Getting to the heart of youth unrest

The youth of Bangladesh have seemingly had enough and are not prepared to stand by in silence any longer and just accept what is being dished out to them. Wherever you look nowadays nationwide you'll find angry and disillusioned university...

Doing away with measures that restrict trade

Is protectionism in global trade rising and also eroding global business? The answer is 'yes', as per the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Last week, she told BBC: "We are seeing increasing protectionism, some undermining of the WTO...

Foundation laying of new Kalurghat bridge in Dec

CHATTOGRAM July 12: The foundation stone of the long-awaited new Kalurghat Bridge in the port city is likely to be laid next December.The Bangladesh Railway (BR) is going to build a two-tier road-cum-rail bridge at Kalurghat point over the Karnaphuli...

Sue the bosses, seize their assets

The National Security Intelligence has suggested that the authorities seize the properties of and take stern legal action against the top bosses of two errant e-commerce platforms -- Aladinerprodip and Dhamaka Shopping -- for cheating customers, sources said.The country's principal...

Repay state-guaranteed loans regularly to skip defaulter tag

Fast-rising state guarantees against both foreign and local loans warrant government alert for ministries and the central bank to timely repay the debts to avert the risk of falling defaulter, officials said.The Ministry of Finance has made the reminder decision...

The monsoon so long missed here has returned

Barsha Ritu (monsoon) has arrived at its capricious best this year. There were hardly any rains in this second season on the Bangla calendar in decades. Even a modern Yaksha pronounced as Jaksha would find it almost impossible to stop...

Lock inequality to unlock population potential

Inequality encompasses the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges among individuals and groups, resulting in uneven playing fields for overall progression within the community. The primary drivers of inequality include the socio-economic structure, technological advancements, educational disparities, power dynamics...

Project cost set to go up substantially

The cost of Khulna-Darshana double-track rail line, an important project to strengthen regional connectivity, is set to go up by around Tk 20 billion from the initial estimate.The expenditure is now estimated to be Tk 55 billion as the feasibility...

Question leak and the vicious cycle it creates

The arrest of 17 people including six officials of the Public Service Commission (PSC) has exposed not only the magnitude of the problem but also a deeper rot set in the administrative, social and moral systems. It seems that the...

Power women shining a light on politics

Britain's recent election has thrown up a contingent of women who certainly look forward to playing significant roles in Parliament. As many as 240 women have been elected to the 650-seat House of Commons, which is a remarkable feat. It...

Inflated container info confounds trade situation

A row over export-data mismatch is now followed by allegation that inflated data on container-handling performance have long been produced under the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) domain, sources said. Such alleged prime-port miscalculation of container handling only adds credence to...

The rot has gone too deep

In recent months, financial or other scams have been hitting the news headlines one after another. Indeed, it has become difficult for people to keep track of those who are coming at them thick and fast. First came the incidents...

December new deadline to open dedicated line

The authorities concerned have once again set a new target to open the Gazipur-Airport dedicated bus corridor by December next despite still having challenges to be able to complete bus procurement by then. Since construction of the much-talked-about project began...

NBR expects Tk 113 billion additional VAT in FY25

The revenue board has estimated Tk 113 billion in additional value-added tax (VAT) in fiscal year 2024-25, riding on a fiscal measure having no new exemption for businesses.A big chunk has been projected from the tobacco sector, followed by at-source...

Govt plans raising Tk 50b with Sukuk to supplement bonds

Hefty interest payments on growing debts prompt the government to go for fundraising with Sukuk worth Tk 50 billion to supplement traditional bonds that are getting costlier by the day for high yields, sources say. Interest rates on conventional bonds...

Outflow of overseas funds continues as asset value erodes

Foreign stakes in leading companies have continued falling as overseas investors have dumped their holdings since the removal of floor price in January mainly due to the sharp devaluation of the local currency against the dollar.The country's net foreign portfolio...

Is Dhaka worth living in?

The megacity Dhaka's livability ranking as done by the global body engaged in the task, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), has never been uplifting. Dhaka has been ranked 168th out of EIU's list of 173 cities. To many experts, the...

Time to reintroduce midday meal at schools

Iconic French military leader, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) emphasised the importance of logistics famously stating that his soldiers conquered vast tracts of Europe by "marching on their stomachs". Napoleon knew only too well the importance of a full belly. Just...

Changing of the guards at Downing Street

The enthusiastic crowd waited patiently under the morning sun before the gate of Buckingham palace to see the daily ritual of changing of the guards that was about to take place within the premises of the historic place. Unbeknownst to...

Refiners push to hike edible oil prices

Local refiners have frequently been pressing the government to increase edible oil prices as they are facing losses due to their international prices.They have requested the government to protect the edible oil industry through holding discussion with them urgently.The Bangladesh...

Large corporates pay 11.31pc higher yet taxmen fail target in FY24

Large corporates paid 11.31-percent higher taxes in the just-concluded financial year due to some fiscal measures and some banks' higher operating profits, yet taxmen failed their annual target.The large taxpayers' unit (LTU) under the income-tax wing of the revenue board...

Some cos adopt get-it-yourself strategy to overcome dollar crisis

The dollar crisis has become a stubborn hindrance to growth for manufacturing companies that rely heavily on imports of raw materials but some of them have found a way to overcome it -- arranging dollars themselves.These companies have leveraged their...

Why has quota reform struggle resumed?

Student unrest protesting reinstatement of quota system in government jobs has again erupted on the country's university campuses. And as it happened in 2018, when the protest against quota system in government jobs first began, it has spilled over from...

China's Mongla seaport dev project stalls

Months have elapsed since a multimillion-dollar Chinese investment project for upgrading Mongla seaport got approval from Bangladesh's highest economic body but it couldn't make any headway for 're-evaluation' dilemmas, sources said.Under the 'Expansion and Development of Mongla Port Facilities' project...

Hazards of textiles' 'forever chemicals'

A recent study by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) and International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) titled 'Persistent Threat: PFAS in textiles and water in Bangladesh' sheds light on a critical issue that demands immediate attention from policymakers and...

Price level unlikely to return to earlier stage

Last Monday, a new fiscal year started in Bangladesh, carrying the burden of high inflation along with the official expectation that the excessive inflationary pressure will be moderated by the end of the year. On a day before or the...

Delhi-dispatched MoU noncommittal on supply guarantee, prices high

A proposed MoU sent by Delhi on steady supply of some key essential commodities lacks governmental guarantee of delivery to Bangladesh by neighbouring India and prices quoted high above their domestic rates, officials say.Among the downside issues detected so far...

Chattogram Customs collects Tk688.66b revenue in FY 24

CHATTOGRAM, July 05: The Customs House, Chattogram (CHC), largest revenue collection centre in Bangladesh, collected a total of Tk688.66 billion (Tk 68,866 crore) revenue in the last fiscal year (FY)2023-24.The CCH collected Tk74.02 billion (Tk 7,402 crore) more revenue in...

Energy price fluctuations and implications for Bangladesh

There is no denying that maintaining Bangladesh's macroeconomic stability and achieving its development goals requires consistent and uninterrupted energy supply. Bangladesh's energy landscape is predominantly shaped by fossil fuels, with natural gas including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), coal, and oil...

Scrutiny-failure detection downsizes export earnings, upsets economic indices

Absence of scrutiny of data-inputs accuracy in government entities results in the downsizing of export earnings and may upset Bangladesh's trade rankings.Economists call it 'macroeconomic data shock' that might impact trade deficit, country ranking on export, and current-account balance among...