Practice 01

Souring the sweet taste of mango export

Munira Khan lives in Colorado. Every summer, she goes to the supermarket to buy
mangoes, and she finds only Thai mangoes there. She grew up eating some of the best
Bangladeshi mango varieties, and thus, she is not a fan of what she finds there.
"These are not mangoes," she says, "these are just papayas shaped like mangoes. There's no
smell or no juice dripping from them."
And she is not alone. Almost all expatriate Bangladeshis feel the same way. They crave our
mangoes abroad. And mango exporters agree with them as well.
Abul Hossain, owner of the Lee Enterprise Fruit Exporters, said, "When you peel our mangoes,
you can smell the sweet fragrance. You don't smell anything from a Thai or Chinese mango. So,
even foreigners love our mangoes."
Our mango export figures however tell a different story. Bangladesh exported only 2700 tons of
mango in FY23. Bangladesh is not even in the top 10 mango exporting countries list. It is even
more perplexing given that Bangladesh stands as the eighth-largest mango producer. In the year
Bangladesh exported 2700 tons, the yield was 1.4 million tons.
This begs the question, despite such demand and such high production, why is our mango export
so low?
The global mango market has been on the rise for years now. According to the Business Research
Group, the mango market size is expected to grow from $63.65 billion in 2023 to $67.95 billion in
2024 at a rate of 6.7%.
Our neighbouring India, Pakistan and Thailand are doing far better than us, despite our mangoes
being tastier, according to the exporters.
Bangladesh faces several hurdles that need addressing to fully capitalise on this potential. Quality
issues, infrastructure limitations, certification gaps, and restricted market access are the primary
challenges that have hindered the growth of mango exports. And recently, air freight charges have
skyrocketed, making our mango less competitive in foreign market.
Bangladesh's mangoes, such as Hari Bhanga, Gopal Bhog, Fazlee, Langra, Amrapali, and
Himsagar, are known for their unique flavours and qualities, making them ideal candidates for
international markets.

Practice 02
Businessmen demand resignation of CCCI management
committee

A group of businessmen today (18 August) staged a demonstration in front of Chattogram

Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI) office in city's Agrabad area demanding resignation of
its current managing committee.
The businessmen who suffered discrimination also demanded a simplified process for obtaining
new memberships in the century-old trade organisation, freed from autocracy and patriarchy.
Demanding reform of CCCI, Rakibul Alam, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment
Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told the journalists that a syndicate has
transformed the CCCI into a "family-run institution".
The speakers demanded the current board of directors of the chamber should resign and its
membership should be simplified.
They said those who are businessmen of Chattogram will be members of the CCCI and elect the
leadership.
Habibur Rahman, secretary of the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers
Association (BARVIDA), said a new management committee should be formed through elections
to make the chamber business-friendly without authoritarianism and nepotism.
Former CCCI senior vice president S M Nurul Haque alleged that the current committee was
elected through irregularities so they want a free and fair election of the CCCI by its genuine
members.
Former employees of the CCCI joined the rally with banners, demanding reinstatement to their
jobs.
BGMEA Vice President Rakibul Alam, former CCCI leader Zahirul Islam Chowdhury Alamgir,
former secretary general of BARVIDA Habibur Rahman, former senior vice president of the CCCI
SM Nurul Haque, CCCI leaders Abdul Mannan Rana and Mahbub Rana among others addressed
the function.

Practice 03
BCS: The new gold rush

Whether it is the 'shagar churi' or the sea of accumulated wealth through corruption by
government officials, the question leak scandal, or the quota reform movement that has set the
country alight once again after six years, everyone is invested in the talk of government jobs.
This brings us to the appeal of civil service jobs, which, at a slightly closer look, seems like a
bewilderingly desperate mission-like conquest. People are paying lakhs to obtain a question
paper, only to get a job that does not (at least officially) even pay the bare minimum to survive in
an economy like ours.
So, one must ask: What are the push factors behind this desperation?
When a layperson is asked, the answer seems to oscillate between two options: the appeal of
massive 'cash out' through corruption and abuse of power, or the non-monetary benefits that
come with the jobs, be it social prestige or job security or even better marriage proposals (yes,
that is also a contributing factor here).
For instance, Aminur Rahman (not his real name) graduated from one of the top public universities
in the country with a degree in economics. Later, he joined a renowned private bank as an
assistant transaction officer. After three months, he left the job voluntarily.
He always had a desire for a government job and felt that his job's workload did not allow him to
prepare for the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exam.
"I don't like the rigid lifestyle in private sector jobs. Government jobs offer me greater flexibility,
job security and social status. These aspects motivate me to join the civil service," he said.
However, Aminur is not alone. There have been numerous stories of people leaving lucrative jobs
to join the civil service. In another instance, a few months ago, 57 first-class officers of the
Bangladesh Bank left their jobs, and most of them joined the civil service.
We also hear stories of graduates from top-tier foreign universities, PhD candidates and faculties
of private universities joining BCS. But, to reiterate, why is there such a frenzy in the first place?
If you ever go to the Dhaka University Central Library at 5am, you will see students lining up
outside. They stand in line for hours, and the queue easily reaches Mall Chattar before the Library
opens at 9am.
All of them are studying for the BCS.
Although this "hype" is not new, an exponential increase in interest in the exam is evident. For
instance, in the 36th BCS in 2015, 211,282 eligible candidates applied, while the number doubled
to reach 442,831 in the 43rd BCS in 2020.
However, against this massive number, available seats remain very limited. In the 43rd BCS, only
2,163 candidates were recommended for the posts — only 0.49% of the applicants.
But despite this intense competition, everyone is willing to give it a shot.
Now there is another ongoing protest, demanding the age limit of BCS application to be raised
from 30 to 35. So, candidates are willing to spend five more years chasing the golden goose.
"If this is done, young people would be occupied with recruitment exams for an additional five
years. Consequently, we would miss the opportunity to utilise the country's young population. This
is an excellent time for the country to leverage its young population to advance its economy," said
Professor Tariq Manzoor of the Department of Bangla at Dhaka University.
He further states that the demand for increasing the age limit to 35 has intensified due to the
shrinking job market. However, job seekers need to consider that if this were implemented, they
would have to compete with at least twice as many candidates in each exam.
Practice 04
Disney has a price problem. It has ambitious plans to fix that

Disney recently announced a huge slate of projects for parks and cruises in front of 12,000 of its
most loyal fans, who will almost certainly return to Disney’s theme parks to experience those new
offerings, no matter what it costs.
But whether a frequent visitor or a first-timer, Disney’s price hikes combined with a global inflation
crisis left many families unable to afford trips to witness the technological feats and fantasy
immersion the “Happiest Place on Earth” promises.
“It is not news that a Disney trip is expensive, but the magnitude and speed of price increases
over roughly the past five years was jarring to many respondents, and we do not believe similar
increases over roughly the next five years are feasible,” a Raymond James survey of 20 Disney
“superfans,” travel agents and Orlando-area business owners found.
Disney warned in its August 7 earnings report that domestic parks attendance was
underperforming expectations as visitors become more price-conscious. US parks profit fell
during the last quarter, between April and July. Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said on the company’s
earnings call that there may be a couple of quarters of similar results.
To keep its customers coming through the gates, the company will keep providing a range of
pricing and options, said Josh D’Amaro, chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in an
interview with CNN.
“What we will continue to do is make sure we provide as much access and flexibility as we possibly
can, so as many of our fans can experience these things as possible,” D’Amaro said.
In response to criticism about high costs, Disney has consistently touted lower-priced ticket
options and “value season” deals at its resort hotels to allow families to visit, even if they’re on a
tight budget.
Disney isn’t the only company struggling with customers who are spending less. Demand for the
travel industry is softening, marking the end of the “revenge travel” fad in the months after
pandemic restrictions were lifted. With stimulus money padding their bank accounts, people had
been spending more freely then, making up after a year of missed vacations.
D’Amaro said he’s confident Disney can navigate these bumps in the road.
“We have proven ourselves to be incredibly adept at managing through situations where there’s
some change in consumer behavior,” he said. “We have even more sophistication in our ability to
deal with any of these fluctuations, whether it’s through precise promotional deployment, or
management of cost or engagement with our guests.”
Practice 05

Steelmakers call for steps to address tariff complications

he country's steelmakers on Saturday urged the interim government to take pragmatic steps with
an eye to eliminating complications related to tariff on the import of machinery and raw materials.
Business leaders at a meeting of the apex trade body, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), also urged the authorities concerned to enhance the capacity
of ports.
They made the call at the meeting of the FBCCI standing committee on iron, carbon steel,
stainless steel and re-rolling industry, according to a statement.
FBCCI president Mahbubul Alam joined the meeting virtually as the chief guest, presided by SK
Masadul Alam Masud, committee chairman and managing director of Shahriar Steel Mills Limited.
FBCCI director Md Amir Hossain Noorani was present as the director-in-charge of the committee.
At the meeting, the business leaders sought urgent action to ensure quality and uninterrupted
supply of gas and electricity to all types of industries, including iron and steel manufacturing.
They accentuated the need to keep lending rates stable, reduce turnover tax and VAT in income
tax, remove complications related to HS Code, and stop extra fines and taxes in light of rational
taxation value.
According to a presentation made at the meeting, annual per capita consumption of steel in
Bangladesh is 40 kilogram. It is around 90 kg in neighbouring India.
Bangladesh has to import almost 100 per cent of steel required domestically since there is no iron
ore mine here.
An estimated 3.0-million tonnes of steel are imported into the country every year to meet the local
demand.
In his speech, the FBCCI chief prayed for the salvation of the departed souls of all martyrs,
including young students and commoners, who struggled to build a discrimination-free state.
He also wished speedy recovery of those injured and are still undergoing treatment at various
hospitals.
Highlighting the need for economic uplift, Mr Alam urged tradespeople to unite to eliminate the
current crisis facing the local steel industry.
Complications in tariff regime on import are a big challenge not only for the steel industry, but also
for other sectors, according to him.
"We've long been informed that the assessment value of imported goods at the port is much
higher than the invoice value," Mr Alam said highlighting the necessity to work to this end.
He also expressed hope that the new chairman of the revenue board would be sincere in
facilitating business in the country.
According to FBCCI senior vice-president Amin Helaly, the chief adviser of the interim government
is an internationally recognised person. "It's an opportunity to capitalise on his brand value to
improve the image of Bangladesh abroad."