Prayer Timings_2026-07-20

Vested group upsets PM's austerity move: TIB

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) questions what "powerful forces" influenced the government to retain a monthly vehicle-maintenance allowance of Tk 50,000 for a select group of government officials, despite 'the prime minister's clear directive to halve the sum'.In a statement issued...

Dollar hits Tk 123.60 amid higher imports, low remittances

The local currency, BDT, continued to weaken against the US dollar over the past month amid stronger import payment pressure and softer remittance inflows.According to the Bangladesh Bank (BB) data, the weighted average interbank exchange rate again rose to Tk...

ICT probe body files draft report against Hasina, others over Shapla Chattar crackdown

The investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has filed its draft probe report in a case over the May 5, 2013, crackdown on a Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh rally at the capital's Shapla Chattar, accusing ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina...

Overall annual imports almost static

Bangladesh's overall imports remained almost unchanged at US$70.41 billion in the just-concluded fiscal year (FY) 2025-26, as businesses adopted a cautious stance amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.The actual import in terms of settlement of letters of credit (LCs) edged up by...

Long-awaited $335m Chinese loan deal likely soon

Deal on a long-awaited $335-million Chinese loan for construction of two jetties to upgrade Mongla seaport is likely to be signed within this month, officials say. A framework agreement was signed during the Prime Minister's China visit last month to...

Dhaka prepares 5yr trade capacity plan

A new five-year action plan is being framed to strengthen Bangladesh's trade capacity, improve the investment climate and enhance global competitiveness as the country prepares for graduating out of the world's poor-country club.Exit from the least-developed country (LDC) category is...

Capital inadequacy earns restrictions on operations

Capital inadequacy has earned Janata Bank's UAE outfit regulatory restrictions on its operations in the gulf state, setting off its headquarters' urge for government bailout, sources say. They have said the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has...

NEWS IN BRIEF_2026-07-20

Controversial influencer Tate brothers arrested over UK sex crime warrantMIAMI, July 19: Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Miami, Florida, on Sunday on a sealed warrant, the United States Marshals Service said, and the United Kingdom government...

Ontario's Ford slams Trump for attack on Canada over wildfire

ONTARIO, July 19 (Reuters): Ontario Premier Doug Ford said US criticism of Canadian efforts to stop the "terrible scenario" of spreading forest fires in his province and choking smoke across a broad swath of the United States was "absolutely unacceptable.""We're...

Nigerian children pay the price for Iran war

SOKOTO (Nigeria), July 19 (AP): Maryam Aminu was hardly surprised when the last of her six children was diagnosed with malnutrition in April for a second time. She was barely feeding the 18-month-old regularly, let alone with nutritious foods.Although the...

Russia pounds Kyiv in major ballistic missile attack

KYIV, July 19 (Reuters): Russia battered Ukraine's capital Kyiv overnight with one of its biggest ballistic missile barrages of the war, killing at least one person and wounding 16 others, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday.A series of powerful explosions...

Israel kills 11, including children, in its strikes across Gaza

GAZA CITY, July 19 (AFP): Gaza's civil defence and hospitals said Israeli attacks on Saturday killed 11 people across the territory, among them three children and their parents.A ceasefire remains in place between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, but...

Shein secures nod for Hong Kong IPO

HONG KONG, July 19 (Reuters): Shein has won approval from the Hong Kong stock exchange listing committee for an IPO, three people with knowledge of the matter said on Friday, bringing the fast-fashion retailer closer to its much-awaited stock market...

AGRANI BANK TRAINING ON CREDIT OPERATIONS

Agrani Bank Training Institute (ABTI) has launched a 10-day training workshop on 'Credit Operations and Credit Management'. Agrani Bank Managing Director Md Anwarul Islam inaugurated the event as the chief guest on Sunday. General Manager (Administration) Md Jalal Uddin was...

SADHARAN BIMA CORPORATION STAFF GREETS NEW CHAIRMAN

The newly appointed Chairman of Sadharan Bima Corporation, M Nasim Ali, was accorded a reception and presented with a bouquet by the corporation's officers and employees on Sunday. Managing Director Md Harun-or-Rashid (Additional Secretary), along with other senior officials, extended...

MIDLAND BANK HOLDS HALF-YEARLY STRATEGIC CONFERENCE

Midland Bank PLC (MDB) organised its Half-Yearly Strategic Conference 2026 on Saturday at Fortis Downtown Resort in Dhaka. The conference brought together the bank's Senior Management Team (SMT), Heads of Divisions, Unit Heads, Area Heads, Cluster Heads, Heads of Branches...

IFIC BANK AND UNITED HEALTHCARE SIGN MOU

IFIC Bank PLC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with United Healthcare Services Limited to ensure enhanced healthcare facilities for the bank's customers and employees. Helal Ahmed, Chief of Branch Business & Head of Operations of IFIC Bank, and...

UNILEVER RECOGNISED AS 'MOST SUSTAINABLE COMPANY OF THE YEAR'

Unilever Bangladesh Limited has been recognised as 'Most Sustainable Company of the Year' at the SDG Brand Champion Awards 2026, in addition to being named 'Most Sustainable FMCG Company of the Year'. The company has also won SDG Brand Champion...

SCB signs MoU with Chinese company on healthcare services

The Shippers' Council of Bangladesh (SCB) on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China's Boyue Kangcheng (Beijing) Culture & Tourism Co. Ltd. to facilitate cross-border healthcare services for its members and officials.The MoU, titled "China-Bangladesh Cross-Border Healthcare Services...

India's SBI Funds Management draws $31b in country's fourth-most-bid IPO

India's SBI Funds Management drew bids worth 3 trillion Indian rupees ($31.14 billion), making the asset manager's $1.03 billion initial public offering (IPO) the country's fourth-most-subscribed issue, reports Reuters.The subscription numbers include $278.5 million raised from anchor investors, including BlackRock...

DSEX slips below 5,900 as investors book profits

The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) slipped below the 5,900-point mark on Sunday, as investors booked profits in recently rallied stocks while assessing the potential impact of proposed changes to the country's margin financing rules.Market analysts say...

BSEC proposes sweeping margin loan reforms to tighten market discipline

The securities regulator has proposed a sweeping overhaul of margin financing framework, introducing stricter leverage limits, stronger risk management requirements and enhanced investor protection while allowing market intermediaries to expand their lending capacity under tighter regulatory oversight.The Bangladesh Securities and...

GUARDIAN NAMED MOST SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN INSURANCE

Guardian Life Insurance Limited has been named the 'Most Sustainable Financial Institution of the Year - Insurance' at the SDG Brand Champion Awards 2026 for the impact of Guardian BRAC Bima-an inclusive insurance initiative designed to ensure that the loss...

Biman plans to lease 10 aircraft by 2027: Millat

Biman Bangladesh Airlines plans to lease up to 10 aircraft by 2027 to expand its international network and bridge a capacity gap before 14 newly ordered Boeing aircraft begin arriving from 2031, reports BSS."We plan to lease up to 10...

More taxes on transport sector will raise cost of doing business: CCCI

CHATTOGRAM, July 19: The imposition of additional taxes on trucks and covered vans in the current fiscal year will increase the costs for businesspeople and directly impact commodity prices, said President of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI)...

bKash supports CSE carnival at SUST

To foster future tech talents and encourage innovation, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), in collaboration with bKash, organised a two-day CSE Carnival 2026 recently. The carnival featured an inter-university programming...

BUFT National Apparel Festival held

The 1st BUFT National Apparel Festival 2026, organised by the BUFT Apparel Club (BAC), concluded at the BUFT Campus on Sunday after two days of competitions, exhibitions, seminars, and cultural programs.The festival brought together over 2,000 undergraduate students from textile,...

BTRC public hearing on telecom services next month

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will hold a public hearing next month, allowing consumers and industry stakeholders to raise complaints, questions and suggestions directly with the regulator and telecom operators.The hearing will begin both online and in person at...

Cashless ecosystem foundation of financial inclusion

Dr. Md. Touhidul Alam Khan, Managing Director & CEO of NRBC Bank PLC, has said that building a cashless ecosystem in Bangladesh is not merely about technological advancement; it represents a fundamental transformation towards greater financial inclusion, good governance, transparency,...