Mineral water producers face scrutiny as authorities seek cost breakdowns

In response to an unusual surge in bottled mineral-water prices over the last six months, the Bangladesh Competition Commission has sought detailed manufacturing-cost breakdowns from the local market players. Following a meeting held on Sunday, mineral water and beverage companies...

Overvaluation to inflate MRP, undervaluation to deflate VAT

Edible-oil companies allegedly submit different data on production of cooking oils by refining imported crudes to have maximum retail price (MRP) inflated and taxes down-rated.Sources have said they are providing varied data of value addition to refined oil to government...

Robi envisages fibre-driven telecom revolution in BD

Migration to a universal licensing regime could be a game-changer for the country's telecom sector, as it will open up all kinds of possibilities for the mobile operators, which are very much standard practice in the rest of the world,...

Brainiacs 2023 concludes in triumph

On October 7 and 8, BRAC University Business Club - BIZ BEE hosted Brainiacs 2023, with the sponsorship and support of Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) and co-sponsorship from Strides Co. The primary objective of this event was to provide BRAC...

A ghostly landscape of Palestinian graves

They are all stationed in important western capitals. And they are all looking away from the terror that has descended on Palestinians in Gaza. They are all lining up behind Netanyahu, to let him know that in his war against...

Stock market trading-- what, how, why

Since the beginning of human civilisation, individuals and businesses have traded all kinds of goods and services. Among all the other types of trading, the idea of stock market trading is a more recent development. The world is constantly changing...

Cos rally while Dhaka bourse's truth-seeking drive puts up signs of warning

An inspection team of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) found Northern Jute Manufacturing Company shut in a recent visit and disclosed the information to investors through its website repeatedly.They went to the place where the company is located in Kushtia...

Shifting gears: how can Bangladesh move from middle income to high income status?

Bangladesh has experienced decades of remarkably successful growth through manufacturing exports. Bangladesh has been among the fastest growing economies in the world in recent decades, resulting in higher living standards and improved social and health outcomes.The Covid19 pandemic slowed the...

Inaugural train rolls on PMB rail route today

A new paradigm of development emerges as train service through the Padma Multipurpose Bridge takes off today that will ultimate link the UN-designated Trans-Asian Railway beyond borders of nations. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would attend the inaugural ceremony at Mawa...

Commercial operation of Ctg-Cox's Bazar rail route in December

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 09: The Chattogram-Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Gumdhum (CDCG) rail route will commence its commercial operation in December this year as the renovation of Kalurghat Bridge is ongoing.Bangladesh Railway (BR) sources said the inauguration of the CDCG rail line has been postponed...

Eggs from abroad

The government, to stabilise the volatile egg market, first fixed the price of egg at Tk 12 apiece on September 14. The Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP) and the administration were given the task of monitoring and enforcing...

No status quo in occupied-Palestine

Israel never had it so good. Everything seemed to go the way it had hoped for. The pressure from America and Europe to accept a two- state solution with the Palestinian authority has petered out and not mentioned in any...

Market doesn't exude optimism for IPO but offers scope of good gains

The size of the country's capital market is still insignificant compared to the size of the economy mostly because companies prefer banks as a source of capital to the market, said the chief of UCB Investment. Against the backdrop of...

Import-export activities come under wider crosscheck

Customs sleuths get a free hand to assess real worth of goods even after port clearance of imports and exports under new guidelines meant for preventing revenue leaks, officials say. Businesses fear it would further slow production and trade process...

Matarbari power plant first unit goes online next month

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 08: The authorities have decided to start operation of the first unit of Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired Power Plant next month (November). Work of the dream project at Matarbari in Maheshkhali upazila of Cox's Bazar has...

Is import of egg a viable option?

The official formalities have reportedly been completed from the Bangladesh end for import of eggs from India and those are likely to arrive anytime this week. How should the news be received here? The question that should agitate probing minds...

Beginning of third intifada?

Members of the Islamist militant group, Hamas, carried out surprise attack in southern Israel amid a barrage of rocket fires from the Gaza strip. According to reports, the Hamas militants killed about hundred Israelis and injured 500 more. They also...

Test commissioning of Single Point Mooring next month

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 07: The test commissioning of Single Point Mooring (SPM) is likely to be held in the next month (November). Officials at the Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) said the test transportation of crude petroleum will be held on November...

Contribution, income to come under tax benefits

The revenue board is set to offer tax benefits, including investment rebate and exemption, on contributions and incomes contributed to and derived from Universal Pension Scheme (UPS). The income tax wing of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) would issue...

Padma Bridge builder demands half cost from BR

The Padma Bridge builder has demanded almost half the cost for constructing the country's largest road-cum-rail bridge from the railways ministry over a year for making the rail part.As the Bangladesh Bridges Authority (BBA) built the viaduct entirely with loans...

Exchanges to begin trading in open-ended MFs this year

Open-ended mutual funds will become tradeable on the stock exchanges by the end of this year, which is expected to ease liquidation of assets as well as provide the market with liquidity support. Regulatory bodies have been dwelling on if...

Unlocking the potential of CMSMEs in Bangladesh

Despite impressive economic growth of more than six per cent per annum in the past decade, policymakers and businesses in Bangladesh continue to ponder why the country continues to rank low in productivity and innovation indices. The dominance of cottage,...

Revising RMG workers' minimum wage

Determining the minimum wage structure for the country's export-oriented ready-made garments (RMG) industry workers is tricky. Though an independent wage board is responsible for doing the work, it has to go through a lot of debate and protests. The government...

Oyster-shaped railway station, greeneries stunningly attractive

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 06: The newly-built oyster-shaped railway station of Cox's Bazar and the picturesque green natural setting on both sides of Chattogram-Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Gumdhum (CDCG) rail line give a stupendously attractive view. The iconic railway station and the rail line await...

Are unseasonable warm weather and rains interlinked?

The year 2023 may be remarkable for missing one of its most cherished seasons --- Sharat (autumn) in this part of the world unless it shows up in Hemanta (late autumn) or in winter. It is more like Barsha (monsoon)....

Projects delayed as no time- frame for DCs to acquire land

The authorities tweaked the land- acquisition playbook to speed up the implementation of key infrastructure projects. The new approach includes LA work in support of the main infrastructure project, allowing the deputy commissioners to acquire lands and utility shifting, while...

NBR presents plan to cut tax expenditure, raise collection

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Thursday briefed the visiting mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) an outline of its plan to cut tax expenditure and expedite revenue mobilisation.The mission held separate meetings with the three wings of...

Tips on tax return: A complete guideline for salaried persons

Filing income-tax return without help of the agents or lawyers is not so easy for the commoners. Taxpayers have to comply with different tax provisions to give inputs on their income and expenditure in the return form. In case of...

University ranking and students' option

The two universities from Bangladesh, the University of Dhaka (DU) and the North South University, which for the first time placed themselves in the 601-800 bracket of the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking of 2023 slipped to the next level...

Heatwaves and women: an unseen health crisis

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently announced that the era of global warming has ended, and the era of global boiling has begun. This affirmation came after July 2023 was globally declared as the ‘hottest month’ in around 120,000...