90pc online train tickets sold

Five hundred people on average hunted for train tickets against each seat as tickets went on 100-per cent online sales for Eid special trains for the first time.The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has so far been able to sell 90 per...

Documenting Bangabandhu’s visionary approach in governance

Bangladesh’s enviable position in the world today is due in large part to the political philosophy that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman exemplified during his three-and-a-half-year tenure. It was not an easy task to take the mantle...

Regional character of Boishakhi celebration

Coinciding with the advent of Bangla New Year, the Boishakhi festival has been a popular and time-tested tradition that demonstrates the rich folk-culture of Bangladesh and South Asia. As is well-known, three types of calendars are generally followed in Bangladesh:...

CEPA may pose risks for domestic industry, jobs

Signing the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India may pose risks for Bangladesh’s domestic industry, revenue and jobs, forecasts a state-sponsored research and training institute.Bangladesh annually imports goods worth nearly $15 billion from its big next-door neighbour wherefrom...

FBCCI to push for removal of source tax on agro-based essentials

The country’s apex chamber is likely to urge the government to keep all agro-based essential commodities out of the purview of source tax - in a bid to ease price burden on consumers.In its budget proposals for the fiscal year...

American values, Trump and the Kennedys

American politics, though not America, is in crisis. With former President Donald Trump indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy --- and do not forget that in his days in the White House he went through two impeachments --- the course...

BD requests AIIB, JICA, Korea to disburse $820m

Bangladesh has requested disbursement of US$ 820 million fund from the development financiers and Korean government, apart from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan, officials said.The fund would be used for attaining inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic fallout, continued...

Income tax ceiling may rise

The government is going to raise the tax-free-income ceiling for individuals in the forthcoming budget for inflation relief amid higher cost of living, besides few other fiscal revisions including amnesty on ‘black money’.Sources concerned said the ceiling might be increased...

The booming export market for mangoes

Mango is an important fruit in Bangladesh due to its economic, nutritional, cultural, and social significance. It provides livelihood opportunities for millions of people and contributes significantly to the country's economy.The fruit is deeply rooted in the cultures of our...

BSC goes for big shipping business worldwide

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has opted for big seaborne cargo-transportation business worldwide but partnering a new private company to make it happen raises scepticism, sources said.They say the state corporation that struggles to run its own small fleet through self-arrangement...

Customs now fixes assessment values of dates at import stage

The customs authority has fixed the assessment values of fresh dates at import stage after it has found that the businesses concerned are showing nominal import costs while making windfall profits by fixing exorbitant prices at consumer level.Officials said the...

Bangabazar traders rising from ashes

It is in trying times when humankind exhibits its best as well as basest instincts. The conflagration that destroyed the Bangabazar market six days back, turned thousands of small and medium-scale traders, mostly dealing in clothes, into paupers overnight. As...

Why did I study Economics?

Ever since I received my Ph.D.in economics in 1985, I was often asked by my students and participants in economics conferences as to why did I choose to be an economist - especially after already having degrees in two of...

Passengers' woe continues for train tickets

Many passengers expressed their agony and dissatisfaction as they faced several problems while doing registration and payment for the online train tickets.Chaotic situation continues in issuing online train tickets ahead of Eid ul Fitr due to a lack of coordination...

BR blocking illegal level crossings to avoid accident

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 09: Bangladesh Railway (BR) Eastern Zone is going to halt traffic at the illegal level crossings. It has already stopped the vehicular movements at 37 level crossings by setting up iron poles on both sides of the railway...

It's a famine of human disposition

Are we languishing in a famine of disposition? This is how theatre personality Mamunur Rashid thinks. He made the comment like this: 'We have fallen in a trap of' what he termed in Bangla 'ruchir durvikhha'. He elaborated, 'from this...

Supporting economy's informal sector

When the informal sector of the economy employs 72 per cent of the workforce, according to a World Bank (WB) report, it is not hard to understand why the benefits of growth do not trickle down to the masses. The...

BTTC recommends 10pc cash incentive

A government body has recommended providing 10 per cent cash incentive on the export of home and kitchen appliances (non-electric) with an eye to enhancing the export growth and competitiveness of the sector.Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC), which works...

Trial train run likely in Nov

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 08: The trial train run on the Chattogram-Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Gumdhum (CDCG) route is expected in November next. Sources said construction of the route was continuing in full swing. The authority is trying to complete the project before the extended...

BD to make e-seal, lock mandatory for transit goods from India

Bangladesh is set to make use of the electronic seal and lock mandatory for the transit and transhipment of goods from India in a bid to ensure full-proof security during movement between the countries.Under the agreement for the use of...

Sluggish global trade and Bangladesh

Global trade posted another year of growth, in the process of a rebound, despite war and inflation coming in the way. Overall trade reached a record US$32 trillion in last year against $27.6 trillion in 2021. The trade in goods...

Axe falling on digital betting anywhere

Anyone engaged in gaming on stakes, no matter in or outside the country, will be charged under a new anti-gambling law Bangladesh is making to stem a tide of such digital betting. Officials said ‘The Gambling Act 2023’ would replace...

Eid shopping gains momentum in Ctg

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 07: As Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, city dwellers in Chattogram are flocking to various shopping centres to purchase their preferred attire.The festival is the biggest celebration for the Muslim community, and many shoppers have received their salaries at the beginning...

Supply chain in Ramadan

As I write this, 15 days of the holy month of Ramadan have already passed. Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection and self-discipline for Muslims around the world, but it can also have a significant impact on supply chain...

A sad tale of rivers in this small country

Rivers are lifelines of a country. Bangladesh could not be the land it is if its major three rivers the Padma ---main distributary of the Ganges, Jamuna ---main distributary of Brahmaputra, and Meghna along with the numerous small rivers did...

The need for international universities in Bangladesh

The need arises mainly for three reasons. One is economical, second is economical, and the third is obviously economical as well. After the Covid-19 and Ukraine war, and the meltdown of the desired supply chain, and price rise due to...

Ctg elevated expressway set to partially open by Dec

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 06: The Chattogram Elevated Expressway, the city's first-ever elevated expressway, is set to be completed by next year, with a portion of the roadway scheduled to open to traffic by December of this year in conjunction with the...

Jute sector surges 59pc in a year, unscathed by weak financial data

Jute stocks' extraordinary performance on the Dhaka Stock Exchange last week could not go unnoticed. At a time when the index remained mostly flat, the jute sector soared 10 per cent in terms of market value to Tk 3.42 billion...

Healthcare in Bangladesh, motorised, industrialised and urbanised

Despite all the progress made by Bangladesh over the last few decades in achieving several of the key health indicators, new disease patterns associated with changed socio-economic trends and demographic shifts are creating new challenges. Epidemiological transition -- the changing...

Making broiler meat safe for human consumption

Broiler chicken has been making screaming headlines for sometime now. First, it was the record price hike of the cheapest source of animal protein and then because of the drastic cut in prices following a meeting between the Consumer Protection...