Creed Asia BD Co Limited, a Bangladesh-Japan joint-venture real estate company, on Friday launched a project for construction of a magnificent residential complex at Bashundhara Residential Area in the capital.

This is the first-ever Japanese real estate investment in the country’s premium residential area.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon attended the launching ceremony as the chief guest at the International Convention City Bashundhara. Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, chairman of the country’s leading business conglomerate Bashundhara Group, and Myo Myint Than, Myanmar ambassador to Bangladesh, were present as special guests.

Speaking on the occasion, Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said investment made by the real estate developers at Bashundhara Residential Area will contribute to the country’s economic growth.

Bashundhara Residential Area has an attractive and calm environment where investment by local and foreign developers in high-rise buildings will help the area flourish further, he added.

Creed Asia BD Co Limited is a joint-venture between Japanese firm Creed Group and local firm Jams Developments Limited.

The 10-storey residential complex namely the ‘Creed Blessed Hill’ will be built on 24 kathas of land at ‘Block I’ of Bashundhara Residential Area. The modern establishment will have all the modern amenities, including gymnasium, convention hall and indoor game zones.

The project is expected to be complete in 2017.

Rashed Khan Menon also expressed hope that such foreign investment will boost the efforts to build a planned city.

Chaired by Md Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, managing director of Creed Asia BD Co Limited, the programme was also addressed by Toshihiko Muneyoshi, chairman of Creed Development BD Company Limited, Kamioma Mashahoda, chairman of Creed Asia BD Co Limited, and Md Shahadat Hossain, director of Creed Asia BD Co Limited.

Lauding the civic amenities available at Bashundhara Residential Area, Toshihiko Muneyoshi said they hope to expand their investment in Bangladesh.

Later, the organisers gave away crests to the guests.

Bashundhara Cement, the largest cement manufacturer of the country has signed a corporate sales agreement with NDE Ready Mix Concrete Limited. As per the agreement, Bashundhara brand cement will be supplied to five ready mix plants of NDE Ready Mix Concrete Limited.

Sayem Sobhan Anvir, Managing Director of the Bashundhara Group and Raihan Mustafiz, Managing Director of NDE Ready Mix Concrete Limited signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides, at a ceremony in Dhaka on Monday. Mentionable, Bashundhara Cement, a concern of the Bashundhara Group, the largest business conglomerate of the country, manufactures cement by maintaining excellence in quality. Mohammad Abu Tayeb, Adviser (Press and Media) of Bashundhara Group, Engineer AKM Mahbub-Uz-Zaman, Deputy Managing Director of Bashundhara Cement, Rashedul Hasan Biman, Head of Marketing Division-A, Khandakar Kingshuk Hossain, General Manager (Sales, Cement Sector), Md. Ahsanul Habib, Manager (Corporate Sales) of Bashundhara Group, M A Kalam, General Manager (Operations) and Nazrul Islam Molla, Senior Manager (Accounts and Finance) of NDE Ready Mix Concrete Limited attended the ceremony.

NDE Ready Mix Concrete Limited, the largest ready-mix manufacturing and distributing company in Bangladesh, has partnered with Bashundhara for using Bashundhara brand cement for excellence in its quality for making ready mix product.

Bangladesh Pratidin, the country’s highest circulated Bangla daily, stepped into its sixth year of publication.

On the occasion Sayem Sobhan Anvir, Managing Director of East West Media Group Ltd & Bashundhara Group, inaugurated the daily’s anniversary celebrations by cutting a giant cake at the Bangladesh Pratidin office in Bashundhara residential area on Satuday night.

Among others The Bangladesh Pratidin editor Naim Nizam, Daily Kaler Kantho editor Imdadul Haque Milan and executive editor Mostofa Kamal, Daily Sun editor MD Jamilur Rahman and Bangladesh Pratidin Adviser Kamrul Huq Shamim were present at the programme.

East West Media building has been decorated colorfully to mark the event.

Bashundhara Publications unveiled the first part of a voluminous book, a documentary account of the country’s liberation war, titled ‘71 Birgatha’ [Heroic Tales of 71] at a programme in the capital on Friday.

Professor Emeritus Anisuzzaman attended the event as chief guest and unveiled the book at Bashundhara Convention Centre-2 at Bashundhara Residential Area.

Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir was present during the book-unveiling ceremony. He wrapped 10 freedom fighters in shawls and handed them crests for their heroics during the liberation war.

BDS71, a research organisation, and Bashundhara Publications published the book based on interviews of the valiant warriors who got gallantry awards.

Five more books, holding interviews of ten valiant freedom fighters in each part, will be published in phases by the publishing wing of the country’s largest business conglomerate.

Addressing the programme, Anisuzzaman said the books would be considered as the great deeds of the liberation war against Pakistan.

“The books on liberation war will help the next generation to know the real history of our great liberation war. Although the book has been aimed at the young generation, I think it’ll enrich people of all ages.”

If such specialist publications—based on the freedom fighters’ interviews—continue, Anisuzzaman said, people would come to know lots of untold tales of the war.

Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah and Kaler Kantho editor Imdadul Haque Milon also spoke at the programme as special guests.

Shafiullah said, “We had nothing but spirit when we started fighting against the Pakistani military. Brave Bangalee proved their guts in 1971. The Pak army feared slogans like ‘Joy Bangla’.”

“1971 was the biggest episode for Bangladeshis. Everybody played their role in the liberation war from their respective positions, but the biggest spirit was the participation of the masses,” Milon said.

Through these books, he observed, the new generation will explore the glorious liberation war from different aspects.

Mohammad Abu Tayeb, adviser (press and media) of Bashundhara Group, Bangladesh Pratidin editor Nayeem Nizam, BDS71 adviser Shahriar Shahid and chief executive officer Hasina Akhter Nigar, among others, were present.

The honourees were Maj (retd) Rafiqul Islam (Bir Uttam), Lt Col (retd) Mohammad Ziauddin Ahmed (Bir Uttam), Cdre (retd) Abdul Wahed Chowdhury (Bir Uttam), Group Capt (retd) Shamsul Alam (Bir Uttam), Lt Col (retd) Zafar Imam (Bir Bikram), Maj Gen (retd) Imam-uz-Zaman (Bir Bikram), Waresat Hossain Belal (Bir Bikrom), Maj (retd) Wakar Hasan (Bir Pratik), Lt Col (retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury and Padma Rahman.

The book is now available at the stall of Bashundhara Publications at Ekushey Book Fair.

A three-day International Elevator and Escalator Expo 2015 kicked off on Tuesday at the International Convention City Bashundhara in the capital with the participation of the local and international stakeholders.

Virgo Communications and Exhibitions India in association with E3 Solutions Dhaka arranged the expo held at the Gulnaksha and Rajodarshan halls of the venue.

It is for the first time that an exhibition of this kind is taking place in Bangladesh, with participation of 90 companies from home and abroad, in International Convention City Bashundhara, country’s most luxurious international standard convention centre.

Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain inaugurated the event, attending as its chief guest. Chairman of Bashundhara Group, largest business conglomerate of the country, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan attended the function as the special guest. Alamgir Shamsul Alamin, President of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) was present as the guest of honor.

Keeping pace with the expansion of real estate sector in Bangladesh, elevator and escalator industries are also growing, said Engineer Mosharraf Hossain in his inaugural speech.

He said the exhibition will build a bridge between local and international stakeholders. He termed elevator and escalator industry as an emerging and potential sector in the country.

Nearly 90 companies from home and abroad including those of India, China, Korea, Italy, Spain, Greece, France, UAE, Germany and USA are participting in the fair displaying their elevator and escalator related machines and equipments.

Alian Li, representative of France-based-company named Solution, said they took part in the fair to display ‘world renowned’ parts of elevator and escalator of her organisation.

She anticipated a good business from this show. The company will be able to attract large number of customers and stakeholders, she hoped.

A 32-member Bangladesh Premier Football League (BPL) outfit Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra will fly for Tajikistan today to take part in their first play-off stage matches for the 2015-16 AFC Cup.

Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra will leave Dhaka from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport within 7.10 am through a Turkish Airlines Flight 703. Golam Rabbani Helal, as deputy team leader and team manager Sheikh Zahidur Rahman are also included in the tourist group.
Sheikh Russel are scheduled to play their first play-off match against Tajikistan Premier Division tough side FC Khayr on February 10. Bangladesh Premier Football League outfit will face their second play-off match against Lebanese Cup champions Salam Zgharta on February 17.

If Sheikh Russel triumph over both of their opponents, they will reach the group-stage competition of the 2015-16 edition of the AFC Cup.
The draw of Asia’s topmost club competition was held at the headquarters of Asian Football Confederation in Kuala Lumpur where Sheikh Russel KC were decided to face a competitive FC Khayr from Tajikistan.

Earlier, legendary sports patron and Managing Director of Bashundhara Group Sayem Sobhan Anvir officially took over the Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra, as the chairman during a press meet in a lavish dinner party at Westin Hotel Dhaka in early January.
New chairman of Sheikh Russel Krira considered the upcoming AFC Cup as challenge. Besides Sayem Sobhan Anvir took over the challenge and taken up the responsibility of Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Ltd. to regain the no 1 spot in Bangladesh Premier League.
Sheikh Russel KC marked their name in the history books as the first Bangladeshi club to earn a second-round slot in the AFC PresidentÂ’s Cup last year.

Sheikh Russel KC was unfolded in 1995 and meanwhile the club has won titles of first division, premier league and professional competitions. Russel finished with sixth spot among 10 teams in the Bangladesh Premier Football League last year.
Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra wrapped up their player registration formalities in a festive atmosphere at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) conference room recently.

The key feature of RusselÂ’s player registration formalities was purchasing countryÂ’s numerous quality footballers from various prominent football clubs across the country including nine national footballers for the upcoming season. Six players from Mohammedan Sporting Club joined Sheikh Russel this year.
Last year Sheikh Russel assigned Montenegrin Dragan Dukanovic as their head coach as the first overseas coach of Bangladesh Premier League champions in 2013-14 season.

Legendary sports patron and Managing Director of the Bashundhara Group, leading industrial and business conglomerates in the country, Sayem Sobhan Anvir has taken over the Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra, icon in the country’s sports arena, as the Chairman recently.

Grandfather of the patron Advocate Abdus Sobhan had been a premier swimmer and a badminton player in the then undivided Bengal in the early 30s while his uncle Abdus Sadek had been a member of the world champion of the then Pakistan hockey team in 1969-70 and his father led the then East Pakistan Youth Hockey team in 1967-1968.

Members of the Sobhan family had always been proactive and played significant roles for the overall development of sports by infrastructure support, sponsoring and hosting mega events at home and abroad.

Senior sports organizers and patrons welcomed the newly made Chairman of the Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra and hoped that his able and dynamic leadership would help the sports club to achieve a new height in the days ahead.

Bashundhara Group and East West Media Group Limited (EWMGL) Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan on Tuesday called upon the journalists to practice bold investigative journalism in ensuring development of the society and state.

The eminent business personality of the country was addressing as chief guest at a program of ‘Correspondents’ Conference of Bangladesh Pratidin’, a leading national Bangla daily, at Bashundhara Mediaplex conference room at Bashundhara Residential Area in the city.

He said, “The journalists are held publicly accountable hence it is necessary to publish impartial, accurate and transparent news items instead of publishing news items which are false and beneficial to vested quarters.”

Ahmed Akbar Sobhan also told his audience that the country would prosper if people be prosperous. “Journalists can do well to the 16 crore country people by publishing news items and this is why objectivity is crucial,” he said.

Praising the journalists of ‘Bangladesh Pratidin’ for emerging as a newspaper with the highest circulation in five years, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan also said, “It is easy to reach at the top but very tough to retain the position.”

Many newspapers have sprung forth but quickly went out of circulation. Whereas, ‘Bangladesh Pratidin’ has been moving forward retaining its position, he added.

He asked the district correspondents of the daily to publish investigative reports on all the irregularities for the betterment of the country.

During his speech, EWMGL chairman praised the investigative reports on Yaba published by banglanews24.com, leading online news portal of the country, and asked them to follow the example.

Among others, Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam and Kaler Kantho Editor Imdadul Haque Milon also addressed the conference.

Bangladesh Pratidin Executive Editor Pir Habibur Rahman conducted the event.

Joint Editor of Bangladesh Pratidin Abu Taher, Deputy Editor Mahmud Hasan, Chief News Editor Masuk Chowdhury and News Editors Kamal Mahmood and Lutfur Rahman Himel were among others present at the programme.

Ahmed Akbar Sobhan also handed over a cheque of Tk 300,000 to the wife of Moulvibazar correspondent of ‘Bangladesh Pratidin’ who died recently.