Banking Tips

Nasreen Sattar Head of International Sales, Standard Chartered Bank

Q.1 I am travelling overseas on medical grounds - how much foreign currency can I take?
A.1 As per Bangladesh Bank regulation you can take up to USD 10,000/ or equivalent from your bank on the basis of the recommendation of the Medical Board set up by the Health Directorate and the cost estimate of the foreign medical institution. Should you require more than that you will require prior approval of the Bangladesh Bank.
Q2. I have been given a 'crossed' cheque in my name by a friend who owed me some money. I don't have an account with any bank, how do I encash the cheque?
A2. A crossed cheque cannot be encashed across the counter. It has to be deposited into the account holder's account. However, since you do not have any account you can encash the cheque by asking your friend to cancel the crossing on the cheque by putting his/her signature there.
Q3. I just want to know if there is any bank in Bangladesh that doesn't charge interest if we want to take loan? If there is can you tell me the name of that bank.
A3. Any Islamic Bank operating across the world does not charge interest, as they do not offer loan schemes. Instead of offering these conventional loan schemes, these banks are engaged in trading where the Bank purchases your desired goods from your selected vendor (seller of the goods) and sells these to at a certain profit. The popular mode of Islamic financing of these nature are "Bai- Murabahah" and " Bai Muajjal".
The names of the Banks practicing these kind of financing are Standard Chartered Bank (Islamic Banking Center), Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd., ShahJalal Bank Ltd. etc.
Q4. Will you honour a bearer Cheque issued in favour of a limited company presented over your counter by the bearer?
A.4 A cheque issued in favour of a limited company should always be crossed and presented through clearing. However, if a cheque is issued favouring a limited company presented through a bearer, the maker of such a cheque should put his signature and verify the bearer's signature on the reverse of the cheque.
Q5. I am a foreigner and maintain a Convertible Taka Account with a multinational bank here. I shall be leaving shortly for my home country. Can I transfer the balance in my account to my USD Account overseas?
A5. Yes, if you maintain a Convertible Account you can transfer the balance in equivalent US Dollars to your overseas account. Please note you can also take the fund in Travellers Cheques/ Cash Dollars from your bank by presenting your passport/ confirmed ticket etc.

Dental wise

DR. Mahfujul Haq Khan BDS, DDS, FSDCE (USA), PhD (Japan), Post Doc. (Japan) Specialised: Crown and Bridge work, and Periodontal plastic surgery (USA) Senior Medical Officer, Department of Dentistry, BIRDEM Hospital.

Dear Dr.Khan
I am 23 yrs old. I regularly go through the column of Dr. Khan in The Daily Star. I'm having some problem with my teeth. It bleeds from my gum from both the upper and lower sides. Though there is no pain, I'm quite worried about it. I usually take care of my teeth. I am looking forward your reply. Another query that I have is whether you have any student's concession.
Masud

Dear Mr Masud
Thanks for reading my column. "Bleeding from Gum" this is a typical sign of gum infection(Gingivitis). Most of the cases of gingivitis may appear without pain. Only gum bleeding specially during brushing and eating may be the only sign. I think only scaling can solve your problem. Sometimes patients have advance gum disease which may need deep cleaning (Curettage, Root planning, Flap surgery etc). About 80% adults may have chronic gingivitis with or without any complaint. This is silent slow progress dental disease. In developing countries, the adult population must visit their dentist twice a year for regular scaling. But unfortunately in Bangladesh we don't have this practice which cause early loss of their valuable teeth.

Dear Dr. Mahfuj,
I am 49 years old. I have three missing teeth, and I know about bridge for replacement of my missing teeth. Last month, I went to Singapore for my other medical problems and they suggested dental implant instead of bridge, but it seems very expensive and is a long time procedure. I wanted to know more about implants. How complicated is the surgery? What about infection and complications? What about dental implants in Bangladesh? How much will it cost? Who is the implant specialist? Are there any possibilities for rejection?
Thank you
Shilpi Roy

Dear Ms Roy,
Implant is the best option to replace your missing teeth, but there should be some inclusion criteria; this means not everyone may be suitable for implants. Your dental surgeon will be able to determine so. Yes, it should be very expensive as it is made by Titanium.
What are dental implants? Dental implants are basically sophisticated screws made of a medically pure metal, Titanium. These screws are then placed in the jaw bone and rest under the gum for 3-6 months. During this time they actually fuse to the jawbone and become osseo (bone) integrated. After the appropriate healing time, we uncover the implants and use them to replace one or more missing teeth by fabricating some sort of dental prosthesis. They allow you to function more normally than conventional dentures or bridges.
How complicated is the surgery? Implant surgery is done in two stages. The first stage involves the placement of the implants into the available jaw bone. This is most commonly done with just local anesthesia. It is complicated only in the sense that the surgery requires great precision.
Can implants be rejected? No! They are made of an inert metal which has no history of rejection by the body. They are not a living organ such as the lung or liver and therefore there is no rejection phenomenon. If failure should occur, and this is only a remote possibility, it is mechanical in nature and not due to rejection by the body.
What about infection and complications? During the surgery every attempt is made to maintain a totally sterile field. This tends to minimize any potential for postoperative infection. Once again, your dentist will prescribe the appropriate antibiotics as a precautionary measure. Once the implants have been engaged in your prosthesis, it is imperative for you to maintain scrupulous oral hygiene. Success very often depends on your cooperation and home care efforts.
Will I be able to chew and function normally? Yes. Once your implants have integrated, you will be able to function normally without any unusual sensations. Your chewing ability will really depend upon the type of prosthesis you have chosen.
What is the cost? The cost of implant dentistry is based upon a combination of the surgical phase and the prosthetic phase. Your total treatment fee will depend upon the number of implants and the complexity of your final restoration.
What about dental implant in Bangladesh? Hope to start very soon!
I hope that this brief explanation will answer some of your questions regarding implant dentistry.
For more information visit www.aikodental.com

Magic with yoghurt

* Zap those zits with a daily application of plain yoghurt. Just smooth it over make-up free skin and wash off after a few minutes, and you can kiss pimples goodbye.
*Treat itchy scalps with a yoghurt pack. Slather it on, wrap it with a towel, and wash off after 15 minutes, and you're on your way to shiny, dandruff free hair.
*Combine half a cup of plain yoghurt with the juice of one lemon, refrigerate, and then use the mixture to massage your hands and nails. Rinse off and pat dry. In just two weeks, you'll get the soft, supple hands of your dreams.
*If all these seem tedious just make sure that you have a cup of yoghurt either in the morning or after dinner with fresh fruits then you can literally say goodbye to dandruff, zits and dull skin.

 

UNDER A DIFFERENT SKY

By Iffat Nawaz

Stolen surprises

When I heard the disgusting "whak thu," the oh-so-Bengali habit of spitting wherever our mouth pleases in some alley near Bangla Motor, I wasn't shocked. I, the almost tourist, visiting for a few days walking down the streets faced spittles in every corner, every alley… no I didn't squint my eyes, make a face, I didn't criticize their lack of manners. Why didn't I? Well because having lived in America for years and having seen American Bengalis unable to give up the habit of spitting, I couldn't possibly expect an uneducated rickshawala to refrain from doing the same. If the first world couldn't teach us manners, why would someone trapped in the third world know any better? I wasn't surprised when a well-known singer living abroad in her small concert with the lucky one hundred audiences complained about her microphone, as it was not set up right. When the poor technician came to fix it and didn't do a good job, she didn't hesitate to humiliate him in front of all. In the next few seconds she started singing about the common and poor people of Bangladesh through the microphone that wasn't good enough for her, set up by just another common Bengali. The technician stood in the corner of the stage with his head touching his chest. And our famous singer perhaps didn't realize that while her own soul shone clearly through, her fake love for the common Bangladeshis screamed louder through her harsh words to the insignificant technician than through her made-up songs. No, I wasn't surprised… I wasn't shocked to find that time stops at certain hours of the day in Bangladesh when "Jassi jaysi koi Nahi" or "Astitva" airs on some Indian channel or other. I wasn't shocked to see the faces of my relatives or friends who leave their worlds locked up in the kitchen, or inside a closet momentarily to enjoy the twisted plots and irrational logics of Indian soaps. Why should I be surprised when the same expressions and behaviours a thousand times magnified, exist among the American Bengalis who pretend to be so much further in life and living, so much more intelligent and well-to-do than just a mere house-wife of bad-old-Bangladesh. It didn't strike me when I saw Bangladeshi Bengalis discriminating against each other on the basis of which district they are from. It doesn't surprise me to see the Noakhali people snubbing the ones from Jessore, or when Jessore snubs the ones from Chittagong, when Comilla is categorized below Kushtia and Barisal steals some other forceful nature of it's own. No I don't feel that they are being clannish. I don't because it was in America that I first saw the depth of discrimination, not amongst Americans, but American Bengalis, splitting up in different groups, bad mouthing each others, creating clans according to their districts. So far, Bangladeshis are still un-united in the United States. So why do I expect the "close-minded" Bangladeshi Bengalis to be so open all of a sudden and forget their "roots" when sitting so far, the American Bengali is are not able to let go of barely visible borders and differences. So no, I wasn't shocked, surprised, disappointed or disgusted. My low expectations met higher grounds, my high expectations reached a further limit. That my highly criticized "unlivable" Bangladesh is still as unpretentious and uncomfortable didn't make me weary, as America has already stolen my surprises…