GMG Airlines, the largest private airline of the country, has announced suspension of its flight operations from Mar 30 for what it called 'strategic restructuring against rising fuel price and competitive global market'.
A media statement from the company said on Wednesday that the airlines will go off air starting Friday.
"As we transit to the new strategy, our operations will be temporarily suspended with effect from Mar 30, as we await the delivery of new-generation aircraft, clear legacy issues, execute the rightsizing and organise ourselves better to take up the future challenges," chief executive Sanjiv Kapoor said in the statement.
GMG Airlines is planning to adopt a new business strategy in the light of rising fuel prices and changing international competitive environment through a 360 degree restructuring of its strategy, organisation, fleet and business model, he elaborated.
"It (airline) will redesign its route network to focus on higher yield, higher growth domestic and regional routes using new-generation narrow body aircraft," Kapoor added.
GMG Airlines started operations on local routes in 1998 and introduced international flights in 2004. BEXIMCO bought a large number of company's shares in 2009.
Flight operations have been suspended on six international routes since January. The company, the first private airlines in the country, used Boeing-767 and MD-80 airplanes for its international flights.
Only three local flights have been in operation on three local routes using two Dash-8 aircraft.
"One of the hired Boeing-767 airplanes was returned and the other two are set to be returned to the manufacturers. Instead, the company will bring two narrow-body aircraft," GMG director (Marketing and Customer Experience) Asif Ahmed told .
"Besides, a decision has been taken to exclude three MD-80 aircraft from the GMG fleet. Of the three, one is owned by the company while the other two were hired. Besides, a Dash-8 model aircraft will be sent for maintenance," said Asif.
"Flight operations will resume after getting the narrow-body aircraft," he added.
The press release said during the period of suspension, all ticketed passengers will be given a full refund through the airlines' sales offices and employees will be paid compensation benefits in accordance with the labour law.
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Students of Titumir College on Wednesday blocked the street from Mohakhali to Gulshan-1 in protest against Tuesday night's detention of their fellow students over vandalism in a bar run by Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.
The demonstrating students vandalised several vehicles on the street blocking traffic in the area around 12pm on Wednesday.
Police held at least 26 students of the college from Ruchita Bar in Mohakhali area after they allegedly rampaged it around 10:45pm on Tuesday.
A handful of their fellows gathered in front of the college on Wednesday noon demanding their release. At one stage, they burned papers on the street.
They also hurled brickbats on the nearby buildings, breaking window glasses.
Gulshan zone's deputy commissioner of police Lutful Kabir told that they discussed the issue with the teachers of the college.
He said the situation would calm down after the detainees would be freed on bail bond.
Traffic on the street came to halt for over an hour also during Tuesday's vandalism in the bar.
Gulshan Police Station officer-in-charge Rafikul Islam said, "The incident originated from a personal-level conflict over payment. Others might join afterwards."
He, however, said police will check who were responsible.
"Legal steps will be taken against those responsible for the incident," he added.
Now a days many old parents are shock his/her children.The High Court has asked the government to explain within three weeks why it should not be directed to enact a law making it mandatory for the children to bear the maintenance cost of their parents in old age.
The vacation bench of justices Mohammad Anwarul Haque and Mohammad Khasruzzaman passed the order on Wednesday after primary hearing on a writ petition.
The law secretary and the social welfare secretary have been made respondents to the rule.
Abdul Jahid Mukul, founding president of Gazipur Adult Rehabilitation Centre, filed the writ petition seeking the High Court directive to the government to enact a law so that old parents can claim their maintenance costs from their children.
Advocate Fariduzzaman Farhad stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Rajik Al Jalil represented the state.
Leading mobile operator Grameenphone has signed an agreement with Kaspersky Lab's local representative Officextracts to ensure enterprise security solutions for its users.
A Grameenphone media statement on Wednesday read, "Officextracts, a local software distribution company, will distribute security products of the Kaspersky Lab and will also ensure service and assistance to the mobile operator's commercial clients."
Grameenphone has started Kaspersky Lab and Internet Security (anti-virus) software to guard against various viruses, spyware, crimeware, hacking, phishing and spamming while using internet, the statement added.
Now bangladesh start their 3g licence work in step 3.when 3g comes bangladesh fully then we are get good tecnology and our communication will be fast.The telecom regulator has proposed to award licences for 3G mobile service in the country on Sep 3.
In its draft guideline for issuing licence, the regulator – Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) – has also clarified that in all, five mobile phone operators would be awarded 3G licence and not four, as decided previously.
BTRC chairman Maj Gen (retd) Zia Ahmed confirmed that the draft titled "Cellular Mobile Phone Service (3G/4G/LTE) Regulatory Licence Guideline 2012" was forwarded to the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications on Wednesday afternoon.
He said the process of distributing the licence would begin once the ministry finalises the draft.
Earlier, BTRC finalised the draft guidelines providing scope for awarding 3G mobile service licence with options to upgrade to 4G and long-term evolution (LTE) without any extra fees.
3G LICENCE AWARDEES
Teletalk will get the licence as the state-owned firm while three others would be selected from the existing five private mobile operating companies. The fifth one to get the licence will be a new operator, said Zia.
The licence would be valid for a period of 15 years.
AUCTION TECHNICALITIES
According to the draft guideline, the licences will be auctioned again if at least two operators do not take licences.
Zia Ahmed, however, expressed hope that more than five operators would be eager to buy licences.
AUCTION PROCESS BEGINS MAY 7
The draft states that advertisement for the auction would be published on May 7.
The operators will have to apply to take part in the auction on July 12 and the name of the operators eligible to take part in the auction would be made public on July 19.
BTRC chairman said the draft proposes $30 million as bid money for every megahertz of spectrum.
If the draft gets final nod, the operators will have to pay Tk 500,000 to apply for the auction and Tk 100 million as the licence fee. The licence holders will have to pay 5.5 percent revenue sharing and one percent social obligation fees every year.
LICENCE HANDOVER WITHIN NOVEMBER
The draft says that every operator willing to take the licences will have to pay the same amount as called by the highest bidder.
"The operators will receive the licences within 60 working days from the day bidding is held", Zia Ahmed said referring to the guideline.
3G ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN 3 YRS
The draft guideline proposes to take 3G services to other parts of the country within three years. "The operators will have to extend network in three phases."
It also talks of Tk 1.5-billion bank guarantee for a 3G licence, out of which BTRC would take away Tk 500 million if the operators fail to meet any phase of the targeted network. In case of their success in one phase, Tk 500 million would be refunded.
Old operators, who already have 2G services, would have to finish the first phase of network expansion in six divisions within six months and the new ones within a year.
Old operators will be given 18 months for the second phase of network expansion in 30 percent districts and new ones will get two years.
The last phase will have to be finished within three years of licence issuance.