Over 42pc cost hike along with tenure extension proposed for CMID

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has managed to utilise only Tk 102.32 million--a mere 0.61 per cent of the total Tk 16.86 billion allocation--for a flagship project designed to modernise the country's customs system and cut international trade processing...

Power div seeks extra fund in revised budget

Additional budgetary allocations have been sought for public entities under different ministries to enable them to pay off electricity-bill arrears as they owe a hefty amount to the power-distribution companies.Sources say the Power Division has requested the Ministry of Finance...

The train to Chalan Beel

I phone Pobitro Adhikary when the Dhumketu Express lurches forward at 6am, telling him we have departed from the Kamalapur railway station on time. He is my childhood friend, and we have planned a train-themed exploration of the Chalan Beel....

Border Road in Chittagong Hill Tracts

A New Road to the FutureA quiet revolution is taking place in the wavy green hills of Bangladesh in one of the most distant frontiers of Bangladesh. The Border Road Project in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) which is spearheaded and...

When hilshas jump on a ship out of Bay water

When serious issues like the February election and law and order are drawing the nation's attention, some extraordinary happenings of lighter vein are quietly doing their rounds. One such thing happened away from the land but within the country's territorial...

Health, education see deep cuts in FY26 RADP

The allocations for health, education, and social protection - the key pillars of human-capital development - have been sharply reduced, by as much as 63 per cent, in the Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) for the current fiscal year.Amid an...

Metro rail services in limbo

Today's metro-rail operations remain uncertain as the operator on Thursday said services would run as usual, even though the striking staff did not withdraw their work stoppage that begins today.The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) employees of grades 10...

High Court clears way for Ctg Chamber polls

CHATTOGRAM, Dec 11: The High Court has cleared the way for the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) election, reaffirming that six candidates from the trade group and town association categories are legally eligible to contest.A High Court bench,...

Egg price falls, farmers sell their products at loss

The price of commercially produced eggs has fallen recently, resulting in loss to farmers.Farmers said high price for the animal product over the last few years motivated them to increase production, surpassing the demand and leading to very low egg...

Govt's no to 20pc power bill rebate facility for fish, livestock and poultry farms

The government has decided not to include fisheries, hatcheries, livestock and poultry farms in its existing 20 per cent electricity bill rebate scheme, despite recognising their rising costs of production.The decision was taken at an inter ministerial meeting, which was...

DSE receives Tk 680m loss claims in Moshihor Securities fraud case

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) has received complaints of losses amounting to Tk 680 million from clients of Moshihor Securities, which embezzled investors' shares and cash more than a year ago by using duplicate software.Md Shafiqur Rahman, deputy general manager...

Financing a green revolution in Bangladesh

A new-world order—one described by increasing numbers of economists as the climate economy—is arising. Rather than being fueled by smoke and coal, it will be propelled by clean energies, climate-resilient infrastructure, clean technologies, and sustainable finance. In reaction to global...

When food hygiene is not a priority

A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and held at the state guest house Jamuna on Sunday last emphasised the need for making foods safe for consumption. Indeed, food safety is a much neglected issue in this country....

NBR in dilemma over tax benefit on edible oil import

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is in a dilemma over offering a fresh tax benefit on import of edible oils considering revenue impact. A proposal from the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) to consider tax benefits on the essential commodity...

Curbing use of black money in elections

The concern expressed by leading economists over influence of money in politics, lack of good governance and its impact on economy portrays a grim picture of the country's political and economic landscape. This worry of the economists, which is also...

Railway to slash fund demand by 34.7pc in RADP

The Bangladesh Railway (BR) is set to place a 34.70-percent lower demand in the revised FY26 annual development programme (RADP) to implement 32 projects as it is unable to complete some schemes on schedule. It says Tk 49.24 billion will...

Judiciary functions set to gain new momentum

The judiciary of Bangladesh is set to enter a new phase of efficiency and institutional independence with the promulgation of the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance 2025, a long-awaited reform that grants full financial and administrative autonomy to the apex court.The...

World Bank team reviews Bay Terminal project

CHATTOGRAM, Dec 09: A World Bank (WB) delegation on Tuesday wrapped up a three-day visit to Chittagong port, where they reviewed the Bay Terminal mega project, which is set to significantly enhance the port's capacity and operational efficiency.The visit focused...

State-run sugar mills face crisis as BSFIC fails to secure funds for farmers

The financial stability of eight state-run sugar mills is under threat as the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) struggles to secure adequate funds to pay sugarcane farmers in the ongoing 2025-26 crushing season.Despite having a staggering outstanding claim...

Aamra Networks faces BSEC probe over use of rights issue funds

The market watchdog has ordered a full inquiry into the utilization of rights-offer proceeds by Aamra Networks after an on-the-spot inspection raised doubts over the company's claimed investments.Aamra Networks raised Tk 929.79 million through rights shares in May last year...

Some unpleasant arithmetic

Bangladesh’s economy is often acclaimed for its remarkable resilience despite recurrent global disruptions — pandemics, energy shortages, supply-chain shocks, regional conflicts, and internal political instability. Observers frequently point to four powerful “engines” behind this endurance: the ready-made garments industry (RMG),...

World Bank seeks faster government approvals for project effectiveness

The World Bank (WB) has sought the government's cooperation for faster approvals to make a $350-million financing facility effective and operationalised.The facility aims to enhance Bangladesh's energy-sector security. The World Bank Board of Directors in June this year approved the...

Recasting multiagency JIT under UK model underway

Remodeling the stolen asset recovery (SAR) initiative through creating an entity under a legal framework is under active consideration to give the drive a nudge.Under the latest move Bangladesh Bank (BB) considers replicating UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) model which...

Guardians take charge at school exam

Guardians, not teachers, with the help of the head master conducted annual examinations at a government primary school in Rajshahi metropolitan city as the latter got involved in a movement to press home demand for pay-scale upgradation. Meanwhile, secondary school...

Butterfly fair more than an exhibition

Most people view butterfly, a unique creation in the living world, as an aesthetic treat to the eye or a source of entertainment. But whoever could think of a butterfly fair instead of a show of the most decorated wingy...

Foreign investors pull money from stocks ahead of polls

Foreign investors have continued to withdraw funds from Bangladesh's equity market over the past year through November this year amid persistent political and macroeconomic uncertainties.Economic reform measures taken by the interim government after the political changeover had given rise to...

Gender differentials in workforce

In the midst of the demographic transition, Bangladesh is experiencing rapid shifts in the relative numbers of children, the working-age population, and elderly persons. Here, changes in the age structure suggest that two-thirds of the total population are of working...

The headwinds export sector faces

Bangladesh's export sector has of late been facing headwinds mainly from the dual impact of the fall in demand in the international market and the reciprocal tariff imposed by the USA. According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), last November...

The controls indicate the scale of discrimination

The trade and business at the commercial hub of Chattogram are suffering a lot, as the local businesses cannot supply the imported goods to other parts of the country smoothly due to the restrictive weighing scale set up at Boro...

The human onslaught on Karnaphuli

Karnaphuli is the lifeline of the country's economy as the Chittagong Port, the prime seaport of the country, is situated on this river. But the river is being polluted rampantly due to unabated dumping of toxic chemicals and solid waste...