Ensuring benefit of tax cut on essentials
The national board of revenue (NBR) has decided to cut down on taxes and duties on a number of essential food items in a bid to tackle prices. According to a report published in this newspaper late last week, import duties on onion, potato and pesticides have been cut. These...
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White paper: diagnosis of economic malaise
More than two decades ago, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), after forming the government, published a two-part white paper on the corruption of the Awami League government in 1996-2001. The 750-plus pages of documents examined 40 incidents of corruption and irregularities of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister during the period...
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Autonomy for BTV
The recent directive by Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam for Bangladesh Television (BTV) to function as the people's media rather than the government's mouthpiece is a step in the right direction. Historically, BTV has been perceived to be a propaganda machine of successive governments, relating news reports as they...
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Stop harassing teachers
Following the resignation of the Sheikh Hasina government, many teachers in prominent positions at universities across the country have stepped down. This situation has been exploited by certain vested interests who are pressuring, harassing, and forcing school and college teachers to resign in various parts of the country. Many have...
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Unrest in industrial zones
The recent unrest in the industrial zones of Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur has brought the nation's key export sector to a critical juncture. More than a hundred apparel factories have been forced to shut down, some of which have been attacked by both outsiders and protesting workers. The situation reached...
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