Biman set to resume domestic flights by Dec

State carrier Biman is going to resume domestic flights by December this year after seven years of suspention, an official said. The official said the national flag carrier has already finalised the lease process for two Dash-8-Q-400 aircraft from Egypt...

Ship-breakers left out of insurance cover

Workers in the ship-breaking industry are still left out of group-insurance coverage, despite the fact that some fatal accidents have occurred in recent times.        Absence of proper government inspections is mainly attributed to leaving thousands of people working at the...

News Briefs

Halloween celebrated at The Peninsula Chittagong The Peninsula Chittagong has been celebrating ‘Halloween Theme Party' for the last consecutive two years. And it has become one of the most popular, exciting and appreciated theme parties for the people of the...

Photo: Midland Bank Limited

Photo: South Bangla Agriculture & Commerce (SBAC) Bank Limited

50pc fall in Oct orders from EU market for BD shrimp

Exporters of frozen foods received 50 per cent less orders from the European market in October although it is annual high time of this trade ahead of the Christmas Day fiesta. Businessmen fixed two problems: vast vennanie production and strong...

Edible oils much dearer than production costs

Millers are selling edible oils at much higher rates than production costs, according to a government study on the price rises and possible remedies.     The study report recommends that the ministry of commerce (MoC) take steps to bring the jacked-up...

Lankan diplomat stresses FTA

Signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) can help Bangladesh and Sri Lanka narrow the trade imbalance, a diplomat of the island nation has said.    "FTA is an effective means through which we can increase bilateral trade. This can also...

BD mission in Vienna opens

The government opened the first diplomatic mission in Vienna Saturday aiming at giving its four-decade-old bilateral relationship with Austria a new momentum. In a statement on this occasion, the Bangladesh Embassy in Vienna expressed deep appreciation to the government of...

Photo: FinExcel

exchange rate

India\\\'s e-commerce industry booms

NEW DELHI, Nov 2 (IANS): After foreign investors injected some mega millions into India's e-retail companies in recent months, including the $627 million for SnapDeal by Japan's Softbank, public listing of shares and consolidation are seen as next big developments...

Shanghai mayor pledges to speed up FTZ reform

SHANGHAI, Nov 2 (BSS/AFP): Shanghai's mayor promised today to speed up development of China's first free trade zone (FTZ) a year after it opened, as a chorus of foreign companies expressed disappointment over the pace of pledged reforms. The FTZ...

Thousands of low-paid Britons set for pay rise

Thousands of UK workers are set for a pay rise after a surge in the number of companies signed up to the Living Wage, reports BBC. The number of companies has more than doubled in the last year, meaning 35,000...

Britain\\\'s Islamic finance mkt widens with govt, pvt moves

The scope of Britain's Islamic finance market is widening with several initiatives from the government and private sector, although the country is about to lose one of its six full-fledged Islamic banks, reports Reuters. In June, Britain became the first...

S Korea stresses turning yen threat into opportunity

SEOUL, Nov 2 (Reuters): South Korea expressed its concern on Sunday about the possible impact on its export industries from the yen's renewed weakness but stopped short of promising any action aimed at pulling the won's value down. Ahn Chong-bum,...

Chinese efforts towards wider connectivity

President Xi Jinping of China called for joint development of an "Economic Belt along the Silk Road" and a "Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century" during his separate visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in September and October 2013. These...

India\\\'s turn to deliver

Uncertainty has descended upon Bangladesh-India relations since Narendra Modi became the new Prime Minister of India in May this year. For the entire last term of the Awami League-led government and part of this present term until the Congress was...

Worst power outage ever

A technical glitz at the Bhemara national grid, which also sucks imported power from neighbouring India, is reported to have caused the worst blackout ever. True, even the best production and distribution system of electricity is not without risks -manmade...

The pains of being worst

The first impression a foreign traveller gets of a country is its airport, how it is maintained and the facilities it offers to incoming and outgoing passengers. The Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), the premier international airport of Bangladesh, as...

Tying the nuptial knot

Controversies and difference in opinions notwithstanding, marriage still has survived -- and hopefully will do so -- as an institution. Men like Bernard Shaw, though, had no doubt about the frivolity in the marriage ceremony where the couple vows to...

Unprecedented power outage

When the national electricity grid collapsed on Saturday, the whole country went under total darkness. Initially, I thought it was regular load- shedding but as the winter was setting in, it was a bit surprising. But when power didn't return...

Second Test of the Tigers

The Tigers are facing Zimbabwe from November 3 in the second Test and it will be a very important match for both the teams as they will be eager to bring positive results for their respective countries. Bangladesh should not...

The ninth worst airport

Our lone international airport in Dhaka is reportedly the ninth worst among around 50 to 60 airports in Asia.  Such a rating by an international agency was published in a number of English dailies on November 1. On a worldwide...

Bureaucratic dysfunctions: A theoretical overview

As defined by Max Weber, bureaucracy is generally characterised by the following features: (a) specialisation; (b) rationality; (c) professionalism; (d) impersonal authority; (e) autonomy; (f) stability. However, the same organisational and management techniques that make a bureaucratic organisation potentially superior...

The quest for an Islamic state

The political ferment in Pakistan over the last few months has unexpectedly prompted excessive scrutiny and comment on my article, 'The illusion of parliamentary democracy' (published in the Financial Express on October 31, 2014). There has been unmerited praise and...

PM felt \\\'conspiracy\\\' like 1974 famine during Jan 5 polls

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Sunday that she had felt same conspiracies like that of the 1974 famine period during the January 5 elections, reports UNB. "I felt the same conspiracy before the January 5 (national) elections," she said...

BNP finds foul play in countrywide blackout

BNP termed on Sunday 'mysterious' Saturday's countrywide massive power outage, and alleged that the government did it intentionally to disrupt the live broadcast of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's Natore rally, reports UNB. "A question has arisen in public mind whether...

President hopes Dhaka- Delhi ties to grow for mutual benefit

President Abdul Hamid expressed Sunday the hope that the Indo-Bangladesh relations will go on perpetually to the mutual benefit of the two neighbouring countries, report agencies.  He said, "I would like to thank the Indian High Commission in Dhaka for...

Delhi won\\\'t allow its territory to be used against Dhaka : Envoy

Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran said on Sunday India will not allow its territory to be used for any activities "harmful" to the welfare of Bangladesh, reports UNB.  "We won't allow our territory to be used for any...