ICB's turnaround gets tougher as govt refuses fresh loan-repayment funds

The finance ministry has decided that it will not provide any more funds to the state-run Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) for loan repayment purposes.The decision has been reached following the ICB's disclosure of a record annual loss of over...

Players of AIUB Basketball team pose after securing bronze medal

Players of AIUB Basketball team pose after securing bronze medal at the Bangladesh National Basketball Championship 2025 in Jashore. Bangladesh Navy secured first place, with Bangladesh Air Force in the second position. AIUB Basketball Team presented the trophy to Dr....

Italy face Northern Ireland in European playoffs

ZURICH, Nov 20 (Reuters): Italy will face Northern Ireland in the European playoffs in their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup while Sweden meet Ukraine as 16 teams learned the pathways that determine the four remaining European slots...

India won't risk another Gill injury in 2nd S Africa Test

GUWAHATI, India, Nov 20 (AFP): India will not play skipper Shubman Gill in the second Test against South Africa on Saturday if it risks aggravating his neck injury, a team coach said.Gill has travelled with the squad to Guwahati but...

Cricket to expand nationwide, not just in Dhaka, says BCB Director

THAKURGAON, Nov 20 (BSS): Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director Asif Akbar has emphasized the board's commitment to expanding cricket development beyond the capital as he visited Thakurgaon District Stadium on Thursday as part of a long-term nationwide infrastructure plan. During...

Ashes rivalry resumes as Australia-England clash begins today

PERTH, Australia, Nov 20 (AFP): Arch-rivals Australia and England resume Ashes hostilities on Friday in Perth with the hosts weakened by injuries but favourites to inflict more pain on a side with a dire record Down Under.The highly anticipated five-Test...

Tigers dominate Ireland

Ireland closed the second day of the Dhaka Test in deep trouble at 98 for 5 in reply to Bangladesh's imposing 476, as Mushfiqur Rahim's milestone century and a disciplined spin assault put the hosts firmly on top, reports bdnews24.com.Mushfiqur,...

Tank lorry owners observe 4-hr strike in Khulna, to press for six-point demand

KHULNA, Nov 20 (UNB): The Khulna wing of Bangladesh Tank Lorry Owners Association on Thursday enforced a half-day strike to press home their six-point demand including an increase in transportation fares.The strike was observed from 8 am to 12 pm.Sheikh...

Stronger enforcement of tobacco control law stressed

NARSINGDI, Nov 20 (BSS): Speakers at a press conference here on Thursday called for strengthening enforcement of the tobacco control law, saying gaps in the existing legislation allow tobacco companies to continue activities that pose risks to public health.The event,...

Gaibandha farmer makes cattle feed out of banana stems

GAIBANDHA, Nov 20: A farmer of remote Hazirhat in Sundarganj has been using banana plant's stems, or portions forming the trunk-like structure, to produce a new processed fodder item for cattle, and addressing feed shortage in the area.The fodder from...

Commoners facing the brunt of winter vegetable price spiral

Unseasonal early-November rainfall has pushed up winter vegetable prices across Rajshahi, and Sylhet districts piling pressure on consumers already battling against the rising living costs. Our Rajshahi correspondent reports: Untimely downpour in early-November caused extensive damage to winter vegetables making...

Thousands protest against state takeover of palm oil plantations in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Nov 20 (Reuters): Thousands of residents in Indonesia's Riau province palm oil belt protested on Thursday against the takeover of their plantations by the government's forestry task force, an organiser told Reuters.President Prabowo Subianto's forestry task force, which includes...

Luxury sector to revive in 2026 but price hikes leave shoppers 'betrayed', says Bain & Co

PARIS/MILAN, Nov 20 (Reuters): The global luxury goods industry is likely to sell 3 per cent to 5 per cent more next year after stagnating in 2025, but years of aggressive price increases have alienated customers, threatening long-term growth, Bain...

Vietnam rice rates fall to near 5-year low on weak demand

Vietnam's rice rates fell to a near five-year low this week on weak demand and a push for higher-quality production, while India's demand stayed muted as buyers chose cheaper rivals even as parboiled prices rose to a six-week high with...

Gold steady as traders assess delayed US jobs data

Gold prices held steady on Thursday, as investors digested a delayed US jobs report that showed better-than-expected September employment numbers for further cues on the Federal Reserve's policy outlook, reports Reuters.Spot gold was up 0.1 per cent at $4,083.95 per...

China Oct rare earth magnet exports fall for a second month

BEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters): China's rare earth magnet exports in October fell 5.2 per cent from a month earlier, customs data showed on Thursday, down for a second month, but shipments to the United States surged to a nine-month high.Beijing...

Oil edges higher on inventory draw and equities rally

LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters): Oil prices edged up on Thursday after falling in the previous session, boosted by a bigger than expected draw in US crude stockpiles and a broader equities rally.Brent crude futures were up 43 cents, or 0.7...

Cost of chasing certificates without learning

An unwritten competition runs rampant through the veins of society. It is not a marathon, but a frantic sprint where reaching the finish line is the only goal, not the joy of the run or the experience of the journey....

Rise in ethical consumerism

A new trend is emerging in Bangladesh's business landscape: the rise of ethical consumerism. Today's consumers, particularly the younger generation, are becoming increasingly aware of how and where their products are made. They prefer supporting brands that prioritise fair labour...

Should government still be in business?

At a recent roundtable on business climate organised by The Financial Express, the vice chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau has posed a pertinent question: should the government be doing business at all? The question is as old as the...

Hunger and food insecurity stare in the face of world

Reports on hunger and food insecurity are unnerving. The 2025 state of food security and nutrition in the world (SOFI) report finds that 673 million people constituting 8.3 per cent of the global population faced acute hunger in 2024. The...

Labour ordinance goes past tripartite agreement

The interim government's amendment of the labour law, despite objections raised by business groups during the draft stage, has triggered fresh protests demanding its withdrawal. Opponents argue that some key provisions deviate from the understandings reached earlier in tripartite meetings...

Unpacking emotional costs of remittance narrative

Labour migration has become one of Bangladesh's most celebrated development narratives. Over the decades, millions of Bangladeshis have travelled to the Gulf, Southeast Asia, Europe, and beyond, sending home remittances that sustain households and stabilise the national economy. These flows...

Posters, placards, and banners asking for votes

Posters, placards, and banners asking for votes by various political parties are seen in many areas of Dhaka city even before the announcement of the election schedule.The Election Commission, for the first time, has prohibited the open display of these...

Use of e-GP made mandatory

S. M. Moin Uddin Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer (Secretary) of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), said that under the Public Procurement Rules, 2025 (PPR, 2025), the use of electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) is mandatory in public procurement.However, procuring entities...

BB issues directive on loan write-offs

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has issued new guidelines concerning the procedures for writing off specific loan accounts, focusing on classified debt that is unlikely to be recovered. "Loan accounts that are classified as bad and loss and possess slim prospects for...

Dr Khalilur, Ajit Doval hold meeting in Delhi

Bangladesh delegation to the Seventh NSA-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), led by national Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, met with Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval and his team in New Delhi on Wednesday."They discussed work of...

Shariah review and fiduciary ratings deserves to be considered: BB

Deputy Governor of the Bangladesh Bank Nurun Nahar today said that introduction of external shariah review and fiduciary ratings deserves will be considered seriously, reports BSS."It will increase transparency, enhance market discipline, and improve confidence among depositors and regulators. Moreover,...

National committee finalises roadmap

The National Committee on 'Repatriation of sale proceeds in private and public limited companies' has finalised a comprehensive set of reform recommendations aimed at simplifying and modernising the repatriation framework for foreign investments.The committee, which includes representatives from Bangladesh Bank...

High Court starts hearing rule

The High Court has started hearing a rule it had previously issued questioning the legality of the government decision to award the container-handling contract for the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chattogram seaport to a foreign company.During the hearing...