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March 25, 2001

Recycled Computers Arrive in Chittagong

After much anticipation, the fifteen recycled computers donated to EB2000 by UK Rotarian Greaeme Leon-Smith arrived at the Chittagong port via M.V. OOCL Los Angeles.  The computers were shipped from Southampton, UK on February 22, 2001.

The computers are intended for use by BRAC, which paid for the cost of transportation and shipping.  It was the result of a long and arduous effort on the part of EB2000's European Coordinator, Abdul M. Ismail, who originally secured the computers more than a year ago.  Since then Mr. Ismail had been working diligently to find an appropriate recipient for these computers and arrange for their shipping.

All logistical arrangements were completed as early as August of 2000.  However, the actual shipping was delayed due to the rerouting of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation vessel from the UK ports.

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March 20, 2001

Donated Magazines for DU and BUET Libraries Reach Dhaka

The logistical set-up for sending older copies of magazines and journals on various subjects of information technology for use by the students of Dhaka University (DU) and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) was now complete.  This was the result of a proposal being forwarded by Mr. Muhammad S. Rahman, Unix System Administrator for Kentucky's Governor's Office for Technology in the ALOCHONA forum and the EB2000 network.

Thus far more than 200 magazines have been sent through several shipments.

Captain Kamal Mahmood of Bangladesh Biman and Mr. Tanvir Chowdhury of Global Amitech joined Mr. Rahman in formulating a three-member team for collecting, transporting and delivering the magazines to their rightful destinations.  At the receiving end, both DU and BUET Librarians expressed their keen interests in obtaining these magazines and making them available for their respective students.

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October 20, 2000

Meeting with the New US Ambassador to Bangladesh

Representatives of Bangladeshi-American organizations met with U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ms. M. Peters, at the State Department on October 20, 2000. Mr. Brian Phipps, Desk Officer for Bangladesh at the State Department, was also present. 

The representatives and the Ambassador discussed primarily the significance and achievements of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s historic official visit to the United States of America, the issue of exploiting gas reserves in Bangladesh and its environmental links, and visa problems encountered at the US Embassy in Dhaka by students and businesspersons.

The meeting with Ambassador Peters was participated by representatives of the following eight organizations: American Association of Bangladeshi Engineers and Architects - Washington DC Chapter: Mr. Belal M. Rokonuddin; Association for Economic and Development Studies on Bangladesh: Dr. Faizul Islam; Bangladesh Partnership: Mr. Dilawar Hossain; Bangladesh Association of North Texas: Mr. Sakhawat John Chowdhury; Bangladesh-USA Human Rights Coalition: Dr. Golam F. Akhter; Bangladesh Youth Federation: Messrs. Saiful Khandker, Kamal Ahmed, Russell Abdullah and Zaki Enayetullah; Bangladeshi-American Foundation: Dr. M. Badrul Haque; Expatriate Bangladeshi 2000: Mr. Shabbir A. Parvez.

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October 16, 2000

AEDSB Meeting with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was the principal speaker at a meeting organized by the Association for Economic and Development Studies on Bangladesh (AEDSB) in Washington DC on October 16. The meeting was held at the Lewis Preston Auditorium of the World Bank and was attended by nearly 200 people, including the Foreign Minister, Abdus Samad Azad, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Abul Hasan Chowdhury, the Bangladesh Ambassador to the US, K. M. Shehabuddin, several members of the Prime Minister's delegation, and over a hundred non-Resident Bangladeshi professionals.

The focus of the meeting was "Development Challenges and the Role of Non-Resident Bangladeshis". Following a welcoming statement by the moderator, Syed Akhtar Mahmood of the World Bank, three AEDSB members made brief presentations addressing the above topic. These included Ahmad Ahsan of the World Bank ("Bangladesh: Progress and Challenges"), Shahabuddin M. Hossain of the IMF ("Building Competitiveness for the 21st Century: the Role of Information Technology and Telecommunications") and Mahmud Farooque of the George Mason University ("Transferring Global Knowledge and Expertise: The Role of Non-Resident Bangladeshis"). 

M. Faizul Islam of South-Eastern University presented the Prime Minister with copies of the first two issues of the Journal of Bangladesh Studies, a joint publication of AEDSB and the Bangladesh Development Initiative. The Prime Minister was also handed over a letter and memorandum from the Bangladesh Environment Network and a folder containing information on Tech-Bangla and EB2000. 

The Prime Minister spoke for about 30 minutes and took questions from the floor. Among other things, the Prime Minister expressed her deep appreciation for the keen interest non-resident Bangladeshis are taking in the development of Bangladesh and their eagerness to contribute to it. In response to a question, she said her government would enthusiastically welcome any effort by non-resident Bangladeshi experts in specific areas to get organized, and would make use of such networks. 

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October 5, 2000 

US$1,330 Collected from Membership Drive 2000

A sum of US $1,330 was collected and deposited into the accounts of EB2000 for the year 2000 as membership fee.  Twenty Nine members contributed to this total, which was much below expectations.  The sum could have been significantly lower absent the generosity of members who contributed much beyond the amount requested.  The initial anticipation was that lowering the fee will encourage more participation.  Unfortunately, that was not the case pointing to the need for seeking alternate source for funding future operation and growth of EB2000.

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June 1, 2000

Annual Membership Drive 2000

Recognizing that in the recent past there was a consensus in opinion for a membership fee of $25 EB2000 designated June as the month for the 'Membership Drive' and requested all members to send this payment of $25 to the address provided.  EB2000 seemed to have generated a lot of attention, both among expatriates and resident Bangladeshi.  To keep this organization going and growing, there was an immediate need for collecting membership dues from every interested individual.  It was expected that members will match their enthusiasm for EB2000 with this financial support to run its basic operations.  The drive was being coordinated by Mr. Shabbir Parvez, EB2000's director in charge of finance and budget.

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May 23, 2000

BASIS Seminar: Bangladesh IT Resources, RB-NRB Partnership for the Development

Mr Shaheen Hussain, Principal and Chief Architect, Net Shilpo and Mr Hafiz Chowdhury of BIT Resources gave a seminar on developing partnerships between the Resident and Non Resident Bangladeshis in the area of information technology.  The seminar elaborated on the rational for giving Bangladeshi IT firms an opportunity to tap into the skills of NRBs with IT sector expertise while giving the NRBs an opportunity to see firsthand developments.

The Seminar was hosted by BASIS and coordinated by its Secretary General Mr. Atique Rabbani.  Held at TCL, Dhaka Metropolian Scout Bhaban, it was attended by representatives from various IT Companies in Bangladesh who are members of BASIS. 

The seminar was a follow-up of an earlier presentation on IT-Mentorship and subsequent discussion that took place at the TechTransfer 2000:NA convention in Atlantic City.  During the discussions, decision was taken to undertake an initiative in the form of BIT Resources under the sponsorship of EB2000, TechBangla, BASIS and other organizations engaged in the development of IT Business opportunities for Bangladeshi companies.

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May 15, 2000 

BRAC Accepts Proposal to Distribute Recycled Computers for Education

Major General Muhammad Sahool Afzal, BRAC's Director of Information Technology, after corresponding with Mr. Abdul M. Ismail, EB2000's European Coordinator, accepted the fifteen recycled computers donated by Rotarian Greaeme Leon-Smith of UK to EB2000 for deployment in Bangladesh for educational purposes.  BRAC agreed to pay for the cost of transportation and shipping.

The decision to enter into agreement with BRAC was reached after proposals to other organizations failed to materialize.  The Rotary Club of Bangladesh never responded to EB2000's inquiries and the LEARN Foundation, Grameen Bank and the Ministry of Science and Technology declined to participate, citing a variety of reasons.

The task was now left to arrange for transportation and shipping.  Captain Moinuddin Ahmed, the Regional Representative of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation in the UK agreed to help in the matter.

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April 28-30, 2000

TechTransfer 2000: NA Convention

The first North America convention, held in Atlantic City, New Jersey during April 28th and 30th concluded with unprecedented success in building active connection between non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) and resident Bangladeshis (RBs). Professor Yunus of Grameen Bank made his keynote address in the plenary session, while Mamnun Quader of Southtec presented Fazle Hasan Abed's (BRAC) message. 

Professor Zafar Iqbal, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Fazlur Rahman, the Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the Government of Bangladesh, Professor Abdus Sobhan, Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), S. M. Kamal, President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), Shaikh Mizanur Rahman, coordinator of TechBangla, the organizer and host of TT2000: NA, and Dr. John V. Tesoriero, Executive Director, New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology spoke at the plenary session. 

Attending the convention were 25 RB participants from the Bangladesh government, industry, academia and civil society. Altogether 14 RB companies were represented. Over 300 NRB TIEs and policy makers attended the convention, and about 40 NRB companies were represented. Over 70 presentations were made on technologies that have a prospect for implementation in Bangladesh for domestic and export markets, entrepreneurial success stories on both NRB and RB sides, financing and investment options available in the US and through FDI in Bangladesh, policies that need to be implemented for accelerated growth in the technology sectors of the country.

The convention was hosted by TechBangla and co-sponsored among other by AABEA, BCBSNA and EB2000. 

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April 19, 2000

White House Debriefing Meeting on President Clinton's trip to Bangladesh

Representatives of Bangladeshi-American organizations from the Greater Washington and the New York areas attended a White House debriefing meeting on April 19th, 2000, at the Old Executive Building. Messrs. Bruce O. Riedel and Karl F. Inderfurth debriefed these representatives. Bruce O. Riedel is a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director, Near East and South Asian Affairs, National Security Council. Karl F. Inderfurth is Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of South Asian Affairs, US State Department. Others present at the meeting from the Administration side were Ms. Laura Efurd, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Public Liaison at the White House, and Ms. Michelle Maynard of the US Department of State.

The debriefing and the follow-up question and answer session lasted for about 50 minutes. On the Bangladeshi-American delegation, the following organizations and individuals participated: American Association of Bangladeshi Engineers and Architects -Washington DC Chapter (Mr. Belal Rokonuddin), Association for Economic and Development Studies on Bangladesh (Dr. Muhammad Faizul Islam), Bangladesh Association of America, Inc. -MD, VA, WDC (Dr. Jafrul A. K. Hasan), Bangladesh Chemical and Biological Society of North America (Dr. Abul Hussam), Bangladesh-USA Human Rights Coalition (Dr. Golam F. Akhter and Mr. Shahidul Islam Talukdar), Bangladeshi-American Foundation (Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury and Dr. Badrul Haque), Dhaka Ahsania Mission -USA (Mr. Mohammad Wasim Billah), Expatriate Bangladeshi 2000 (Mr. Mahmud A. Farooque) and Shetubondhon (Mr. Mohammed S. Ahsan). There were four other Bangladeshi-Americans present at the meeting in their individual capacities.

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March 30, 2000

Greaeme Leon-Smith Donates Fifteen Recycled Computers to EB2000

Greame is a former High School Headmaster and former Educational Consultant for NTL.  He's been a Rotarian for over 25 years.  He began 'Free Computers for Education' as a registered Charity over a year ago and since then sent computers to schools across the UK, India, Iran, Bosnia, Kosovo and other countries around the world.

When EB2000's European Coordinator, Mr. Abdul Mannan Ismail contacted Greame with his proposal for sending recycled computers from UK to Bangladesh for use in educational institution, he readily committed to provide 15 computers for free.  These were Pentium and later model computers that would be provided through Data Services, an UK based computer recycler.  It was decided that these fifteen computers would be utilized for the 'proof of concept' phase of a larger operation where large shipments of recycled computers could be channeled for educational use in Bangladesh.

The task was now left to find a willing recipient in Bangladesh who would assume the responsibility of deploying these computers for educational purposes.  The LEARN Foundation, Rotary Club, Grameen Bank, BRAC and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) were to be contacted to explore their interest in participating in the project.

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March 11, 2000

Network of Bangladeshi Entrepreneur Inaugural Seminar

Under the sponsorship of EB2000, ALOCHONA and  BGTECH, the inaugural seminar to launch the Network of Bangladeshi Entrepreneurs (NBE) was held at the auditorium of the School of Management, Boston University.  The seminar primarily focused on generating entrepreneurial spirit among Bangladeshi's living in the Boston area. Its main purpose was to trigger the collective entrepreneurial vigor among Bangladeshi professionals and students.

The seminar served as a great networking event for Bangladeshi entrepreneurs and professionals, some of whom had flown in from different parts of the country.  Rashed Hasan, Co-Founder of NeoSoftUSA, LLC and founder of PhysicianBiz.com spoke on the rational for becoming an entrepreneur.  The road to becoming an entrepreneur was the topic of Managing Director of Triumph Capital, Mr. Muhit Rahman's presentation.  Mr.  Mushtar Moin, Co-founder & CIO of Onenest.com provided a vivid narration of a real Internet start-up story.  Mohammad Ahsan, former consultant with PriceWaterHouse Coopers & Anderson Consulting spoke about how to empower a new business with appropriate management tools.  Mr. Hassan Alam, CEO of BCL Computers talked about non-equity financing.  Mr. Sheikh Abdur Rahman, the President and CEO of SAR Engineering Inc. was the guest speaker.

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February 28, 2000

White House Briefing Meeting on President Clinton's trip to Bangladesh

A delegation of Bangladeshi-Americans met with senior White House and State Department officials to exchange views on a number of issues on Tuesday prior to a scheduled visit by President Clinton to South Asia, including Bangladesh, starting March 20th, 2000. The officials met included Messrs. Karl F. Inderfurth, Assistant Secretary of State, Bruce O. Riedel, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director on Near East and South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council and Ms. Laura Efurd, Deputy Assistant to the President.

The Bangladeshi-American delegation consisted of representatives of American Association of Bangladeshi Engineers and Architects, Bangladesh Association of America, Bangladesh Chemical and Biological Society of North America, Bangladesh Center for Cultural Exchange, Bangladesh Environment Network, the Bangladeshi-American Foundation, Expatriate Bangladeshi 2000, North America Bangladesh Statistics Association and TechBangla.

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February 17, 2000

Seminar for the Senior Staff of Bangladesh Biman

A three hour seminar was conducted on the 17th of February, 2000 by Farhana Hasan on behalf of EB2000.  The open panel interactive presentation was made to the Board of Directors and Senior Management of Bangladesh Biman including the Managing Director.  

The purpose of the seminar was to illuminate the leadership of the organization on how to enhance operational excellence with increased on-time performance and better customer service.  Main emphasis was given on on-time performance with detailed delay analysis methods and needs for IT improvements.  Customer service--especially during irregular operations, was also a point of discussion.  The objective was to shed some light on current business methodologies used in world class airlines.  The seminar covered a wide array of topics including data gathering process, database creation, delay cause detection and establishment of goals and targets to measure performance.  Presently the on-time performance of Biman is 35%, which is mostly attributed to an aging fleet and an absence of a scientific tracking system.

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January 9, 2000

Shaping the Future of IT in Bangladesh: A Brain Storming Session

A meeting was organized to inaugurate EB2000's efforts to assist in the development of the information technology sector in Bangladesh.  Held at the Northern Virginia Center of Virginia Tech, the meeting was Chaired by Professor Saifur Rahman, Director of the Alexandria Research Institute.  A discussion session followed presentations by Mr. Mohammed Ahsan titled IT Strategic Plan, by Mr. Hafiz Choudhury titled Resources Needs, and by Mr. Mahmud Farooque titled Bridging Minds and Thought Process.

During the discussion, Professor Rahman mentioned his experience of trying to promote the development of the IT sector in Bangladesh over 15 years, and advised all to be realistic in their expectations of what could be achieved. All present concurred with the need to be aware of local sensitivities, bureaucratic mistrust/fear and political/personal rivalries. This was essential to achieve the long term goal of a flourishing IT sector in Bangladesh; it was also necessary to preserve the non-partisan stance of eb2000. Thus it was decided that EB2000's activities in this area would have to complement, and where possible enhance, the work of the JRC committee, and not seek to substitute it.

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For More Information Contact:

Expatriate Bangladeshi 2000, Inc.
PO Box 711191, Oak Hill, VA 20171
Tel: 877-376-9590
FAX: 877-376-9590
Internet: info@eb2000.org

 

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