business process and fabricating new value web. Value web is a collection of independent firms that use information technology to coordinate their value chains to produce a product or service for a market collectively. It is more customers driven and operates in a less linear fashion than the traditional value chain. In this paper the author investigated and explained the role of information system to develop value and the extent of value web in telecommunication industry of Bangladesh. Keywords: Value web, cellular phone industry of Bangladesh, Information syste

Agricultural Credit in Bangladesh: Present Trend, Problems and Recommendations

Economic theory undoubtedly proved the crucial importance of agricultural sector of a country in case of it’s economic transition. A timely flow of agricultural credit can meet farmers demand to ensure agricultural productivity. The purpose of this study is to explore the pattern of present trend of agricultural credit flow over the recent years, specially from the formal sector banking institutions. This study reveals that formal sector has flourished in recent years in disbursing agricultural credit where previously informal sector dominated the rural credit market for agriculture. NGOs have a stronger network throughout the country and many local private commercial banks and foreign banks use these channel to provide agricultural credit. Although PCBs (which includes domestic and foreign commercial banks) contributes a significant amount to total agricultural credit from formal sector, their percentage contribution to agricultural credit remain almost stagnant since the time they started to disburse agricultural loan.  It will also entail discussion about the problem involved in case of agricultural loan disbursement as well as some policy recommendation that may minimize the leakage in agricultural credit distribution to the rural farmers. Keywords: Agricultural Credit, Formal Sector, PCBs, NGOs, SCBs, SBs, Bangladesh

Vermicompost induced growth and yield performance of capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) at sustainable rooftop farming system

Rooftop farming is gaining rapid popularity in urban areas, especially since the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic. For housebound people rooftop farming is not only a way of   potentially management of their time but also the execution of creativity. For rooftop farming vermicompost (VC) can be the most sustainable media for growing high value fruits and vegetables crops. In this regard, an experiment was carried out as a rooftop farming system at Charfassion upzila in the Bhola district of Bangladesh to observe the growth and yield performance of capsicum (Capsicum annuum) grown in different combinations of vermicompost in the winter season (2020-2021). Different agronomic and yield parameters were measured at the intervals of 30, 60, and 90 days and at the final harvest of 120 days after sowing. Among the measured parameters a mixed type of performance was achieved from varied doses of vermicompost applications and inorganic fertilizer treatment. Among the measured valuable parameters; the highest fruit length (8.85 cm), fruit diameter (10.3 cm), no. of fruits (9.51 plant-1), total wt. of fresh fruits (405.32 g/plant), fresh fruits yield (11.26 t ha-1), no. of branches (30.0 plant-1), stem girth (6.3 cm), root fresh wt. (8.80 g/plant), stem fresh wt. (23.35 g/plant),  petiole fresh wt. (6.09 g/plant), total fresh biomass (65.54 g/plant), dry wt. of fruits (76.91 g/plant),  dry wt. of total fruits: biomass ratio (7.35) and benefit-cost ratio (12.40), respectively, were observed in T5 (20t VC ha-1). So, from the overall findings of this study T5 with 20t VC application ha-1 is recommended to achieve better growth and yield of capsicum through the sustainable way of rooftop and urban farming systems and to improve soil fertility status

Mineralogical Characterization of Uranium Ores, Blends and Resulting Leach Residues from Key Lake Pilot Plant, Saskatchewan, Canada

The production and storage of uranium mine mill tailings have the potential to contaminate local groundwater and surface waters with metals and metalloids. As such, an understanding of the solids reservoirs for potential contaminants in uranium ore blends and leach residues (solid wastes generated by the milling of ore) is required to predict long-term controls on these contaminants in tailings porewaters. This study characterized the distribution of the elements of concern (EOCs; As, Mo, Ni, and Se) in uranium ores and waste rock used to blend the mill feeds in the milling process and leach residues from the Key Lake mining operation, Saskatchewan. This study also evaluated the alteration of the clay minerals in these uranium ores, waste rocks and leach residues. X-ray diffraction, electron micro-probe, and mineral liberation analyses showed that the reservoirs for As, Mo, Ni, and Se (in ores and ore blends) were dominated by sulphides including cobaltite, gersdorffite, molybdenite, pyrite, galena and chalcopyrite, secondary Ni-arsenates (annabergite?), Fe-arsenate (scorodite?) and Ni-Co/Ni-sulfates. The secondary arsenates and sulfates present in special waste were identified as major As, Mo, Ni, and Se bearing minerals and most likely the product of oxidation of arsenide-bearing sulphide minerals within the special waste rock. Analyses also showed that sulphides and arsenates occurred in trace amounts in the ores and special waste rock (0.5 to 1.0 wt %). Data showed that 55 to 90% pyrite, 36 to 51% chalcopyrite, 23 to 37% molybdenite, and 52 to 70% galena remained unleached in the leach residues after milling of the ore blends. The percentages of unleached minerals varied between mill feeds and were dependent on the grain-size distribution and the degree of mineral liberation. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) analysis indicated an increase of the CEC values in the leach residues suggesting possible evolution of 2:1 layers into high-charge layers during the milling

Prospects and Challenges of Green Marketing in Bangladesh

Green marketing is a latest addition in the field of business. Consumers are now very much careful due to information and communication technology in choosing products. Food scientists are also helping the marketers to develop green products. Green marketing is a popular concept in recent times. This concept is expanding not only in asia but also around the world. There is a huge prospect of green marketing in Bangladesh. Green marketing is the ethical marketing considering the environment that ensures safety of the consumers. It can bring new dimension in the field of business with proper implementation of green marketing policies and strategies. Keywords: Green Marketing, Marketing mix, Business environment

Tourism in Bangladesh: A Prospects Analysis

Tourism has become a great source of foreign exchange earning in Bangladesh. It is playing an important role to create an employment opportunities in a large scale. Bangladesh has become now a new tourist zone on the map of the world. The tourism sector in Bangladesh has been gradually growing from mid-nineties to till now. It has a great potentiality to develop tourism sector by applying new policies and strategies. This research has identified the prospects of tourism industry in Bangladesh, identifies the SWOT analysis, constraints and suggests remedial measures of tourism sector. Keywords: Tourism, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, SWOT Analysis

Current Practices of Green Marketing and Consumers’ Attitude towards Green Consumption: A Case Study of Some Selected Plastic-Bottled Soft Drinks Producing Firms

In today’s global economy, organizations are increasingly called upon to demonstrate sound management of economic, social and environmental issues. A focus on these issues results in advantages in financing, insurance, marketing, regulatory treatment, and other areas. Business today is not just about selling a product or service to a customer around the corner. In the rapid evolution to a global market-place, having a set of common rules is critical to facilitating trade. Increasingly in this single world market, an organization needs to be able to demonstrate sound business management that includes concern for the environment. This would obviously results in advantages in financing, insurance, marketing, regulatory, and other areas of operations. An Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a solid framework for meeting environmental challenges and realizing the benefits. EMS is a structured approach to addressing the environmental bottom line. Development and implementation of EMS requires careful concentration, otherwise it would be an overwhelming task. Major global firms and international industry associations have historically been leaders in the areas of corporate environmental performance and voluntary initiatives for global environmental management. On the other hand, Bangladeshi firms are seriously lagging behind. Multinational companies as well as larger associations must come forward to help their smaller counterparts in development and implementation of a successful EMS for the betterment of the business sector and the environment as a whole. Keywords: China insurance industry, Foreign fund, Challeng

Overseas Employment and Remittance Inflow in Bangladesh

Bangladesh met with regular and enormous labor migration to overseas from 1960s and it is still one of the most remittance gaining countries among the developing ones in Asia. Like overseas employment, remittances flow has been increasing every year with its increased share in GDP and export earnings which becomes vital elements for accelerating economic growth in Bangladesh. In this study, we found that there is a significant relationship between inflows of foreign remittances and overseas employment. Our analysis also reveals that unskilled manpower, insufficient government initiatives for exploring new overseas market for labor, employees’ reluctance to use legal channel for sending money are some of the reasons that inhibits the remittance inflows in Bangladesh. In this context, we think proper training, raising awareness and government active role will be suffice in ensuring inflows of foreign remittances. Keywords: Migration, Employment, Overseas, Remittance, Development

Coastal and Marine Tourism in the Future

Having the world\u27s largest unbroken sea-beach and vast coastline, Bangladesh has an immense potentiality to develop sustainable coastal and marine tourism. In Bangladesh, coastal and marine tourism is already in operation, though on a limited scale. But the growth of tourism in this country is lagging behind compared to the world as a whole. The contribution of this sector in the economy of Bangladesh is still below the mark. Therefore, the economy can be benefited by harnessing opportunities pertinent to the country’s coastal and marine tourism. To attract the local and foreign tourists, the country can improve the existing tourist sites. It can also develop new tourist spots in the coastal and marine areas. Introduction of new tourism products such as cruise to Swatch of no ground from Chittagong and Khulna, exclusive tourist zones for foreigners, surfing zones, community-based ecotourism, underwater tourism, and sports tourism in the coastal and marine areas can be thought of. In the process of developing tourism, proper planning, budgetary allocation, community participation, awareness building, coordination between agencies and proper marketing strategies are among the important factors. By developing the proposed tourism in marine and coastal areas, Bangladesh can increase GDP, generate more jobs, reduce poverty, earn foreign currencies, gain socio-cultural benefits, conserve environment, and protect coastal areas. In addition, development of coastal and marine tourism can create the opportunity to promote local culture and heritage by integrating local communities into the development process. Finally, government can play a vital role in promoting coastal and marine tourism by providing some special services including on arrival visa and one stop service to the foreign tourists