After a trying year, cement makers bracing for slow recovery
With the year about to come to a close, the cement sector finally experienced some relief from the ongoing pandemic thanks to increased consumption alongside fresh investments.
Makers of the key construction material have been in a tight spot since the Covid-19 outbreak began as almost all major development projects in the country, both public and private, were halted for an extended period. The cement sector managed to survive even though the manufacturers sat idle throughout April-September, Mohammed Amirul Haque, managing director of Premier Cement, told The Daily Star.
But now, there are various projects to work on, including mega projects such as the Karnaphuli Tunnel.
Partex Group chairman no more
Partex Group founding chairman MA Hashem passed away at early hours of Thursday. He was 78.
The death was confirmed by his son Showkat Aziz Russell.
After testing positive for coronavirus, MA Hashem was admitted to the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on December 11. He had been on life support since December 16.
Born in 1943 at Begumganj under in Noakhali, Hashem ventured into tobacco trade half a century ago.
After independence, he got involved in the import of iron, steel, cement, sugar, rice, spices, wheat, salt, milk and other essential commodities.
In 1982, he signed up for manufacturing import substitute products and started particle boards.
Mainstream
Mainstream, VOL LIX No 1, New Delhi, December 19, 2020 Jaya Dasgupta, an unsung warrior, is no more | Gargi Chakravartty
Saturday 19 December 2020, by Gargi Chakravartty
Jayashree Dasgupta, popularly known as Jaya, was a silent political activist throughout her life.
Jaya, born on August 15, 1939, belonged to a truly nationalist family, her father, Nirmalendu Mukherjee, being a well known Congress leader in West Bengal. In the humble setting of her home, a photo of Gandhiji used to hang on the wall.
Entering Ashutosh College, South Kolkata in the mid-fifties, she was soon drawn into Left politics and became an active member of the Bengal Provincial Students Federation. In the course of the student movement, she met Gurudas Dasgupta who she married later. Since then she was everywhere introduced as the wife of Gurudas Dasgupta, leader of Communist Party of India (CPI), eminent parliamentarian etc.
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo
This film garnered international attention (and a spot on our list of the best ads about diversity, equity and inclusion) for shedding light on racism by way of depicting the ‘real life experience’ of a mixed-race teenager. While some praised Nike for shining a light on racism in Japan, others were upset that an international brand waded into a local discussion and chose to depict the country poorly. Even if Ad Nut cannot coherently comment on systemic discrimination in Japan, Ad Nut is of the opinion that the ‘real life experience’ of a teenager should never be invalidated. Plus, the writing, the music, and the editing are mesmerising from start to finish .
The highest investment commitment came from United Commercial Bank followed by Rupali, Pubali and Janata.
As of December 10, lenders had invested Tk 700 crore in the market but the additional investment will likely to flow into the market in the coming months, according to central bank data.
The move comes at a time when local banks are facing excess liquidity due a lack of demand for loans because of a possible second wave of the pandemic.
The Covid-19 outbreak is also affecting investment decisions, because of which prices of many stocks are staying relatively low. We have decided to invest in the stock market as many scripts are still lucrative and it might be profitable if the investment can continue for a long time, said a top official of a scheduled bank, preferring anonymity.