Nurses training:
On 1st November, 2006 Unilever inaugurated a 2-month training programmed for the nurses of Maa Shishu O’ GeneralHospital to help upgrade the skills and capabilities of the nursing staff at the hospital.
A specialist team of consultants from the Tata Institute of Social Science and Wockhardt Hospital, India are conducting the training workshop, which is being attended by 25 nurses from the hospital.
Unilever Bangladesh has had a long association with Maa Shishu O’ GeneralHospital in Chittagong. In 2004, UBL sponsored the setting up of a modern operation facility at the Hospital. This included the modernization of the existing operation theatre and setting up of a new one together with an advanced Intensive Care Unit. This has provided Chittagong with facilities for high quality medical care for mothers and children from economically weaker sections of the society.
In his inaugural speech, General Factory Manager, Hasan Zafar Choudhury stated that alongside its business activities, UBL also supports activities targeted towards the development of health, education and women’s empowerment in Bangladesh.
Dutch-Bangla Bank donates Tk. 9.73 crore to Dhaka University:
Dutch-Bangla Bank limited handed over the Letter of Commitment for donating Tk. 9.73 crore to DhakaUniversity for constructing “Dutch-Bangla Bank Centre for Advanced Research in Arts & Social Sciences”.
Managing Director of Dutch-Bangia Bank limited Mr. Md. Yeasin Ali handed over the Commitment Letter to Prof. S. M. A. Faiz, the Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University in a simple ceremony arranged by the DhakaUniversity authority in the Senate Bhaban on February 27, 2008
DBBL has awarded scholarship to meritorious including 10 physical disabled students:
Dutch-Bangla Bank limited awarded scholarships to the meritorious including 10 physically disabled students for their full academic period. Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Governor of Bangladesh Bank was present as the Chief Guest and handed over the Scholarship Awarding Letters to the recipients in a simple ceremony held at a local hotel on February 18, 2008. Mr. Md. Yeasin Ali, Managing Director, Mr. AHM Nazmul Quadir, Additional Managing Director of Dutch-Bangia Bank and Dr. Mozammel Hossain Khan, Coordinator of Dutch-Bangia Bank Foundation were also present in the function.
DBBL has donated books for Dhaka University Central Library:
Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited (DBBL) donated Tk. 15.00 lac for purchasing academic reference books for Dhaka University Central Library. The Managing Director of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited Mr. Md. Yeasin Ali handed over a payment order of Tk. 15.00 lac to Professor S. M. A. Faiz, Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University at a simple ceremony held at Administrative Building of the University Campus on June 8, 2006.
DBBL has donated a Pick-up Van to Bangladesh Agricultural University:
Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited has donated a Toyota Hi-Lux Pick-up Van to the Department of Crop Botany of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). Mr. Md. Yeasin Ali, Managing Director of the bank handed over the Key of Pick-up van to Professor M. Amirul Islam, Vice Chancellor of BAU at a simple ceremony held at Bank’s Head Office, Dhaka on June 7, 2006.
International Mathematical Olympiad-2006:
Dutch-Bangla Bank – Prothom Alo and Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad (BMO) committee jointly organized the International Mathematical Olympiad-2006 on July 8, 2006. Managing Director of Dutch-Bangla Bank Md Yeasin Ali speaks at a reception ceremony for the Bangladesh team members who will take part in the 47th International Mathematical Olympiad. General Secretary of BMO committee Munir Hasan, Vice President Prof. Dr. Zafar Iqbal, Joint Editor of Prothom Alo Abdul Quaiyum and presents of the contestants were present on the occasion.
The Nippon paper Group’s Natural Environment Workshop:
On June 10 (Sat.) and 11 (Sun.), a workshop entitled “The School of Friendship for Forests and Paper” was held at Sugenuma Forest, owned by the Nippon Paper Industries and located in Katashina Village in Tone-gun, Gunma Prefecture. The workshop used facilities such as Chalet Malnuma and Nikko Shirane-san Ropeway of MARUNUMA KOGEN RESORT CO.,LTD.The School of Friendship for Forests and Paper is the Nippon Paper Group’s workshop on the natural environment and aims to offer opportunities to enjoy nature and experience the relationship between forests and paper, a material familiar to our daily lives. All programs at the workshop were created by members of the Group. A public advertisement was placed to call for participants, while members of the Group were in charge of all preparations and operations on the day of the workshop. The textbooks that were handed out to the participants on the day were all hand-made and original.The enthusiasm of the staff and participants seemed to dispel the overcast skies normally associated with the rainy season, and the workshop was blessed with good weather and patches of sunlight. In the afternoon of Day 1,
The participants took a walk for about an hour and a half from Nikko Shirane-san Ropeway Mountaintop Station. The staff had visited SugenumaForest several times prior to the workshop to study the natural environment within the forest. They were a little nervous, but offered the knowledge they had previously acquired to the participants while enjoying the walk with them as forest guides. In the morning of Day 2, Group members serving as experts on paper gave a lecture in a quiz format. The lecture helped the participants to learn the process through which woodchips made from the twigs they had picked up the day before were turned into pulp. Everybody, including the high school students, showed great interest. Later, the completed pulp was mixed with pulp that had been previously prepared by the staff, and then was given to all participants so they could try making a piece of paper the size of a postcard. Some made thick pieces of paper by adjusting the amount of pulp while others preferred to use leaves. Everyone enjoyed the program in their own way.
Health Fair for HIV/AIDS prevention:
A Health Fair was held on 30 March 08 at Muslim Hall Institute in Chittagong. In the opening ceremony, Dr. A.Q.M Shirajul Islam presided the occasion and Dr. Rajaul Karim, Divisional Director (Health) was the chief guest.
With the support of Family Health International and under the Bangladesh AIDS Program, following NGO’s YPSA, HELP, BANDHU, CARE Bangladesh, Nishkriti, IMAGE, Ashar Alo Society and Shurokkaha (SMC) have been working for a long time to prevent HIV/AIDS among the vulnerable groups of people in Chittagong. NGO’s set stalls up at the fair. The purposes of the fair were awareness building to prevent HIV/AIDS and provide free treatment for related diseases. About 1000 people including vulnerable groups participated in the fair. 79 were treated as sexually transmitted diseases and 62 tested their blood to define HIV virus.
The 2nd World Environment Day Photography Competition organised by HSBC in Bangladesh opened on 7 June 2004 to mark this year’s World Environment Day at the Bank’s Gulshan Branch premises. The illustrative theme of the exhibition is ‘Wanted! Seas and Oceans – Dead or Alive’ which asks us to make a choice as to how we want to treat the Earth’s seas and oceans. The theme is in line with The World Environment Day 2004 as set by the United Nations.
Photographers, both professional and amateur from all over the country have participated in the exhibition sending in over 200 photographs. The exhibition will be open for visitors from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm at the HSBC Gulshan branch located in House No SWG-2 (corner of road no. 5), Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka and will continue till 17 June 2004. Visitors can buy the photographs at the exhibition and sales proceeds will be donated to the local charities. A panel of renowned judges will select three winners from among all the photographs displayed in the exhibition. HSBC will award three best photographers with a total prize money of BDT50,000.
HSBC believes this endeavour will enhance the understanding and help in creating awareness about our endangered environment, which is in line with the Bank’s corporate social responsibility activities.
Banglalink, CEGIS sign MOU
Banglalink and Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) recently signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) at the Head Office of banglalink. As per the MOU, CEGIS will be able to disseminate the early flood warning to the Disaster Managers (DMs) of the flood-prone localities using banglalink SMS Service. CEGIS is implementing the Pilot project of early flood warning dissemination to 650 Disaster Managers presently and they have the plan to
expand the activities countrywide in future, where banglalink will be the exclusive partner to support the initiative.
Flood being a regular natural calamity, it is extremely important for the people of Bangladesh to get prepared against it. CEGIS project titled ‘Community-based Flood Information System (CFIS)’ developed a Model to calculate flood water level 1-2 days in advance. However it had been a challenge for CEGIS to make sure that the Disaster Managers (DMs) receive the early flood warning Message in time. With the help of banglalink, now it has became possible for CEGIS to send the early flood warning messages to the respective DMs in time that may save Lives and Assets from possible flooding.
Banglalink has always supported the activities at the community level that may change the lives of the common people.
Partnership with CEGIS is bengaline’s one of the corporate social responsibility initiatives and we believe that this will have significant impact in common people’s lives of Bangladesh.
Present for the signing was banglalink Director Marketing Omer Rashid, Shihab Ahmed, Mohammad Shafiqul Islam and Prabir De of Marketing team; from CEGIS, Executive Director, Mr Giasuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Senior Water Resources Planner Ahmadul Hassan and other senior officials.
From the Chairman and CEO
I am pleased to introduce Dell’s Sustainability Report for our company’s fiscal year 2007. This report measures our progress towards instituting sustainable business practices, describes our challenges and sets goals for continued improvement.
We’ve titled this report Values in Action. Values inspire behaviors. And it’s our behaviors and actions we hope you will use to evaluate our company’s efforts. Judge us not by what we say, but by what you see us do. In this year’s report we’ve included perspectives from many of our stakeholders — environmentalists, investors, community members and suppliers. Their input remains vitally important in our efforts to create a sustainable business. Their voices help tell the Dell story.
We also celebrate our successes over the past year, including these important developments:
Global Recycling: In June of 2006, we committed to offering consumers free recycling for any Dell-branded product at any time anywhere in the world. I’m pleased to report that our teams had global recycling services in place by December 2006. I challenged the industry to join us in providing free recycling for every customer, with no exceptions. It’s the right thing for our customers and for our planet. As of this writing, we remain the only company in our industry that provides consumers free, global recycling without a purchase requirement. For details, see www.dell.com/recycling.
Design for Environment: We continue to make strides in the environmental design of our products. We now meet the requirements of the European Union’s Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive globally. We updated our chemical use policy, committing to eliminating the use of brominated flame retardants and polyvinyl chloride from product design by 2009. We made great strides in our Forest Products Stewardship program; our marketing publications use on average 50 percent recycled content paper, meeting our 2009 goals three years early.
Customer Ownership: In 2006, we addressed energy efficiency by announcing a plan to build systems that deliver the greatest performance per watt possible. Doing so will help our customers save money and help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. We’re making early progress toward this goal. For example, our OptiPlex 745 uses up to 70 percent less energy than previous models when configured with a flat panel display. We also announced a new program in January 2007 called “Plant a Tree for Me.” The program takes donations from customers to plant trees to offset the carbon dioxide generated by the production of electricity used to power their computers. Plant a Tree for Me and programs like it allow Dell to leverage our direct relationships with customers and educate them about energy efficiency and climate change.
Diversity and Ethics: We received a number of recognitions this year for our efforts to create an inclusive workplace. We were honored to receive the Opportunity Award by the U.S. Secretary of Labor, the country’s highest award recognizing voluntary workplace diversity efforts among federal contractors.
For the third year in a row, we received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate Equality Index. Our extensive Ethics Day campaign included employee events at most of our facilities around the world to underscore the importance we place on conducting ourselves according to the highest ethical standards.
Grameenphone to launch ‘Information Boat’
Grameenphone Ltd. has signed an agreement with CARE Bangladesh to launch a project titled ‘Tathyo Tari’ (Information Boat) that is designed to provide necessary livelihood information to the riverine communities of Bangladesh.
The main objective of this project is to educate and empower rural communities with necessary and appropriate livelihood information. The Information Boats will work as information hubs to meet the communication needs of rural communities, especially in the Char and Haor areas, as people of these areas have limited access to up-to-date livelihood and other information due to their remote presence from the mainland.
These boats will also be equipped with digital contents such as livelihood and agricultural information suited for the specific areas served by the designated boats. At the same time, skilled trainers from CARE Bangladesh will provide training to the local community people on different livelihood options. Grameenphone will provide support to build four (4) such Information Boats and also provide necessary technological support for providing information. A typical Information Boat will be equipped with computers, Internet and email facilities, photocopiers, fax machines, printers, camera TVs and video machines, scanners and much more depending on the needs of a specific community.
Grameenphone to provide scholarship to underprivileged students:
Grameenphone has recently embarked upon a CSR partnership with Grameen Shikhkha, an organization of the Grameen Bank family to provide scholarships to the underprivileged, but bright students at various academic levels.
Grameenphone has been involved in this project since 2003. Currently, 36 scholarships are managed under GP’s fund. The new agreement between Grameenphone and Grameen Shikhka is to further strengthen this partnership and increase the number of scholarships starting from grade VIII up to graduation degree. 60% of these scholarships will be targeted towards female students. Education is one of the key focus areas of Grameenphone’s social investments. GP aims to work hand in hand with the Government and other relevant development actors in meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 by working in the areas of poverty alleviation, health, education and empowerment.
Grameenphone extends help for the cyclone victims:
Grameenphone has been actively involved in the emergency relief efforts for the SIDR-affected people over the last few weeks. The first phase of the relief effort concluded in last week of November. During the first phase, a total of 10,000 family packs were distributed and 7,000 patients were treated in 10 medical camps in different cyclone-affected districts namely, Madaripur, Patuakhali, Barguna, Pirojpur, Jhalokhati, Bagerhat, Gopalganj.
In the second phase, which started in the first week of December, a total of 7000 family packs were distributed. Each family pack contained 4 kg rice, 1 kg dal, 1 kg salt, 2 kg wheat/flour, ½ liter oil, 6 candles, 1 tin/carton biscuits, and 1 kg chirra. Keeping in mind the approaching winter, a blanket and a saree/lungi had been also included in the family packs.
Donate Money whit GP Employees:
Earlier, Grameenphone made a contribution of Tk. 1 crore to the Chief Adviser’s Relief Fund. In addition, Telenor, the majority shareholder of Grameenphone, had donated another Tk. 2.3 crore and the GP employees contributed their one-day’s salary towards the relief effort. Telenor’s wholly-owned subsidiaries Sonofon and Telenor Pakistan donated BDT 1 million each towards Grameenphone’s fund for the rehabilitation of the SIDR victims. In addition, makeshift tents made from Grameenphone’s old billboard vinyl, were built and handed over to 400 families in Barguna district. Grameenphone also set up donation boxes in 50 Grameenphone Centers to collect donations from subscribers. The collection continued till December 20, 2007 and the proceedings will be later donated to the Chief Advisor’s Relief Fund. The company also participated in the joint SMS donation campaign, launched in collaboration with the other mobile operators, with each SMS adding Tk, 10 towards the relief effort. The entire amount collected from this collective SMS campaign will be donated to the Chief Adviser’s Relief and Rehabilitation Fund.
Grameenphone Ltd. organized a reception program on December 12, 2007 for the Bangladesh Team who participated in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games. This year Bangladesh Special Olympics Team comprised of 47 participants performed exceptionally well and won a total of 71 medals. They participated in seven categories namely, aquatics, athletics, badminton, bocce, football, table tennis and cricket. The team won 32 Gold, 15 Silver and 24 Bronze medals. Earlier this year Grameenphone embarked upon a partnership with Special Olympics Bangladesh to sponsor the Bangladesh team’s participation in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Special Olympics Bangladesh is a non-profit organization, accredited by Special Olympics International, and created to help people.
with intellectual disabilities to develop self-confidence, social skills and a sense of personal accomplishment through sports training and competition.
As an extension of its support, Grameenphone also plans to assist in developing the capacity of Special Olympics Bangladesh, as well as its athletes by organizing regional and national competitions to search for new talents and train them for future Special Olympics Games. One of the core values of the company is to be inspiring and Grameenphone is committed to champion it by empowering these athletes.
AIDS Awareness Campaign:
In response to the worldwide movement against HIV and AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals set by the Bangladesh Government, Grameenphone is working as a catalyst to unite leaders behind this cause.
UNAIDS Bangladesh and Grameenphone are working together to build an AIDS-free Bangladesh through the Asia Pacific Leadership Forum (APLF). APLF is part of the ‘World AIDS Campaign with Leaders’, which aims to create an enabling environment in support of policy action on HIV and AIDS
Five eminent leaders working in different fields such as, Government, Media, Development Sector, Fashion, Culture and Business in Bangladesh have joined the APLF. They are, Maj. Gen. Dr. A S M Matiur Rahman (retd), Honourable Health & Family Welfare Advisor; Ms. Runa Laila and Mr. Alamgir, renowned cultural personalities; Mr. Shykh Seraj, Director News of Channel I and agriculture development expert; and Ms. Bibi Russell, fashion icon and development activist. Mr. Kafil H.S. Muyeed, Director of New Business Division of Grameenphone, is also a member of the Forum.
Grameenphone started a mass media campaign that continued from mid-November to World AIDS Day on December 1, 2007. The mass media campaign included television commercials, press advertisements, radio announcements and billboards. The campaign highlighted messages from the six APLF members with an objective to raise awareness and encourage an open and candid social dialogue on this crucial issue. Grameenphone also.
sponsored the screening of a telefilm titled UTSHO (The Source) produced to raise awareness on the issue. The film highlights transmission of HIV through unsafe blood transfusion and focuses on the need for support and care for HIV positive individuals.
6th Free Eye Camp:
Grameenphone organized the 6th Free Eye Camp in Balaganj, Sylhet. The VARDEyeHospital, a local NGO, was the implementing partner of this eye camp along with Sight Savers International. More than 1,100 patients were given free eye treatment, among which 175 patients were referred for and administered Intra Ocular Lens (IOL) or cataract surgeries.
Visual impairment creates social and economic dependency. One person goes blind every 5 seconds; one child goes blind every 1 minute in the world. Bangladesh has the highest number of blind people in comparison to its population and there are about 750,000 adults and 40,000 blind children.Grameenphone previously arranged 5 (five) eye camps in different areas of the country namely, Cox’s Bazar, Bagerhat, Natore, Dhaka and Kurigram. Till date, over 8,000 patients have been given eye treatment and over 1,000 patients have been given free Intra Ocular lens or cataract surgery.
opportunity for Acid victims:
Grameenphone extended its support to the Acid Survivors’ Foundation (ASF) in its effort to rehabilitate the acid victims by providing employment opportunities. Grameenphone has already taken six individuals who have been supported by the Acid Survivors’ Foundation and provided them with employment within the company. These individuals will also be provided with necessary skills training required to help them take on their new responsibilities in the company. Bangladesh has one of the highest numbers of incidents related to acid violence and acid burns. These incidents constitute 9% of total burn injuries in Bangladesh.
The majority of the victims of acid violence are women (47%), while men and children account for 26% and 27% respectively. Grameenphone will also provide necessary support to ASF in raising awareness against acid violence.
Grameenphone hands over 100 rickshaws in Sylhet :
Grameenphone, on June 28, 2007, presented ownership papers and documents for the handing over of 100 rickshaws to the Green Disabled Foundation, Sylhet Foundation and Mukti-Joddha Sangsad in Sylhet.
Green Disabled Foundation and Sylhet Foundation work towards the welfare of blind and disabled people whereas; Mukti-Joddha Sangsad works towards the welfare of poor Freedom Fighters, as well as the blind and disabled slum dwellers in Sylhet. The 100 rickshaws were donated as alternative income streams for these non-profit organizations that they may use for various development initiatives.
As similar to any other third world developing nation, Bangladesh’s economic sector is still in the infant stage. It is yet to develop fully. There are very few worthwhile industries to be named.
The Bangladesh corporate world is at present just trying to satisfy its local needs. Whatever exports are there shares a little portion of the world market.
The resources available are not enough to satisfy the local needs. Hence, companies still follow the classical model of economy, trying to maximize profits and targeting short run profits. As a result, there is hardly any concern about social responsibility. It is not long since foreign investors took interest in Bangladesh.
Along with them they brought the concept of social responsibility and public welfare. A list of foreign investors in Bangladesh is as follows: They have contributed a lot in terms of social responsibility in Bangladesh.
