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Private tutoring has become a pervasive phenomenon in Bangladesh, with significant implications for educational equity and quality. This paper examines the policy landscape surrounding private tutoring and proposes comprehensive strategies to mitigate its adverse effects on the education system. Through a systematic review of existing literature and policy documents, this study elucidates the multifaceted challenges posed by private tutoring, including exacerbating educational inequalities, compromising teacher accountability, and perpetuating a two-tiered education system. Drawing on insights from international experiences and stakeholder consultations, the paper presents a framework for policy interventions tailored to the context of Bangladesh. These interventions encompass regulatory measures, teacher training and capacity-building initiatives, curriculum reforms, and community engagement strategies. Furthermore, the paper explores the potential synergies between formal schooling and supplementary tutoring services to harness the benefits of private tutoring while addressing its negative externalities. By illuminating the complex dynamics surrounding private tutoring and offering evidence-based policy recommendations, this research aims to catalyze informed dialogue and action among policymakers, educators, and civil society stakeholders to foster a more equitable and inclusive education system in Bangladesh. [For the complete Volume 22 proceedings, see ED656158.]

Industry 4.0 implementation based on Ergonomics in the economy of Bangladesh is presented with a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between I4.0 and ergonomics, with a specific focus on its implications in the context of Bangladesh. The review begins by examining the global landscape of I4.0 components and their far-reaching impacts on ergonomics, emphasizing the industrial sectors where ergonomics and human factor studies play a crucial role in ensuring both productivity and worker comfort. The review then delves into the driving sectors of Bangladesh's economy, as dictated by their contribution to the GDP. Furthermore, it assesses the current state of Industry 4.0 implementation in Bangladesh with a sector-specific focus, exploring the practical implications of this technological transformation. Lastly, the paper discusses the emphasis placed on Industry 4.0 in Bangladesh's future economic development plans, shedding light on the nation's vision for embracing this technological revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a powerful economic growth tool, particularly in today's global environment. The host nations try their best to create an appealing and advantageous investment climate for international investors in order to attract FDI inflows. Both developing countries i.e. India, Bangladesh and even developed economy like USA have dependency on FDI. All these three Bangladesh, USA and India have made significant efforts in recent years to attract FDI, offering a variety of lucrative incentives and benefits. Due to this covid pandemic there was some reduction in the trends of FDI inflows but eventually it again resumed momentum due to policies of the government. In this research paper we have tried to do the comparison between FDI inflows between these three countries and even tried to do the prediction for next 2 years. Statistical tools like Mean, Standard Deviation and CAGR have been used for this research paper. This paper also included the data of FDI inflows into these three countries for 6 years, top 10 countries' share in FDI inflows of these countries and some general comparison is also being done. This paper revealed that Mauritius is the top investor in India whereas in Bangladesh its China and in USA, its Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia is one of the driest continents on earth, which often suffers from long droughts and also devastating floods. To support water resources development and ongoing management in Australia, a national guideline called Australian Rainfall and Runoff (ARR) is available to engineers, planners and relevant professionals. This paper presents how ARR has been developed over the last 60 years; its first edition was published in 1958, which was followed by its 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions, published in 1977, 1987 and 2019, respectively. Engineers Australia oversees its development and update. In the 4th edition of the ARR, a dedicated research team worked for about ten years to develop and test new methods of design rainfall estimation, flood modelling, urban stormwater management and other rainfall-runoff related topics. The authors of this paper were heavily involved in the preparation of the 4th edition of ARR. There were 24 projects in relation to the preparation of ARR. The first author led Project 5 Regional flood methods of ARR update for eight years, and the second author served as the principal researcher of this project. Both the authors also developed an important statistical model to link short duration and long duration rainfall, which was an important component in the derivation of design rainfalls as a part of ARR Project 1 Development of Intensity Frequency Duration Information across Australia. The first author also contributed significantly to Project 6 Losses in Design Flood Estimation, also his research formed the foundation of the Monte Carlo simulation/joint probability approach to design flood estimation, which has been included as the preferred rainfall-based design flood estimation method in the ARR. This paper also proposes how a national guideline for Bangladesh can be prepared following the example of ARR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a comprehensive perspective on the implementation of Circular Supply Chain Management (CSCM) in the plastic industry within emerging economies, with a special focus on Bangladesh. As a developing country, Bangladesh is increasingly directing its attention towards green initiatives, sustainability, and robust waste management practices. The nation's commitment to these principles is pivotal in shaping responsible industrial practices and contributing to global sustainability goals. CSCM, integrating Circular Economy (CE) principles into supply chain management, presents a novel approach aligned with Bangladesh's dedication to environmentally conscious development. Despite the potential benefits, the practical application of CSCM encounters challenges attributed to various barriers. This study, conducted in the context of Bangladesh, not only characterizes these obstacles but also incorporates insights from subcontinental researchers who have delved into this field. Their valuable contributions provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with CSCM in the Bangladeshi plastic industry. Through an extensive literature review and industry experts, barriers have been identified and categorized into major groups. The paper employs the Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method to systematically prioritize these barriers. By adopting the MCDM approach, this research not only adds valuable insights into the impediments of CSCM implementation in the Bangladeshi plastic industry but also serves as a foundational resource for managers and policymakers. It provides a roadmap for navigating the challenges associated with sustainable practices, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on responsible and environmentally friendly industrial operations in the context of Bangladesh's development trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of hazardous road locations (HRL) is one of the most significant aspects of the highway safety management process. The primary aim of highway safety management is to minimize the frequency and severity of traffic accidents by identifying HRL and implementing necessary safety measures. This paper offers an overview of previous work regarding methods for identifying and ranking HRL. Popular methods like Empirical Bayes (EB), State of Art, Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), Improved K-MEANS Clustering, Fuzzy Cluster-Based Method, GIS-based methods, and several new methods are reviewed in our study. It is required to assess the performance of various HRL methods to validate the specified criteria. Performance evaluation using various consistency tests provides insight into the most appropriate approach for identifying HRL. Consistency tests like Site Consistency Test, Method Consistency Test, Total Rank Differences Test, Total Score Test, and some other evaluation tests are overviewed in this paper. Besides, this study highlights the approaches for profiling crash spots to evaluate the efficacy of treatment on those spots. Proper identification of active, local, and dependent factors is one of the main issues in terms of the availability of data. A generalized methodology, suitable for any HRL identification method, is also provided. This paper focuses on the inconsistency of operational definitions of hazardous locations in different countries. In this study, several HRL Identification methods in various nations are also compared. Finally, HRL identification, characterization, and road safety-related works in Bangladesh are also stated in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-rise buildings are an outcome of the present time and are intended to be momentary solutions to issues that have arisen as a result of population expansion. Bangladesh, for example, has been a regional hub for new high-rise construction in recent years. Land is scarce and prohibitively costly, particularly in Bangladesh's major cities like Dhaka. Because horizontal development is now so difficult to maneuver, the population density in these nations pushed society to decide to build additional high-rise buildings. High-rise buildings have now taken a step ahead in addressing the high-density population's housing dilemma. In this paper, GIS software was utilized to show graphical data sets of completed high-rise buildings in Bangladesh with respect to population density to alleviate the overcrowding problem. With the increasing rate of urbanization, high-rise building construction is mostly used for vertical construction and open space design. The object of this paper is to depict the current circumstances, as well as the absence of and centered growth of high-rise buildings in Bangladesh. That's why, a comprehensive survey form was created and sent to collect responses from relevant individuals in this sector, such as engineers, architects, contractors, suppliers, and residents. The information was gathered by questionnaire survey and then analyzed using SPSS software to express a real-time picture of the prospects and circumstances for high-rise building construction in Bangladesh. The overall visualization of the present state of high-rise buildings in Bangladesh aids analysts and planners in developing a better plan for future development, as well as improving commercial sectors. With the progressing construction market, there also should be some provision of construction safety onsite to avoid accidents due to ill supervision and management. The findings we extract from the analysis done in this paper are to accumulate the BNBC Code of building construction and proper planning so that we can ensure both the safety and progress of the high-rise building construction industry. The comparative data analysis reveals a link between Bangladesh's current situation and future demands for high-rise buildings development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh’s economy draws its main strength from the agriculture sector. Rice is the staple food of the country, and is the most important crop in Bangladesh’s agricultural sector. However, this sector is facing numerous challenges. The main challenge is proper tracking of agricultural products and ensuring payment after delivery. As the whole transaction process of products and money currently depends on third parties, both buyers and sellers use agents for delivery and payment of food. Ultimately these agents add additional cost to the system. Blockchain is a technology that can provide a remarkable solution for product traceability in agriculture and food supply chains. In this paper, we have conceptualized a Smart contract-based agricultural system through which buyers and sellers can directly interact with each other. With leveraging the smart contract facility of blockchain, transactions among stakeholders can be recorded, and the need for intermediaries will be eliminated prevailing a central authority system. All transactions will be recorded in Blockchain’s immutable ledger which provides a high level of transparency and traceability to the supply chain. Furthermore, in this paper, we have provided data privacy protection solutions through cryptographic primitives and Markle trees that can avoid enterprise privacy and sensitive data leakage. We have also shown cost analysis and performance analysis. We made our smart contract codes publicly available on GitHub. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, major changes have been observed in travel behavior. With the occurrence of multiple waves of this pandemic, Bangladesh as a least-developed country needs to deal with these changes, particularly changes in mode choice behavior. As Dhaka has been marked as a hotspot for the virus contagion, this paper has focused on the changes in mode choice behavior of Dhaka people while they are on the road. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted for more than ten weeks to capture the information on mode preferences and perspectives on travel characteristics for commute and discretionary trips before and during COVID-19. After a careful, manual screening of the data, 571 responses were produced. Multinomial Logit (MNL) model based on a utility function has been used to investigate the significance of the socio-demographic attributes and travel characteristics of the trips on the mode choice behavior. The utility function contains gender, age, net monthly income (NMI), occupation, vehicle ownership, reliability, availability, and cost-effectiveness of the trip to calculate the maximum utility of the mode choice. The parameter estimates of the models identify the independent variables which are significant for mode choice behavior for this study. The MNL model of this study maintained overall prediction accuracies of 67.3% and 55% for commute trips and with an accuracy of 68.7% and 61.6% for discretionary trips before and during COVID-19 respectively. In addition, temporal comparison of trip characteristics perspective using stacked graphs show that public transports are the least reliable modes during the pandemic and NMVs are the most cost-effective modes in commute trips. Furthermore, this paper suggested some viable policy-making implications to cope with the current pandemic and relatable future national and global crises. Finally, the paper concludes by suggesting some future research insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing countries in Asia are investing in rapid transit systems as a response to the problems of urban traffic congestion and satisfying rapidly expanding transport demand, particularly in metro. Metros are completely segregated from other routes and are usually elevated or underground. It is the segregation that is necessary for delivering a quick service, as well as the technology that enables for a large number of passengers to be transported. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh having 8.9 million of people, is facing poor status in public transportation system. Motorcycles, rickshaws, public buses, human hauler, private cars, CNG, minibuses, and taxis are the most common and heterogenous modes of transportation in Dhaka City. From an environmental standpoint, Dhaka's current transportation situation is extremely precarious. In order to solve the problem, promotion of Electric/Hybrid vehicles have been started. For the purpose of withstanding the increasing passengers demand, the government of People's Republic of Bangladesh commissioned a comprehensive transport plan known as the Strategic Transport Plan (STP) for Greater Dhaka City and its surrounding districts in 2008. As a part of this, Bangladesh's government has set a schedule for constructing a road network of that includes six updated metro rail lines of 128.741km under the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) which is expected to cost Tk 21,985.07 crore. The prime focus of this paper is to represent the curtailment of GHG emission due to implementation of mass transit railway systems where vehicles miles travelled data and emission factor of different vehicles have been used to calculated the GHG emission from currently available modes and the data of CO2 emission due to electricity generation has been used in case of metro rail. The method followed are selection of study area, collection of data from primary and secondary sources and analysis. The equation used for the calculation of GHG emission from transportation facilities as well as metro rail system of Bangladesh is represented with the help of literature. Primary data are collected from site visit, field survey and questionnaire survey whereas Secondary data are collected from electronic assessment of the literature which included journals, books, reports from an international organization, and articles. It has been found that currently available modes of transport emits 71,330 tons/year of GHG for passing the passengers from Uttara to Motijheel. But when MRT Line-6 of mass transit railway system will be implemented then only 18,688 tons/year of GHG will be emitted due to electricity generation which will result into a curtailment of 52,642 tons of GHG emission yearly. So, it will result into the improvement of the air quality of Dhaka city which is surely positive contribution to cut global GHG emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being paramount in a road network system, highways are the most vulnerable locations for accidents in developing countries as well as developed countries. According to the Road Maintenance Management System (RMMS) of the Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh has an estimated length of 3,979.80 km of national highways which consist almost 18% of total roads connecting the country. The fatality rate in rural areas including rural sections of national highways is 70% of the total road accidents. On account of high mortality rates on rural highways and lack of dedicated research, this study primarily focuses on accident trend analysis of national highways in rural areas of Bangladesh. MAAP5 (Microcomputer Accident Analysis Package) data from Accident Research Institute (ARI) of Bangladesh over the period of 2006-2015 is utilized for this purpose. This analysis is categorized based on road characteristics and design, driver's behavior, vehicle performance, pedestrian actions and external factors like weather and availability of light. This research work focuses on identifying and exploring prime causes behind the rural national highway accidents in Bangladesh in an elaborate manner using the parameters of MAAP5 data. Accident records disclose that 65.4% of total highway accidents occurred on rural national highways and hit pedestrian (39%) was the most common type of collision in these accidents. The majority of accidents also happened in fair weather (93%) conditions and broad daylight (68.6%). In 98.3% of vehicles, it is observed that drivers involved in casualties did not wear seat belts. Hence, this paper synthesizes a complete idea about the factors that mostly influence these accidents and also discusses the promising recommendations for highway accident prevention. It is believed that this paper will motivate policymakers and road engineers to take apt initiatives in mitigating the percentages of accidents on rural national highways of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The garments industry in Bangladesh is a significant contributor to the country’s economic growth. However, it faces severe challenges in terms of fire safety. Yearly fire-related incidents not only cause harm to individuals but also result in substantial economic losses. This paper addresses the insufficient fire risk assessment in the garments industry and proposes the implementation of an Internet of Things (IoT) integrated fire prevention and alert system. By leveraging IoT devices and their integration into fire safety systems, this solution aims to save lives, protect property, and preserve the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musculoskeletal diseases can be dependent on numerous environmental and individual factors. The existing methods leave out several important factors during the calculation of risks. Hence, this paper has the purpose to create and examine a way for employees to estimate their own risk of developing musculoskeletal problems employing the Musculoskeletal Disease Risk Factor Assessment (MDRFA) approach. Exactly 112 male cement manufacturing workers participated in this cross-sectional investigation. Participants were interviewed to acquire data about their own possessions. Information on the objects was gleaned through perceiving their work and talking to them. Additionally, they were given the Cornell questionnaires for musculoskeletal pain and instructed to complete them out in Persian (CMDQ). A model was developed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) effect coefficients. This technique was verified using a linear regression analysis, and the final score was categorized using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC). The musculoskeletal symptoms are seen to be considerably influenced by either the individual's own characteristics (total coefficient of 0.27) or by physical (total coefficient of 0.51) and psychological (total coefficient of 0.11). Items' computed coefficients were utilized to formulate the MDRFA equation. The ideal cut-off values for the final score of the approach were 14.32, 18.56, and 22.59, creating four distinct categories. The MDRFA approach could adequately explain 73% of risks, but the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) approach could only justify 51% of risks. Prediction of musculoskeletal disorders relies heavily on personal, physical and psychological characteristics. This methodology may allow for more precise prediction of the occurrence of certain diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ready-Made Garments sector has been the major export sector in Bangladesh over the years. The aim of this paper is to identify the influence of supply chain management for better advancement in this sector. Unique features like business, wage, time frame, supply chain, and compliances are included in the export-oriented RMG sector which makes it distinct from other businesses. Without appropriate supply chain management, the prospect of growth for any business is extremely low. Data for this study is collected from secondary sources. In our study, we try to emphasize how RMG aligns with supply chain strategies and collaborates along with the supply chain partners and logistics. According to proper SCM procedure, our study tries to conduct the problems, analyze, eradicate, and modify the technologies. The outcome of the study may not be generalized as the data we are going to use from secondary sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing requirements for social and environmental responsibility, the representatives of the production sectors are forced to consider ways for ensuring a lean and eco-friendly approach to business activities in order to increase the companies' sustainability in the market. In this paper, the issues of establishing an eco-friendly and lean environment are analyzed through a relevant case study, such as the production textile companies of Bangladesh. Following the international trends, the ready-made garment (RMG) sector as a catalyst for the development of Bangladesh is faced with challenges to rethink attitude to the environmental agenda towards the interests of society and stakeholders, including employees. This way, this paper proposes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a mediator for lean environmental management introduction to improve the social and environmental focus of the RMG industry. The practical and theoretical framework is developed for the integration of the considered concepts to address the environmental impacts caused by the RMG companies' activities. The findings reveal the capability to achieve positive effects during implementation of the eco-friendly and lean practices in the RMG industry enterprises and ensure sustainable development while maintaining long-term benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth in the textile fashion Industry during the last two decades, raw materials consumption along with the excessive use of non-renewable resources rose significantly. As a result, the fashion and textile industries are facing crucial challenges to deal with limited natural resources. In the case of Bangladesh, circular fashion is completely a new concept and is yet to explore along with significant changes in technical frameworks and policies of the textile industry. The objective of this study is to design a post-consumer level circular economy framework in Bangladesh using reselling, repairing services, sharing platforms, and reusing concepts. The case study of that paper is done considering the local resale markets of Chittagong, Bangladesh. A real-world customer survey was done in that paper to analyze the consumer perspective toward circular fashion in Bangladesh and to identify potential opportunities for establishing an integrated model following post-consumer apparel products. After gathering and analyzing survey data and consumer perception, we developed an integrated model to establish a framework for CE in the fashion industry in the local market. While many research studies have already developed considering the consumer perspective in European countries and U.S., we tried to develop a circular model for Bangladesh. Because consumer perception varies in different demographic and geographic locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a country of acute power crisis, Bangladesh is now looking forward to developing its renewable energy sources. In this work, we survey the current art of the solar energy technologies being used presently and future utilization in Bangladesh. This paper emphasizes that a reliable, affordable, and secure supply of energy is important for socioeconomic development. Solar energy may help a lot in achieving sufficiency in electricity especially in rural areas. It is known from different sources that only 75% population have access to electricity in Bangladesh and nearly 75% of the population is rural and only about 30% of the rural households have access to grid electricity. The rural areas are not often feasible for conventional grid-based electrification due to high investment and running costs. The Infrastructure Development Company Ltd recently states that the number of solar home systems (SHSs) in Bangladesh (April 2016) is 3.9 million. As a result, more than 25 million people are benefitted from solar electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A medieval caravanserai called "Bara Katra" has been found in ancient Dhaka, Bangladesh. The historic monument Bara Katra's momentous cultural identity is a hallmark of Dhaka, still standing today and crying for proper conservation attention. It stands for social value, artistic beauty, emotional value, and the architectural history of Bangladesh. The history of the old Dhaka, both industrial and architectural, has become better known. In addition to the various state efforts, populous stakeholders in Bangladesh have come forward with concern for the preservation and restoration of monuments and historic sites. The initiatives have been designed to conserve Bangladesh's ancient heritage and culture for future generations. The artifact Bara Katra, which was the most magnificent architecture during the Mughal era, is deteriorating and has experienced numerous unintended adjustments over the years. The majority of the building's components have been demolished, except its southern wing. As a response, it requires special attention to take the necessary actions to preserve its heritage and cultural value for the civilization that values its legacy and cares about future concerns. Due to Old Dhaka's extensive ancient narrative, there are many opportunities to promote cultural tourism and tourist attractions in this neighborhood. This paper aims to demonstrate a conservation management plan technique with potential recommendations for Bara Katra, including necessary measures and adaptive reuse. The management policy likewise involves collaboration with the relevant authorities for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The queuing theory aids in comprehending waiting lengths and durations in order to link them with performance and customer satisfaction. This article examines several queuing models and their applications in the banking sector. Three different queuing models are discussed in this paper: (i) multiple waiting lines and multiple servers (ii) A single waiting line with a single server; and (iii) a single waiting line with numerous servers. The waiting time and length of the queue(s), which may comprise variables such as customer arrival, waiting, and departure times, server service time, and so on, are established. One of the anticipated benefits of researching queuing systems is an evaluation of the models' efficiency in terms of usage and waiting time. This research can help banks and ATMs deliver exceptional services after a short wait time and strategies to keep loyal consumers with the use of anticipating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable business of a perishable product (i.e. vegetables) concerns primarily on the assurance of freshness and quality, while simultaneously minimizing waste and dealing with economic impact. Approximately 31.5% of vegetable and fruit production is subjected to waste throughout the supply chain (SC) process. To address this issue, this study takes advantage of a Simulation-Based Decision-Making Framework, leveraging the Digital Supply Chain Twin paradigm to deal with the urgent challenges faced by the perishable goods supply chain in Bangladesh. Computational simulations were employed to model the perishable products i.e. vegetable supply chain, enabling the identification of integrated nodes and the optimization of routes between them. However, the research lacks sufficient data for running the actual model simulation. In this paper, we offer a generalized decision-making framework for using digital twins in SC as well as delineate how digital twins can contribute to waste reduction in SC along with making it further resilient. Utilizing the framework, organizations can monitor the need for replenishment based on the shelf life of certain produce, and make decisive actions from the optimized routing system in real time. Also, they can make predictions of potential disruptions that might lead to food loss such as demand forecasting inaccuracy, insufficient inventory management, transportation issues etc. Through the exhibition of a decrease in waste, improvement in quality, and enhanced contingency measurements, the research findings underscore the importance of data availability between the nodes to implement the SC digital twin to support an effective and sustainable supply chain of perishable goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mongla Port (MP), the second largest seaport, has trade links with international ports of the world. It is situated on the east bank of Pussur River about 131 km upstream from the fairway buoy. In this paper, the hydrodynamic and morphological processes in the inner bar area of Pussur River have been simulated using two-dimensional Delft3D software. The inner bar area covers about 9.5 km of Pussur River from Mongla to Base Creek area. The depth of this segment was found to be varied from 0 m to 7.9 m with a deep pocket varies from 23.3 m to 11.2 m near west bank close to Base Creek. The Bay of Bengal is dominated by regular semi diurnal tide. The maximum tidal range near Mongla Port is 3.75m, and the average tidal range is about 2.66 m. Effected by runoff, the average water level in flood season and dry season varies by 0.9m. Analysis of hydrographic survey chart from 2014 to 2017 shows that the navigation channel in MP Jetty area and Danger Khal area (Chilla Bazar) are highly siltation prone zone, whether at the downstream of inner bar the area, the siltation is not significant. In this study, the flow and siltation phenomena were also simulated by installing two revetments at the west bank besides of those two siltation dominating area. Simulation result shows that after the implementation of River Training Works (in the inner bar and MP Jetty area), the velocity is found to be increased and siltation is reduced in the narrow section (i.e., in front of the revetment). It has been found that after the installation of revetments, the siltation rate has decreased about 10% to 25%. The knowledge developed herein may be useful in providing an opportunity in assessing improvement in future prediction and also to suggest the effect of possible river training work to be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh is situated in an earthquake-prone zone where devastating earthquake occurs frequently. This is especially alarming for different kinds of infrastructures, i.e., building structures. It is necessary to find out the proper economical designs of such buildings that can withstand an earthquake. The objective of the study is to analyze the performance of 8 (G+7) storied reinforced building structures in different seismic zones of Bangladesh for two different soil types (SC & SD) as per Bangladesh national building Code (BNBC), 2020 by using the software ETABS (finite element method). Additionally, storey drift, storey displacement, plan irregularities and vertical irregularities have been checked for all cases. Comparisons have been made amongst all cases with respect to aforementioned parameters along with storey shear. The results show that the building model has passed the inspection in lower seismic zones for a certain dimension of beam, column, and slab. But failure occurs in higher seismic zones. Results also vary for different soil types. Findings show that the building model passes more for SC soil type than SD soil type in maximum seismic zones. Shear walls have been introduced to those cases where the infrastructure was unable to resist the earthquake. Comparisons have been made between the models with shear wall and without shear wall. Results show that introduction of shear wall decreases storey displacement, drift and shear in most cases. Findings also show that when the shear walls are introduced along with the adjacent columns and beams (merging with column), it increases the cost of concrete in higher seismic zones as the volume of concrete is higher in those zones than in the lower seismic zones. On the other hand, if the shear walls are introduced without the adjacent columns and beams (without merging), it decreases the cost of concrete as the volume of concrete decreases. The information provided in the following research paper will be productive for further study on constructions in different seismic zones in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic is a major hazardous problem for any biosphere. Presently, the use of plastic has been remarkably increased and hence, the necessity arises to reduce the usage of these materials. Properties of plastic materials make its disposal process difficult and complex though it is one of the widely used man-made materials due to its few specific characteristics such as easy manufacturing and shaping, cheaper cost and low density. Unfortunately, after the use, these are thrown in nature. Their accumulation poses a serious environmental problem as it is non-biodegradable. The utilization of waste plastic in manufacturing another useable product is a major solution to reduce waste plastic incineration or landfill. The production process includes cleaning and shredding plastic wastes, mixing with other agents, pouring into mold, shaping of mold, melting in furnace, compressing the mold and drying up of the mold to get the final product. This paper focuses on making plastic tiles from various types of plastic wastes. The composite tiles have been designated as footpath tiles having a size of 0.3048 m (length) x 0.254 m (width) x 0.0203 m (height). Several experimental tests were conducted on the produced Samples of plastic tiles (Sample 1 consisting of 75% sand with 25% plastic, Sample 2 consisting of 65% sand with 35% plastic and Sample 3 consisting of 70% sand with 30% plastic) such as compressive strength, the breaking load by flexural strength, impact load, moisture content test. A set of satisfactory results gives an option to use such samples for using as footpath tiles in Bangladesh as an alternative to the conventional ceramic tiles available in the markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintenance planning is one of the most important tasks carried out by a factory. Preventive maintenance is one type of maintenance that prevents major breakdowns from occurring. Increasing preventive maintenance duration reduces corrective maintenance duration. However, conduction of preventive maintenance causes downtime and incurs costs too. Several studies have been conducted to establish a tradeoff between these two types of maintenance to reduce the overall downtime. Models that minimize costs are preferred by industries. Besides, models requiring complex datasets are not readily adopted by most of the industries for regular use. This paper represents three different methods for optimizing preventive maintenance duration and frequency in a renowned flour mill factory of Bangladesh. The first method uses an established mathematical model which determines the optimum frequency of preventive maintenance per month, maximizing profit. This model is comparatively easier to adopt in flour mills since it does not use reliability concepts for different components, rather uses simple costs and downtime data, assuming constant failure rate. The second method modifies the existing model to optimize the duration of each PM inspection as well as frequency, which is an important parameter for flour mill maintenance. The third method uses three maintenance KPIs as inputs to determine the total duration of PM per month for the flour mills. The reason for not adopting PM models in factories is the lack of data availability and the difficulty in aligning the model with the existing maintenance plan. Besides, flour mills have components in continuous production lines which, if maintained separately, would not be profitable, rather a single PM activity should be carried out for some set hours, set by the maintenance department. The rationale behind this paper is to develop easily adaptable PM models for flour mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Records play an important role in supporting business activities and in ensuring accountability in all types of organisations. However, recordkeeping research has mostly focused on the government sector and on large organisations. Little attention has been paid to small organisations which have limited resources to create and manage the records that they are required to produce and the records that could support their engagement in diversified activities. In this paper, we report the findings from 16 focus group discussions with community‐based organisations in Bangladesh which are in the process of transitioning from informal to registered organisations and, in order to do so, must formalise their recordkeeping practices. We discuss the recordkeeping needs and capabilities of these organisations and the recordkeeping problems that they are experiencing. We argue that it is important to support the development of a recordkeeping culture as part of capacity‐building in these organisations so that they can function effectively and be sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ready-Made Garments (RMG) Industries are the major contributors to the export-oriented economy of Bangladesh. In the current competitive market, efficient production planning has become a key strategy to meet buyers' timeline and ensure timely shipment of the finished goods. Several issues or factors cause major deviation of the actual production from the planned production. This research has explored the major factors that affect the efficient production planning, by causing major deviation of the actual production from the planned schedule, in the RMG industries of Bangladesh, by using a Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tool. In this paper, first, the factors affecting the efficient production planning has been identified through expert feedbacks and literature review. Then, a Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method has been utilized to find out the priority ranking of the identified factors and to explore the interrelationships among the factors through a casual diagram. From the results obtained from this study, 'low productivity' has been identified as the most critical of all factors, while 'fabric delay' has been identified as the least critical one. The research findings are expected to help the managers of the RMG and other similar industries to enhance the efficiency of their production plan in order to improve their overall profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy is a way of sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, and recycling, which is given priority while generating and consuming things from already manufactured goods. Researchers' interest in the circular economy (CE) has grown recently as a result of its advantages on both the social and environmental fronts. Electronic garbage, or "e-waste," has expanded dramatically over the past 20 years as a result of recent economic growth in Bangladesh, fast technical advancement, urbanization, growing consumer electronics demand, availability, a dropping price trend, etc. The refrigerator industry in Bangladesh is one of the major e-waste producers. For the study purpose, the refrigerator industry has been considered as the focal point. The paper aims to prioritize the potential drivers and barriers of the circular economy while implementing e-waste management in refrigerator industries in Bangladesh. A survey was conducted over a related target group of people. To accomplish this, the basic Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method named the "Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory" (DEMATEL) technique is utilized. The study's findings show that resource efficiency and business principles are the most important motivators, whereas top management's resistance to change and a lack of public awareness are the two biggest barriers to the adoption of CE in Bangladesh's refrigerator industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perishable crops are agricultural products that have a limited shelf life and are susceptible to rotting if no preventative measures are taken. Prior to reaching the consumer, the perishable items must travel substantial distances. It is difficult for any supply chain to transfer such things efficiently while maintaining their quality. In a world where everyone is fighting against global hunger, it is essential to limit these losses. This paper's major objective is to collect and present speculations regarding the optimization of Bangladesh's transportation network for perishable crops. The investigation was conducted with two key components in mind. The first component is Logistical Refinement, which addresses crop flow path and utilization of aggregation points. X-Means Clustering is utilized to determine the optimal number and position of aggregation locations in one of the major divisions of Bangladesh. Process Manipulation portion can be taken as a suggestion to improve the efficiency of transportation as it includes vehicle modification proposals and also packaging methods. Finally, an improved model was suggested for perishable crops that encompasses all available modes of transportation in Bangladesh so that it may be used to ship items attaining requisite criteria and thus improve the overall transportation network for perishable crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic had caused disruption in each and every sector of daily human life which as well include the education system as students were forced to go through online activities to continue their studies. The effectiveness of the online education system during that period is a matter of concern as recurring disruption caused by another wave of pandemic can hamper the whole education system. Thus, preparedness of educational institutes for another disruption may be required to overcome possible vulnerabilities. This paper conduct analysis on the effectiveness of online education system and its affecting factors with comparison between public and private universities of Bangladesh, based on the data gathered though an online survey (N=357). The effectiveness of online education being a latent variable was measured using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) done with the help of SPSS AMOS. From the results it is obvious that factors i.e., student's perception, their technology acceptance have significant impact on the effectiveness of online learning, but the variation of the impact of these factors are not much significant when comparing between public and private universities in Bangladesh in case of their respective effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed at addressing the concept of collaborative governance and civil society on matters pertaining to educational policies, from a comparative perspective between Japan and Bangladesh. The research addresses collaborative governance efforts that are in place to enhance education in both Bangladesh and Japan, which include the private sector, government, and the community coming together to contribute to the formulation and implementation of educational policies. Similarly, the study addresses the role of civil society in both Bangladesh and Japan in terms of contributing to the formulating and implementation process of educational policies. A thorough literature review, which constitutes theoretical and empirical work, provides an excellent source of additional information for answering the research questions. An analysis and discussion of the results is pivotal to providing insights into the differences between Japan and Bangladesh in terms of the collaborative governance and civil society on matters regarding educational policies. The recommendations, which include ideas to be adopted by both nations and those to be adopted by future researchers, accompanied by the conclusion, complete the research. [For the complete Volume 20 proceedings, see ED622631.]

The study examines the obstacles that hinder the implementation of efficient methods in the pharmaceutical sector in Bangladesh, with a particular emphasis on their effect on reducing lead time. Taking inspiration from similar investigations conducted in the pharmaceutical sectors of Ireland, and Malaysia. This research explores the unique challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh as they strive to implement lean methodologies. The study utilizes a survey methodology, gathering insights from industry professionals to identify prevalent barriers and facilitators. Initial findings suggest that regulatory complexities, similar to those observed in Ireland, pose significant obstacles to the successful integration of lean practices. Concerns about additional validation activities and the clash between compliance and quality cultures are particularly prominent. Despite these challenges, the paper reveals a widespread recognition of the need for continuous improvement, aligning with the global trend observed in the pharmaceutical sectors of Ireland and Malaysia. The study further examines the incorporation of lean tools into corrective and preventive action systems, deviations, and internal audit protocols within the pharmaceutical production landscape of Bangladesh. This research helps to uncover the specific barriers in the context of Bangladesh, contributing to a broader understanding of the obstacles to lean implementation in the pharmaceutical sector. Furthermore, it provides valuable insights for developing strategies to mitigate these barriers and enhance operational efficiency, ultimately reducing lead time in the pharmaceutical manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane (CH4) is one of the main constituents of landfill gas (LFG), which is produced through anaerobic degradation of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). It is also regarded as the most anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission source. Quantification of CH4 emission is essential in order to gain a perception about the LFG recovery potential of a particular landfill area. This paper envisages the estimation of methane emission from Rajbandh landfill area in Khulna city where the emission from year 2020 to 2050 has been calculated using two distinct methodologies, namely IPCC 2006 and LandGEM. The IPCC 2006 methodology has been used in the algorithm for developing the system dynamics model for methane emission, whereas precisely for LandGEM extensively calculated spatially varied parameters has been used. According to the simulated results from the system dynamics model, the emitted methane from Rajbandh landfill area in Khulna city has been found to be 8.29 Gigagram for the base year of 2020 and by 2050 it has increased to 59.447 Gigagram. From LandGEM the CH4 quantity has been found to be 7.15 Gigagram which by 2050 identically increased to 52.258 Gigagram. The variance ratio or statistical F-test value of the extracted results from both the method showed an acceptable variance of 1.12. The paired sample (t-test) represented a P value less than 0.0001, which represents the statistical significance of the compared dataset from both system dynamics and LandGEM model. Finally, from the system dynamics model, it has been observed that the methane accumulation in atmosphere reached 108 Gigagram by 2050, which indicates the shear requirement of LFG recovery mechanics for a sustainable MSW management system of Khulna city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children fatalities due to road traffic crashes are a concerning issue for a long time in Bangladesh, particularly in an urban area like the megacity Dhaka. Several studies have been found in the literature on this problem but almost all of them are mainly focused on the magnitude, trends, general characteristics etc. using police-reported crash data. This study attempts to identify the distinct characteristics of crashes that resulted from at least a child fatality than the other crashes where no child fatalities occurred through a systematic approach. To do that logistic regression modelling techniques are employed using press media reported data from 2018 to 2020. The analysis has focused on the propensity of different factors involved in child fatalities and identified the sticking factors mainly related to characteristics of crashes including time, crash type, vehicular involvement, the significance of the geographical area, child as a pedestrian hit by different vehicles etc. Altogether 82 relevant factors are tested, and 24 variables are found significant. The factors that come upon positively correlated are daytime, autumn season, April month, Major fatal crash, hit pedestrian, hit an object, sideswipe, pedestrian hit by a car, autorickshaw and motorized three-wheelers. On the other hand, Dhaka city, bus, truck, car with light 4 wheelers, pedestrian hit by motorcycle are negatively correlated i.e., the variable decreases the likelihood of child fatalities in a crash. Hit pedestrian by car is the most dominant and strongest child fatality risk factor with odds of 16.7. Results in this comparative analysis and modelling would shed light on child traffic safety improvement strategies and policy interventions. Finally, the paper has ended up with some safety improvement policy recommendations and the way forward for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A micro-grid solar hybrid photovoltaic (PV) system has been designed for powering the remote healthcare center located at Charbhadrashan Upazila, Faridpur district in Bangladesh. Geographically, Bangladesh is a promising country for PV technologies, having an average of 4.5 kWh/m2/d solar insolation. The selected location for the work is an island into the mighty Padma River where the electric connection is not reliable for 24 hours service of a hospital. The considered roof-top PV system is comprised of 350 W solar panels, bi-directional inverter, generator, connecting wires, mounting system, and related accessories. In this assessment, state-of-the-art PV design software, HOMER Powering Health Tool has been utilized for estimating the load requirements, techno-economic and environmental evaluation of the micro-grid system. The load analysis revealed that a 29-kW grid-connected solar PV system is required for the hospital and the estimated net present cost (NPC) is US$29,846, with a Levelized cost of energy is $0.045. Renewable electricity contributed 98% of this system's power requirement and the grid contributed only 2%. The annual production of this 25-year PV system is 43,642 kWh/year and per unit, the electricity production cost is $0.058 which is significantly lower than today's average per-unit cost of $0.082 in.Bangladesh. Besides, the system reduces 34.9 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Thus, this analysis suggested that the grid-connected PV system is a better configuration among other power sources for providing electricity to the health clinics in the absence of no electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In countries where Islamic finance is the fastest-growing and developing, the link between Islamic finance and economic development has attracted scholars' attention to begin for studying and finding the relationship as well as it already turned into one of the most debated themes in the last decade. Furthermore, in some research, it has also been shown that Islamic finance in these countries is an important factor in reducing poverty while having a positive impact on economic development. The aim of this study is to examine the long-term and dynamic interaction between Islamic finance and economic development in Bangladesh. Methodology: The current study has extracted secondary data from secondary sources such as an independent variable used in this study, the data were prepared from the annual editions of the Global Islamic Finance Report, while the data for a dependent variable were obtained from the official website of the World Bank (Trading Economics) from 2011 to 2020. In our research used annual time-series data on GDP per capita was the dependent variable, while total Islamic finance assets were the independent variable. Results: Using multi-factor time-series models, particularly OLS model, VAR model and ARDL model, Islamic financial systems have been found to have a positive and significant relationship with GDP per capita both in the short and long-term. It emphasizes that the development of Islamic finance is an essential component that the government should consider in order to promote the country's economic development. Originality: The study role of Islamic finance contribution to economic development in the context of Bangladesh is limited. This paper is the first study that examines empirically the effect of Islamic finance on economic development in Bangladesh measured by the amount of gross domestic product per capita (GDP per capita) and Islamic finance assets on a time-series model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to competition a good number of E-commerce sites are trying to improve their systematic infrastructure according to customers' choices. Coping up with this, E-commerce companies are facing challenges in the business environment of Bangladesh. Our study is to analyze the challenges of our current e-commerce sector in Bangladesh from both customer and company point of view. From the secondary data, seven challenging factors (customers' point of view) and seven challenging factors (company' spoint of view) were selected. Firstly, two different surveys were launched and Likert scale was analyzed. By one sample t-test, some challenges were rejected due to their low significance value. The RI (Relative importance index) method was applied for the rest of the factors. According to the RII value, challenging factors were ranked. In both perspectives, Trust factor has been ranked as the most significant challenge. Other factors such as product quality, price issue etc. (customers' perspective) and strategicissues, transportation issues etc. (Company's perspective) have been ranked as very important challenges. Necessary steps should be taken to overcome these challenges according to their importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, there is a lot of concern about climate change. This study sets out to explain how historical rainfall variations occurred. Pre-monsoon and early monsoon regions will become drier in the future, whereas late monsoon and postmonsoon regions will experience significant variations in rainfall amounts. For meteorologists, predicting rain is a particularly challenging task. In recent years, a variety of models have been applied to assess and accurately forecast rainfall. Climate records can be quite helpful in this regard. Retaining data for a long time can help us predict rainfall more precisely. In this paper, the application of statistical techniques, in particular the linear regression and SVM method is provided for modeling and predicting rainfall across Bangladesh. The rainfall data for the 31 years was provided by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Dhaka. Between 1989 and 2019, this surface-based rain gauge in Bangladesh gathered rainfall data from 8 metrological stations. How much rain falls each month and year has been determined. For each station, the average, median, correlation coefficients, and standard deviation were calculated to evaluate the correctness of the data. It was found that the model's rainfall forecast provided reliable results when the amount of rainfall projected by the model was compared to the amount of rainfall measured by rain gauges at various locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lean approach has been applied in the production floor in recent times. Started in the automotive industry lean tools have been applied in different production and management floors. Lean principles are adopted in a reputed plastic manufacturing company of Dhaka, Bangladesh with a view to increasing financial profit by increasing efficiency and reducing waste. Value stream mapping (VSM), Cause and effect diagram, Pareto analysis, control charts, key lean tools have been used to identify the improvement opportunists, DMIAC (Design, Measure, Improve, Analyze and Control) and 5s have been used for continuous improvement, Control Chart. A team was formed consisting 7 workers and then trained about these tools. After one month of implementing these tools and techniques it was found that that lead time was reduced by 10%. Total value addition time increased from 34310hr to 35564hr (3.5 % increased). Total production increased from 41154890 to 43009168 pieces (4.3% increased), defective products decreased from 2050736 to 1793154 pieces (12.56% decreased), sigma level improved from 3.18s to 3.21s, manufacturing lead time reduced from 19 days to 18 days for every typeof product, process time reduced from 18sec to 15sec for every type of product, non-value-added time reduced from 36sec to 26sec, process efficiency increased from 33.33% to 36.58%. This paper demonstrates the use of the above-mentioned tools and discuss their application in LP initiative in a manufacturing plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ready-Made Garments (RMG) Industries are the major contributors to the export-oriented economy of Bangladesh. In the current competitive market, efficient production planning has become a key strategy to meet buyers' timeline and ensure timely shipment of the finished goods. Several issues or factors cause major deviation of the actual production from the planned production. This research has explored the major factors that affect the efficient production planning, by causing major deviation of the actual production from the planned schedule, in the RMG industries of Bangladesh, by using a Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tool. In this paper, first, the factors affecting the efficient production planning has been identified through expert feedbacks and literature review. Then, a Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method has been utilized to find out the priority ranking of the identified factors and to explore the interrelationships among the factors through a casual diagram. From the results obtained from this study, 'low productivity' has been identified as the most critical of all factors, while 'fabric delay' has been identified as the least critical one. The research findings are expected to help the managers of the RMG and other similar industries to enhance the efficiency of their production plan in order to improve their overall profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research seeks to explain shared challenges and opportunities in ending the high rate of child marriage in two South Asian countries, namely India and Bangladesh. Both countries are listed with the highest absolute numbers of child marriage in the world with 15.6 million and 4.4 million cases respectively recorded in 2019. By analyzing 20 papers published in the last 10 years, this study identifies a couple of similarities in factors that drive the prevalence of child marriage in India and Bangladesh. Studies pointing to the importance of government and non-government interventions as well as the efforts in improving education as strategies to combat the trend of underage marriage. The findings offer generalizability to the wider region and beyond. It is also important to note that some policy recommendations can be applicable to be implemented in countries with similar socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leather tanning industry is essential to Bangladesh's economy, significantly boosting employment and economic growth in the country. More than a million Bangladeshis work in this sector, which provides chances for both skilled and unskilled labor.But the chemical management component of tanneries carries inherent hazards, hence existing approaches need to be reassessed and redesigned. However, there are significant obstacles to improving the tanneries' working conditions and productivity in the chemical management part. To develop productivity and safety, lean is an option that needs to be explored more widely in the tannery context. Through interviews with industry expertsand a careful evaluation of the body of current literature, this study has identified potential barriers to starting lean practices in the chemical management of the production floorAfter the literature review, the barriers are analyzed using the MCDM tool to rank them according to the collected data. The barriers will be ranked using the Best Worst method. In order to overcome these significant obstacles and enable the successful adoption of lean techniques for sustainable chemical management in Bangladeshi leather tanning, policymakers, tannery owners, and development organizations can benefit significantly from the information provided by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2022, Bangladesh proudly achieved nationwide electricity coverage. Predominantly reliant on fossil fuels, the nation's energy sector faces challenges due to global political crises and a dwindling supply of cleaner fuels like natural gas from domestic fields. Consequently, the reliance on less environmentally friendly fuels such as coal and heavy fuel oil (HFO) has escalated, raising concerns about meeting Sustainable Development Goal 7: ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030. This study fills a research gap by quantifying the electricity generated from various fossil fuels and the associated CO2 emissions in Bangladesh from Fiscal Year 2016- 2017 to 2022-2023. Data sourced from the Bangladesh Power Development Board underpins our analysis, revealing natural gas as the predominant fuel for electricity generation, accounting for 58% of the total. Other significant fuels include HFO, coal, and diesel. Our findings show a stark emission landscape: in the last 7 years, to generate 74897 MWh of electricity, 10395 kilograms of natural gas resulted in 4.39 tons of CO2 emissions, while HFO, coal, and diesel led to 8039165, 9950976, and 2743311 tons of CO2 emissions, respectively. Notably, coal combustion had the highest emission rate of 1892.586 kg of CO2 per MWh of electricity generated. These insights offer a critical lens for policymakers to gauge the distance to carbon neutrality and sustainable energy goals. The evidence supports a strategic pivot towards renewable energy, ensuring that Bangladesh's electricity growth trajectory remains sustainable and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sugar industry in Bangladesh, historically a linchpin of its economy, has confronted significant challenges in recent years, experiencing sustained losses that affect its ability to contribute substantially to the nation's burgeoning economic landscape. This study is a dedicated effort to dissect the root causes of the sector's current predicament, utilizing robust research methods. Primary data and information have been meticulously gathered from Rajshahi Sugar mills, forming the basis for a thorough analysis employing statistical tools such as fishbone diagrams, Pareto charts, and 5 why root cause analysis. The results of this analysis unequivocally point to a pervasive lack of raw materials as the primary culprit behind the sector's downturn. Additionally, the application of these analytical methods has unearthed other contributing factors that compound the challenges faced by the sugar industry in Bangladesh. Beyond merely highlighting these issues, the study takes a proactive stance by recommending specific corrective actions to address the identified problems. By presenting a comprehensive picture of the sector's struggles and proposing tangible solutions, this research aims to catalyze the revitalization of the sugar industry in Bangladesh. The proposed measures, rooted in a thorough understanding of the statistical analyses, aspire to position the sector for renewed growth and a more substantial role in the nation's economic narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of a solar chimney is not restricted to electricity generation; it can also be used for building ventilation. It plays with a mechanism where solar energy is used to enhance the flow rate from the building. Three different face areas (0.56 m², 1 m², and 2.25 m² ) of solar chimney models are designed and developed in the Mechatronics Engineering Laboratory at the World University of Bangladesh. The solar heating system is replaced with an electric heating system, and the load is fixed from 1 kW to 2.5 kW, depending on the size of the chimneys. The model chimneys are also modified with a wire mesh screen so that the whole solid chimney can be used as a heat source. About 100 sets of experiments were carried out in the modified and traditional chimneys under different solid chimney heights and heat loads. The solid chimney heights are maintained from 0.30 m to 1.20 m with an increment of 0.30 m. The experimental results show that the volumetric flow rate varies from 0.005 m³ /s to 0.014 m³ /s depending on the heat load, solid chimney height, and face areas. The minimum volumetric flow rate of 0.005 m³ /s was observed in the traditional chimney, whereas the maximum volumetric flow rate was 0.014 m³ /s in the modified chimney. Furthermore, the modified chimney also exhibits a higher exit air temperature. Therefore, it can be concluded that the presence of wire mesh in the chimney enhances the flow rate (volumetric), which is approximately 50 to 80 percent higher than the flow rate in the traditional chimney. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo has gained prominence in the research community as a sustainable material due to its eco-friendly nature, affordability, and rapid growth. Over time, researchers have aimed to enhance bamboo's suitability for construction, potentially replacing conventional materials like timber and steel. The solution comes through engineered bamboo, a processed form that addresses the challenges of raw bamboo. This innovative approach has sparked interest globally, leading to large-scale manufacturing in various countries. The South Asia is the main exporter of engineered bamboo, where countries like Bangladesh is far behind. Bangladesh, blessed with a tropical climate, holds immense potential to harness the economic and sustainability benefits of mass-producing engineered bamboo. This research studies the feasibility of producing engineered bamboo in large scale in place of timber. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis unveils a promising prospect: through this initiative, Bangladesh could contribute a substantial 51.5 million USD annually to its economy, with potential for growth up to 71 million USD through full production optimization. Moreover, this industrialization initiative could markedly reduce 14.8% of the total carbon footprint of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall geographical location of entire Bangladesh has displayed significant agricultural potential with a diversified crop portfolio. However, challenges hinder the growth of the region's agricultural supply chain. This study introduces a comprehensive and sustainable long-term framework for expanding the agricultural sector throughout Bangladesh. The research begins by examining the historical constraints that have characterized Bangladesh's agricultural economy, including subsistence farming and the dominance of intermediaries. Recent infrastructural improvements, such as new transportation networks, have opened up new opportunities for cultivating profitable crops like fruits and spices. Nevertheless, transportation remains a major barrier, impacting effective supply chain management and market access. To fully harness the agricultural potential of Bangladesh, we propose the implementation of a sustainable supply chain management structure founded on principles of sustainability, efficiency, and traceability. The study identifies sectors such as manufacturing, storage, transportation, packaging, marketing, and information sharing as areas requiring enhancement. Combining both quantitative and qualitative data gathered from 100 farmers through questionnaires and interviews, the study highlights issues like low agricultural yields, post-harvest losses, inadequate storage facilities, costly transportation, crop damage during transit and storage, limited market opportunities, and poor information exchange. The suggested roadmap addresses these challenges by promoting improved farming practices, enhanced storage facilities, efficient transportation networks, appropriate packaging, expanded marketing avenues, and improved information flow. The adoption of this approach would lead to a more efficient, profitable, and environmentally sustainable agricultural supply chain throughout Bangladesh, benefiting farmers, consumers, and the nation as a whole. Collaboration among the local community, government, and commercial sector will be crucial for the effective implementation and overall growth of the region's agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apparel manufacturing industry in Bangladesh experiences dynamic inefficiencies in its production system, which are interconnected with various unforeseen events. These inefficiencies hurt productivity, increase costs, and lead to increased rates of defects. This article conducts a comparative analysis between two predominant production systems, namely the progressive bundle system (PBS) and the unit production system (UPS). The study involved an examination of critical aspects such as material handling, floor space utilization, standard minute value (SMV), output, productivity per operator, product quality, efficiency, manpower allocation, and work-in-progress. The overall performance and suitability of these systems are evaluated through a quantitative analysis of primary data. To carry out this study, we have collected data from the operation breakdown of men's hoodie jackets, which is a critical product in the apparel industry. The results have indicated that the unit production system outperforms the progressive bundle system. We also demonstrate that the results may vary from one factory to another, as well as from style to style. Indeed, the results can depend on the skills and expertise of the workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Queueing is a common problem for busy banks, causing long waiting times for customers. This study focuses on a leading bank in Bangladesh that sees high numbers of customers daily. The goal is to simulate the bank's service system to determine the optimal number of servers during peak hours. Additionally, removing the extra servers to get the optimum service level as the servers remain idle when there are not many customers in a bank is mainly for the cost minimization of the banking operations by maintaining its optimum utilization. Here, a discrete event simulation (DES) approach is utilized to build and analyze the performance of a queueing model over time. Key aspects such as arrival rates, service times, queue capacity, and customer tolerance are also represented. The simulation runs for an extended period to mimic real customer traffic and the performance metrics including average waiting time, queue length, resource utilization, number of busy servers, idle servers, and customer complaints are then quantified. The validated simulation accurately portrays the existing operation and allows testing changes by adding or removing the servers resulting in a reduction of 31.8% in queue length and 33.76% in service time, alongside a notable 20.48% improvement in service utilization. Findings suggest this simulation yields better resource management by speeding up service that proves effective for evaluating complex queueing systems and informing strategic decisions through quantitative analysis of alternatives. Overall, the analysis aimed to enhance seamless bank operations, customer satisfaction, and experience at the busy bank location through data-driven recommendations on queue management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart Cities embody a holistic approach to urban development, leveraging modern technologies to enhance citizens' quality of life, adapt infrastructure, and promote sustainable growth. Central to this concept is Smart Mobility, a vital response to urbanization and rising populations. This study underscores widespread acceptance of Smart City implementation, with Smart Mobility as a pivotal component. It highlights three key facets of Smart Mobility: intelligent use of ICT, smart public transport, and advanced parking technologies. Notably, surveyed cities express a willingness to allocate funds for this transformative vision, indicating a strong commitment to address urban challenges. Smart Cities have rapidly gained momentum as a holistic solution to pressing urban issues like traffic congestion, pollution, energy consumption, and waste management. This integrated approach amalgamates various urban policies into a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing environmental footprints and improving urban residents' quality of life. Mobility, a complex concern with environmental and economic dimensions, emerges as a focal point. Smart Mobility, deeply reliant on ICT, optimizes traffic and engages citizens to enhance urban livability and public transport services. Smart Mobility aligns with the UN's sustainable development goals and encompasses traffic reduction, ecological optimization, active mobility, green fuels, and citizen participation. The integration of IoT, AI, Blockchain, and Big Data technologies reshapes urban paradigms, heralding a future marked by innovations such as Mobility-as-a-Service, traffic optimization, and autonomous vehicles. This review unveils the evolving landscape of Smart Mobility, emphasizing its pivotal role within the Smart City ecosystem and highlighting transformative opportunities and challenges in shaping the cities of tomorrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bakery is a major and important business in Bangladesh. By addressing the global concern of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace, with a specific focus on their impact on bakery workers, who face heightened risk due to the physically demanding nature of their tasks. The study, conducted in Sylhet, Bangladesh, delves into the prevalence of MSDs and their associated risk factors within a selected bakery. It systematically explores the frequency of MSDs among bakery workers, emphasizing regions such as the back, shoulders, hands, wrists, and knees etc. Furthermore, it investigates the connection between occupational risk variables. A questionnaire-based interview was conducted to collect data from determined sample size as it was a cross-sectional study. Data were analysed using SPSS 26.0 version software and Microsoft Excel. The Chi-square test was employed to determine the significant association between multiple parameters and several musculoskeletal effects during various production operations Findings revealed distinct pain patterns across various job categories, with cleaning workers experiencing higher rates of neck and lower back pain, while dough preparation staff reported elevated shoulder and wrist/hand pain. Age emerged as a significant factor, impacting the nature of discomfort among younger and older workers. These findings stress the need for proactive measures to address the prevalence of MSDs and improve workplace conditions in the bakery industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]