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After perfecting the community-based composting model, Waste Concern turned its attention to the many tons of organic waste generated by Dhaka’s business sector, notably its many produce markets. WC took advantage of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to create the world’s first carbon-trading scheme based on compost. Last November it launched this new project at its Bulta plant, which lies next to farmland and brick factories a couple of hours northeast of Dhaka. Initially, this new project collected only 10 tons of organic waste daily from the Karwan Bazar market, but it should reach 100 tons later this month, says deputy plant manager Syed “Jubilee” Ahmed. After the waste is trucked in, it is spread out in open-air bins, monitored carefully, and becomes saleable compost in a little over a month. Two other CDM composting plants are planned to open this year to handle a combined 700 tons of organic waste per day, says Sinha. That works out to 233 tons of finished, dry compost every day with a retail value of nearly $14,000. Composting works well in a nation like Bangladesh because of the tropical climate and high percentage of organic waste in the trash stream. Organic waste buried in a landfill can generate greenhouse gases, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. But when the organic waste is composted in the open air, these gases are not made. The fact of this negative generation amounts to carbon credits, which can be traded on overseas markets for $20 per ton. “From one ton of organic waste,” says Sinha. “You can reduce half a ton of greenhouse gas.” When it reaches full capacity, this CDM project will reduce CO2 emissions by 127,750 tons per year. The carbon credits will be worth $2.5 million. “Waste Concern is doing a commendable job,” says Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh. “It is really important to translate those wastes into resources because that will help the country achieve sustainable development in the years ahead.”

meen Health, an affiliate of Grameen Bank, has 51 clinics that offer low-cost treatment to villagers who pay an insurance premium of just $2 a year

Yunus says he is working with U.S. medical experts to create health care centers that allow villagers to transmit their medical information over the Internet using cellular telephones to a far-away doctor's computer. "He can see it on the screen and decide what the advice should be in this particular case and pick up the mobile phone and tell the health management center what is the next step to take, what precautions, whatever advice they have," he said.

One of his partners, Pfizer - the world's biggest pharmaceutical maker - is helping to evaluate Grameen's health care delivery systems. Another is General Electric, the world's top maker of medical imaging devices such as ultrasound machines. GE is working with villagers to make diagnostic equipment less complex and easier to carry to people's homes. And the Mayo Clinic, a leading nonprofit medical provider, is training village doctors and nurses how to use state of the art medical equipment.

Zahid said the economy of the country was stable and the projected economic growth for the fiscal year 09 would be 5.5 per cent. He, however, said in the worst case of declining of export and remittance it could be as low as 4.5 per cent in the fiscal year 09.The senior economist of the bank said that the inflation rate of 6.1 per cent in January of this year was quite satisfactory due to the falling prices of commodities in the international market.

Recession in the developed markets and slowdown in the Middle East has already begun to pose threat to Bangladeshi exports and remittance inflows, he added. Citing a 30 percent decline in capital machinery import, Zahid said there might have been a significant slowdown in investments. On the impacts of the global crisis he said, export, remittance, revenue and banking sector along with the employment would be affected severely. "At least 2 to 2.5 million new local jobs will be needed until the global economy recovers, compared to 1.1 million job creation prior to the crisis," he mentioned."Demands for bailout packages from businesses might not help the poor and the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors are doing well", said the senior economist of the international donor agency.Xian Zhu said the impact on Bangladesh's growth may not be severe during the current fiscal year and the government should prepare the best for the worst.He said that government need to take precautionary measures to mitigate the impacts of the crisis especially for the poor by creating more jobs internally and safety net programmes should be given highest priority."The government needs to carry out the unfinished reform agenda to turn Bangladesh a middle income country," he added.

Sheikh Hasina said the strategically important locations of Bangladesh's two important seaports-Chittaong and Mongla- is crucial for development of the countries in this region. "We can construct a deep-sea port side by side with modernising the existing two to create opportunities for the neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan, India and China, she said adding these seaports would play a significant role in the country's economy".

Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on information technology (IT) and said her government had given priority to this sector while in power in the past and encouraged setting up of radio, television channels in the private sector apart from breaking monopoly in mobile phone business which created the scopes for massive employment.

Describing huge prospects of developing waterways in the country, she said initiatives would be taken to modernise the railway and waterways side by side with the road linkages.

The new-generation internal communications are planned attuned to the fast-moving external world as the prime minister expressed her desire to build Bangladesh as a ‘Bridge between the East and the West.’   The major plans laid out by the prime minister are linking Bangladesh with the Asian Highway and the Trans-Asian Railway, constructing elevated expressway on Tongi-Gazipur-Narayanganj route, introducing commuter train service between the capital city and adjacent districts, setting up rail line from Chittagong to the resort town of Cox’s Bazar, underpass in Dhaka, creating a ring-road surrounding the city, modernising Chittagong and Mongla seaports.

Describing the Chittagong and Mongla seaports as the two big assets of the country, the premier said if the two ports could be modernised and a deep-sea port set up, potential of use of the ports by neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan, India and even China will be created.   ‘We want to build up Bangladesh as the bridge between East and West hemispheres of the world,’ she told the meeting.   ‘Already we have decided to construct elevated roads on the Tongi-Gazipur-Narayanganj route and introduce commuter train service between Dhaka and its adjacent districts to ease the traffic congestion and overcrowds in the capital city,’ she said.

Hasina said country’s waterways and railways need to be developed so lower-income people can use these paths for communications at cheap rates.   The premier asked the ministry officials to think how the railways and waterways could be upgraded and made more effective means of travels.   Hasina informed the meeting about the government’s another plan to set up rail line from Chittagong to Cox’s Bazar to directly link the town of scenic beauty with the capital city, Dhaka, for cheaper movement of holidaymakers from home and abroad.

He called upon United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization and other development partners for providing necessary cooperation for spreading education in Bangladesh.

The education minister said Bangladesh has been successful in removing gender discrimination from primary and secondary schools and spreading primary education despite resources constraints and institutional weakness.

The annual growth in the number of workers leaving Bangladesh for overseas jobs slowed sharply to 5.1 percent in 2008 compared to 118.2 percent in 2007.Among the major destinations for overseas employment, new jobs for Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia fell by 35.3 percent in 2008. Kuwait has reduced hiring Bangladeshi workers since late 2006. In 2008 new jobs for Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait fell by 92.4 percent and in Bahrain by 19.8 percent.New job opportunities also declined in 2008 in Malaysia by 51.8 percent and in Brunei by 11.1 percent on economic downturn.The recession is also badly affecting new Bangladeshi job seekers in Europe. Jobs fell by 36.7 percent in Italy and 2.1 percent in the UK in 2008.Job opportunities however grew by 202.6 percent in Oman, 85.2 percent in the UAE, 68.9 percent in Qatar and 47.6 percent in Singapore.The central bank officials' forecast indicates a lower remittance inflow in the next few months as a significant number of workers returned home.

According to the latest revisions by the World Bank, India, China and Mexico retain their position as the top recipients of remittances among developing countries. The top 10 recipients list also includes Philippines, Poland, Nigeria, Romania, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan.