The strengths of Bangladesh's economy

US Secretary of State under President Richard Nixon, Henry Alfred Kissinger, made a disgraceful comment about Bangladesh. The comment came when the country became free from Pakistani occupation. Bangladesh was termed by him a "bottomless basket". In March 1972, P.C...

Smart tech in smart cities and quality of life

The ongoing health crisis has had a devastating impact on governments, economies, and civil societies across the globe. While the struggle against this pandemic continues, public and private sector organisations are deliberating how new technologies can be used to help...

China-Bangladesh bilateral currency cooperation enjoys broad prospects

In recent years, the cross-border use of the Renminbi (RMB) has sustained rapid growth, and has maintained robust growth this year even despite the impact of the Covid-19 that hasseverely hit global trade, finance and economy. Overtaking the US, China...

Adapting creative approaches to protect workers from hazards

The deplorable working conditions in many employment sectors of Bangladesh economy especially in its small and medium enterprises and informal sectors necessitate adapting creative approaches to outreach workers in these workplaces to convey occupational safety and health (OSH) messages. Vast...

Bangladesh lagging behind in wages

'Cheap labour' is one of the catchwords coined by Bangladeshi authorities for attracting investments in the country. However, it is ironic that although the Bangladeshi workers produce comparatively more outputs by utilising lesser inputs, they get the least wage in...

Fundraising thru rights plunges to five-year low

Fundraising by the listed companies by way of rights issues fell sharply in the outgoing calendar year, hitting a five-year low.Only one listed firm -- Pragati Life Insurance -- netted about Tk 230.27 million by issuing more than 15.35 million...

America's Presidents, after the White House years

Presidents of the United States have generally had a rebirth once they have left the White House. Despite all the criticism they may have encountered in office over policy issues, out of power they have been accorded a degree of...

A brief chronicle of freedom

The indefinite postponement of the session of the Pakistan National Assembly marked the beginning of the Liberation War. The announcement was made at mid-day on March 1,1971. The official explanation was political parties needed more time to come to an...

Shetu Bhaban: A demolition candidate?

In a landmark judgment, delivered on April 03, 2011, the High Court ordered the demolition of the 15-storey building owned by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at Hatirjheel. After a long-drawn legal process, the demolition work started...

Need for visionary varsity administration

That universities in the country rank poorly even in the Asian context does not go well with the people. But how the administration of the highest seats of learning reacts to this is perhaps more important than how the ordinary...

Forex reserve hits record $42.09b

Foreign exchange (forex) reserve crossed $42-billion mark for the first time in the history of Bangladesh on Tuesday.Officials ascribed this record reserve to lower import payment obligations and higher growth of inward remittance.Forex reserve rose to $42.09 billion on the...

Victory Day pledges to meet

Today the nation is celebrating its 50th Victory Day, the day it vanquished the enemies of its independence and freedom. The moment of victory after waging a tortuous war of liberation against the enemy is indeed an occasion of great...

Innovative fintech startup: A way to building digital Bangladesh

Everyday life nowadays could be stagnant without technology which is necessary at every step of living. During the ongoing pandemic, the demand for financial technology is increasing as it is bringing a variety of products and benefits to people.However, the...

Estimating the economic impacts of Padma Bridge

Construction of Padma Bridge is expected to generate welfare for the people of Bangladesh in general and the people of Southwest in particular. The benefits are expected to arise from the greater integration of regional markets within the Bangladeshi national...

Body formed to work on new toll policy for Padma Bridge

Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) has formed a committee to work on a new toll policy for the much-hyped Padma Bridge as the 6.15-km bridge has become visible with completion of span installation last week.Officials said the BBA formed the committee...

Bangladesh: A strong champion of women, peace and security issues

Bangladesh is a strong advocate for the promotion of women, peace, and security agenda. The sexual violence that was inflicted on 200,000 of our women during our war of liberation in 1971 and the traumatic experience that our women had...

Being part of knowledge economy

Knowledge as a concept can be defined in various ways. According to Albert Einstein knowledge is action. And it is pure information if not put into action. So, a person doing something would imply that the information that the person...

Businesses' push prompts NBR to remove guideline

The revenue board has scrapped the order of obtaining VAT rebate in case of purchasing raw materials on credit after it found the enforcement complex.Both businesses and field-level tax officials were facing problems in following the procedures for either obtaining...

Liquidity glut in banks

The advance-deposit ratio (ADR) of the country's banking sector dropped in September 2020 as stimulus money and remittances swelled deposits as against slower credit growth, bankers say.The ADR - a ratio between deposits and credit at any point of time-of...

Milestone achieved but still some way to go

With the setting up of the last span on the pillars 12 and 13 of the Padma Bridge, the most challenging part of the job has been accomplished. The infrastructure has now connected the capital with the entire south and...

An unusual cause of poverty

Several factors are found responsible for an individual or a household becoming poor. Joblessness or lack of assets, immovable or otherwise, remains at the top of the list. That high health expenditure could also be a leading reason behind the...

Target to open Padma Bridge to traffic by March 2022

Opening of Padma Bridge to traffic is possible by early March 2022 marking the historic March 7, a memorable day in the history of Bangalees, project insiders said.However, the authority is likely to miss the deadline for opening the bridge...

EU leaders must hold the green line

Historians will no doubt look back on 2020 as a turning point for the European Union. But which of two competing headlines will capture this critical moment?On one hand, the year could be defined by struggle and disintegration: the United...

Covid-19 vaccines: How the other half might die

The report is stark. It is concerning. After a year of living through dangerous times, the danger being the overwhelming presence of the coronavirus pandemic in our lives, with all its ramifications, we now have the good news of a...

Temperature controlled supply chain and corona vaccine distribution challenge

As mass immunisation programme emerges as the next challenge for nations after development of coronavirus vaccine, the question remains how well Bangladesh is prepared to carry out this task. It first needs to secure vaccine doses and then distribute them...

IDRA guidelines next year

The country's insurance regulator will come up with its guidelines next year, paving the way for expanding the insurance market through banking channels, according to industry insiders.Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) has already drafted a set of guidelines for...

Dhaka, Ctg VAT evasion too high

A tax intelligence team has found that the vast majority of the businesses in Dhaka and Chattogram non-compliant in the matters of VAT (value added tax) payment. According to a survey conducted by the team, 85.24 per cent of businesses...

Two sets of MRT-06 trains due in a month or two

Dhaka metro rail company is expected to bring in the first two sets of metro trains from Japan in a month or two, out of the five sets now ready for shipment.Although five out of 24 train sets for mass...

Stocks stay afloat amid rising confidence

Stocks extended the winning streak with core index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) hitting nearly three months high riding on regulatory moves and gradual improvement of economic activities.Week-on-week, DSEX, the core index of the DSE, went up by 119.82...

Mainstreaming tourism on dev trajectory

In the eyes of global media, Bangladesh is now moving fast on the development highway. The development trajectory of Bangladesh is on the right way and very much inclusive. Tourism development is an important issue of this development trajectory of...