Padma Oil's cost cuts drive profit up over 74pc in Q2

State-owned oil distributor Padma Oil secured a 74.52 per cent year-on-year growth in profit to Tk 1.25 billion in the second quarter of FY25.This staggering profit growth was due to a more-than-nine-fold increase in operating income and a more than...

Singer in the red in 2024, first time in 6 years

Despite a growth in revenue and gross profits, Singer Bangladesh endured a loss of Tk 489 million in 2024 for the first time in six years. Apart from higher finance costs and forex loss, the rise in operating expenses and...

SOUTHEAST BANK TRAINING INSTITUTE ORGANISES WORKSHOP

Southeast Bank Training Institute on Monday organised a day-long workshop on 'Money and Banking Data (SBS-1, SBS-2, and SBS-3) Reporting and Recent Changes'. The primary objective of the workshop was to improve the professional knowledge of bank officials while emphasising...

Marico's profit soars 27pc on higher revenue, finance income

Multinational company Marico Bangladesh registered a 27 per cent year-on-year growth in profit in the third quarter through December last year, driven by increased revenue and finance income. The company's income grew almost at the same pace in the nine...

Walton's profit surges 12pc in Q2, on higher revenue, lower finance cost

Local tech giant Walton Hi-Tech Industries secured a 12.4 per cent year-on-year growth in profit in the second quarter through December to Tk 1.55 billion as its revenue increased but finance cost fell. The earnings per share rose to Tk...

Contract farmers face hefty losses after tomato harvest

Standing on his sprawling 75-bigha (approximately 19 hectares) tomato farmland in Godagari, Rajshahi, Md Ifetkhar Ahmed, a nationally awarded farmer (2007), speaks on a frustrating note.While his initial harvests fetched a decent price, more than 60 per cent of his...

EBL gets $35m loan from WB Group member

Eastern Bank PLC (EBL) gets USD 35 million loan from International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, towards supporting working capital and trade-related lending programme. The formal loan agreement between IFC and EBL was signed at...

Boeing reports $11.8b in annual loss after crisis-ridden year

Boeing on Tuesday reported an annual loss of $11.83 billion, its largest since 2020, as it grappled with problems at its commercial and defense units and the fallout from a crippling strike by US West Coast factory workers, reports Reuters.The...

Bank Asia to receive $35m from IFC

Bank Asia PLC has signed an agreement with International Finance Corporation, IFC, a private sector arm of the World Bank Group. Through this agreement, Bank Asia will receive USD 35 million for capacity building of the MSME sector. Sohail R...

US-based Cargill India seeks to set up bonded warehouses in BD

Cargill India, a US-based company, has sought permission to establish bonded warehouses in Bangladesh's customs zones to import cotton with duty-free facilities, sources say.It has also requested to allow the export of surplus cotton to other countries after meeting local...

Australia face Sri Lanka in 1st Test today

GALLE, Sri Lanka, Jan 28 (AFP): Australian batting great Steve Smith begins a tour of Sri Lanka just one short of entering the elite club of 10,000 Test runs ahead of Wednesday's opening match in Galle.Smith, who will captain the...

Tigresses start T20I series with big defeat

Bangladesh Women's team suffered an eight-wicket defeat to West Indies in the three-match T20 International series-opening game at Basseterre in St Kitts on Tuesday, reports BSS.Electing to bat first, Bangladesh put up 144-3 with skipper Nigar Sultana Joty leading the...

Man City will embrace Brugge 'challenge' in must-win Champions League clash

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Jan 28 (AFP): Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will embrace the "challenge" of Wednesday's must-win Champions League clash against Club Brugge and is confident they will make the knockout stages.The Premier League champions must beat last season's...

Neymar set for Santos after Al-Hilal deal terminated

Brazilian club Santos are in talks to re-sign Neymar after his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal was cancelled by mutual consent, report agencies.The 32-year-old Brazil international is expected to sign a short-term deal at the club where he...

Bashundhara finish group A champions

Holders Bashundhara Kings emerged Group A champions to reach the qualifier -1 of the Federation Cup Football' 2024-25 outplaying Dhaka Wanderers Club by 5-0 goal at the Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium in Cumilla on Tuesday, reports UNB.In the day's match,...

Low potato price frustrates farmers

CHANDPUR, Jan 28: The farmers of the district and elsewhere in the country have been frustrated due to the low prices of potato, pumpkin and other vegetables.Farmers said they are not happy with the bumper production of these vegetables, which...

Skimpy research budget stifles advancement of IU

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY, Kushtia, Jan 28: Inadequate budgetary allocation for research activities is holding back advancement of Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia as one of the top state-run tertiary-level institutions.It is the sorrowful reality that because of not having enough research...

Unique recipes made with winter vegetables

Winter is the season for a variety of colorful vegetables. These fresh, refreshing, versatile, and flavourful vegetables add a new dimension to our menu. Warm, hearty dishes and winter vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, and peas are what we crave...

Inordinate delay in holding public exams

The Public Service Commission (PSC) and other public recruitment authorities take a long time between announcing government job circulars and conducting examinations. This prolonged delay tests the patience and morale of job aspirants. In some cases, examinations are held even...

Irregularities galore in BPL

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) generates unparalleled excitement among cricket fans in our country. As the nation's most significant domestic tournament, such enthusiasm is only natural. Yet, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appears indifferent to this passion, failing to deliver...

Unlocking full potential of SMEs

The country's cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (CMSME) sector despite having immense growth potential receives only lukewarm response from the authorities concerned. The sector did not get necessary policy and financial support for its growth which is evident from...

Low wage versus skill-driven competitiveness

Reliance on low labour costs, often seen as a means to enhance competitiveness, is no longer a viable strategy The key question remains, how long can low labour costs guarantee competitiveness? For a country like Bangladesh which has thrived for...

Poor state of new public hospitals

Unlike other branches of science, medicine is biomedical specialisation in human health and healing. So, the educational institutions where medicine is taught cannot bear any lapse in terms of educational facilities and physical infrastructure. But, generally, all the public sector...

An analysis with a focus on cyber-security challenges

In Bangladesh, Core Banking Software (CBS) is a crucial component for banks and financial institutions, automating processes, centralising operations, and enhancing service efficiency. With the financial landscape evolving towards digitalisation, CBS systems have become indispensable for operational agility and customer...

Gaza residents return north

GAZA, Jan 27 (Reuters/BBC): Tens of thousands of Palestinians began moving along the main roads leading north in Gaza on Monday as Israel opened roadblocks after the militant group Hamas agreed to hand over female Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud and...

7,964 stranded workers selected in first batch for entry to Malaysia

A total of 7,964 Bangladeshi workers, out of approximately 18,000 whose migration to Malaysia had been left hanging in the balance, have been selected for entry into the Southeast Asian nation initially, reports UNB.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) confirmed...

Auto-rickshaw snatched after killing driver in city

Unidentified assailants have allegedly snatched an auto-rickshaw after killing its driver in the capital's Badda area, reports UNB.The deceased is Abdus Salam aged 65.The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday. Critically injured, Salam was rushed to Dhaka Medical...

Pori Moni gets bail in murder attempt case

A Dhaka court has granted bail to actress Pori Moni and her costume designer Junayed Karim Jimmy alias Jimmy in a case over threat and attempt to murder, report agencies.Judge of Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Junaid approved it on...

3 muggers held in city

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a drive arrested three suspected muggers along with sharp weapons at Mohammadpur in the capital in the early hours of Monday, reports UNB.The arrestees are Md Abu Zafar (32), Md Roni (19) and Md Shawon...

SOS Children's Villages makes 200 young entrepreneurs self-reliant

With the aim of encouraging underprivileged young entrepreneurs, SOS Children's Villages International Bangladesh has made two hundred underprivileged young entrepreneurs from Chittagong and Bogra economically self-dependent. The main results of the Youth Entrepreneurship and Skills Training Project were also highlighted...