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Traffic congestion snarls Dhaka roads on the second day of relaxed curfew hours

2024-07-26 00:00:00

Traffic congestion snarls Dhaka roads on the second day of relaxed curfew hours on Thursday. The situation worsened during peak commuting times. The photo was taken from Chairmanbari-Airport road. — FE Photo by Asad-Uz-Zaman

UNHRC condemns govt crackdown on protesters

FE REPORT | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday called on the Bangladesh government to urgently disclose details about last week's crackdown on protests amid growing accounts of horrific violence.He also called for ensuring all law enforcement operations abide by international...

Plan to resume train service revoked, no decision yet

2024-07-26 00:00:00

Bangladesh Railway has reversed its decision to resume train services on a limited basis due to tensions surrounding the quota-protest movement, report agencies. Director General of Bangladesh Railway, Sardar Shahadat Ali, said on Thursday that no decision has been made...

It manifests lack of good governance: TIB

FE REPORT | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Thursday decried the government's use of force to repress the students' quota-reform movement.Unprecedented deaths and havoc, exacerbated by interest groups, during the movement is blamed on the weakness of the government, according to the...

LTU beats tax target as tobacco, telecom drive revenue in FY24

DOULOT AKTER MALA | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

Large businesses paid nearly 26 per cent more Value Added Tax (VAT) in the last fiscal year, marking a record increase since the creation of the Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU).The LTU, established in 2003, collected Tk 736.60 billion in revenue,...

BD struggling to get LNG cargoes for regasification

M AZIZUR RAHMAN | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

Bangladesh has been grappling to receive LNG (liquefied natural gas) cargoes for regasification after purchases due to a halt in the operation of Summit LNG Terminal at Moheshkhali following accidents.One spot cargo vessel carrying around 3.36 million British thermal unit...

Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur to hold labour market reopening talks in August

ARAFAT ARA | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

A joint working group meeting between Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur will be held next month to discuss reopening the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers, said State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury.Following a meeting with...

PM seeks justice from countrymen for mayhem

2024-07-26 00:00:00

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought on Thursday justice from countrymen for massive destruction of the government establishments during recent nationwide mayhem as she paid a visit to the vandalised Mirpur-10 Metro Rail Station, reports BSS."The people of the country have...

Daily transactions plunge from Tk 6.47b to Tk 1.12b

SAJIBUR RAHMAN | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

A significant decline was seen in all forms of digital banking, including internet banking, during the five-day internet outage which severely disrupted users' ability to conduct online financial transactions.The outage led to a notable drop in the usage of digital...

Briefing 2024-07-26

2024-07-26 00:00:00

Prayer Timings (2024-07-26)

2024-07-26 00:00:00

US economic growth regains steam in Q2, inflation slows

2024-07-26 00:00:00

WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters): The U.S. economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter, but inflation subsided, leaving intact expectations of a September interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve.Gross domestic product increased at a 2.8 per centannualized rate...

HSC exams for July 28, 29, 31, Aug 1 postponed

2024-07-26 00:00:00

The HSC and equivalent examinations of all education boards scheduled for July 28, 29, 31 and August 1 have been postponed for unavoidable reasons.The new schedule for the postponed examinations will be notified later, according to a notification signed by...

Global brands urged to adapt to BD realities

MONIRA MUNNI | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) -- a UK-based tripartite body championing labour rights in global supply chains -- called on buyers to adjust expectations and purchasing practices to accommodate the exceptional circumstances in Bangladesh caused by the anti-quota movement.Due to...

Banks' forex stock remarkably up

JUBAIR HASAN | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

Foreign-exchange holdings in commercial banks got a record boost, as of June, largely for growing remittance receipts against lower import payments and some latest baits, sources have said. Such rise in foreign currencies, the American greenback in particular, gives some...

Export-import operations getting in full gear with systems resurrection

DOULOT AKTER MALA | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

Export-import operations get back in full gear with the resurrection of electronic systems of port processing after a breakdown amid countrywide internet blackout. Both Chittagong Custom House and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) have said the internet-network systems are now working...

Banks, NBFIs borrow Tk 255b in a single day from BB

FE REPORT | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

Post-closure pressure for cliental rush sends commercial banks and nonbank financial institutions into a frenzy of borrowing from the central bank, some Tk 255.21 billion in a single day.The exigent cash feeding by the Bangladesh Bank took place on Wednesday--the...

Prisoners of technology, are we?

Syed Badrul Ahsan | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

Sometimes you tend to miss the old days. Life was much easier. There was no internet, no technology in that modern sense of the meaning. Not much of tension was there. In broad terms something of the pristine was there...

Addressing the inflation crisis

2024-07-26 00:00:00

Inflation has been a persistent challenge for several years, with no apparent end in sight. Recent reports indicate that overall inflation in the country has consistently remained above 9.0 per cent, significantly outpacing the income growth of average citizens.The high...

Mindless honking

Shiabur Rahman | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

Bangladesh is perhaps one of the places in the world where vehicle warning devices like horns and sirens are used most indiscriminately. The overdose of honking on roads and in the surrounding areas takes not only a heavy toll on...

Can the wonder sweetener stevia replace sugar?

Nilratan Halder | 2024-07-26 00:00:00

Perennially deficient in production and dependent on import of sugar, Bangladesh stands hardly any chance of overcoming this problem in the near future. The mismatch between sugarcane cultivation and the obsolete production facilities is best illustrated by the closure of...

Damage internet breakdown did to tech sector

2024-07-26 00:00:00

To have a complete picture of how much damage the five days' (between 18 and July 23) unforeseen internet shutdown has inflicted on the country's business and economy will, perhaps, take months, maybe years, to assess. But if taken into...

Life returning to normal

FE REPORT | 2024-07-25 12:00:00

Offices, banks, trade centres and factories Wednesday resumed functioning on curfew-truncated timings as Bangladesh begins bouncing back from five days of deadlock during quota protests.Firsthand reports said the capital city, in particular, started returning into its usual ambience for the...

Gold prices rise on softer dollar

2024-07-25 00:00:00

NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters): Gold prices rose on Wednesday as the dollar slipped with investors' focus shifting to U.S. economic data due this week for fresh signals on the timing of the central bank's interest rate cuts.Spot gold was...

Thailand unveils billion-dollar scheme to boost economy

2024-07-25 00:00:00

BANGKOK, July 24 (AFP): Thailand's government unveiled a billion-dollar handout scheme on Wednesday that it hopes will boost the flagging economy but warned recipients would not be allowed to spend the money on marijuana, jewellery or lottery tickets.More than 50...

Japan plans record hike in minimum wage

2024-07-25 00:00:00

TOKYO, July 24 (Reuters): A panel at the Japanese labour ministry has decided to raise the national average minimum wage by about 5 per cent to 1,054 yen ($6.85) per hour this fiscal year, the biggest ever jump, public broadcaster...

NRB Bank launches Offshore Banking

2024-07-25 00:00:00

NRB Bank Ltd has opened Offshore Banking Unit (OBU) with the slogan 'Banking Beyond Boundary'. Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman, Chairman of the bank, formally inaugurated the Offshore Banking Unit at the bank's corporate head office in Dhaka recently. Vice Chairmen Golam...

India likely to ease curbs on some Chinese investments

2024-07-25 00:00:00

NEW DELHI, July 24 (Reuters): India is likely to ease restrictions on Chinese investment in non-sensitive sectors like solar panels and battery manufacturing where New Delhi lacks expertise and which hinders domestic manufacturing, two government sources said.The government plans to...

Luxury brands suffer as Chinese shoppers hold back

2024-07-25 00:00:00

BEIJING, July 24 (BBC): China's economic slowdown and a crackdown by Beijing on displays of wealth are taking a toll on some of the world's top luxury brands.LVMH says its sales in Asia, which include China but not Japan, fell...

Reopening of offices and businesses

2024-07-25 00:00:00

With the reopening of offices and businesses, a clothing vendor finds some customers seeking to make purchases. The photo was taken on the New Market premises in the capital on Wednesday. — FE photo