Can the Asia-Pacific region deliver clean, affordable energy by 2030?

The future of the global energy landscape will be shaped by Asia and the Pacific. Over the past two decades, our region has been the principal driver of global energy demand and emissions. Energy has powered prosperity, lifted millions out...

All those deaths, all that mystery

There are all the mysteries remaining unsolved. There are the questions which have not had answers. Perhaps we will never arrive at circumstances where our enquiries will be looked into, to our satisfaction. In a world where some of the...

DTCA-DMTCL dispute over metro rail authority persists

The conflict between two offices under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges over the authority of the metro rail company has not ended yet. Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) has blamed Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) for bypassing...

BGMEA opposes providing REX facility to BGBA

The country's apparel makers have urged the government not to provide the existing Registered Exporter (REX) facility to Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association (BGBA) as such buying houses are not directly involved in production and exporting activities, sources said.According to...

More than a dozen major projects overspend lifespan, needing cure

Thirteen large development projects with an aggregate cost of Tk 924.76 billion have spent over five years against their approved lifespans, warranting a government review soon for remedies. Official statistics show only one-third financial progress has been made in the...

Ctg port to have 4 terminal projects under PPP model

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 27: The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is set to implement, upgrade, and operate four major terminal projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, officials say, aiming to elevate the port to international standards and enhance its capacity for...

SDC2025: a global convergence for sustainable future

The 11th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC2025), held in the vibrant city of Bangkok from July 15 to 17, stood as a testament to the unwavering global dedication toward creating a sustainable, equitable, and resilient future. Over these three days, an...

The reform conundrum

The rubric reform is not new to Bangladesh. In the past, whenever an unelected government took office, reform of various sorts gained currency. Whether this was a ploy to divert public attention from illegal use of power or a genuine...

Reimagining Asia's future

In an era of shifting global power, climate urgency, and rapid technological disruption, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) remains a central force in shaping Asia’s development trajectory. A timely new book, The Elgar Companion to the Asian Development Bank (Edward...

Providing incentives to garbage pickers

World Bank (WB) estimates say, some 646 tons of plastic waste are collected in a day in Dhaka. This amount of waste plastic is only about 10 per cent of the total waste generated in the country. However, there are...

Ctg city to get new bus terminal by Feb

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 24: After more than three decades, Chattogram city will get a new bus terminal at Kulgaon in Hathazari, with the city corporation planning to finish it by January 2026 and start operations in February.The last time the port...

BPDB seeks 'clear directive' from Power Division

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has sought a "clear directive" from the Power Division to decide on the fate of 34 solar power plants, officials said.The BPDB in a recent letter sought the directive after its board of directors...

Five reform projects not taken up for execution in 2 months

The Planning Division will sit with the relevant state agencies today (Monday) to brainstorm as to why implementation of five projects aiming to reform key government agencies could not be begun even nearly two months after getting approval. The projects...

Financial Inclusion: driving inclusive growth

Bangladesh’s journey toward financial inclusion has become a hallmark of development-driven central banking in South Asia. The first part of the article (published on August 23) outlines the progress: developing the inclusive regulatory frameworks, promoting digital financial innovations, and aligning...

Decentralisation and standardisation of school education

When all roads lead to one destination, the consequent rush is unavoidable. In Dhaka, usually the commercial or administrative hubs are located at a stone's throw distance. Then the stadiums too are destinations of sport-enthusiastic fans, particularly on mega sports...

Food price, inflation defy reason

Inflation rate in Bangladesh, which was 8.55 per cent in July, marked a 0.07 percentage point increase from that of June. However, the government in its budget for FY2025-26 expressed the hope that the inflation rate could be brought down...

A quick review of FY25 import scenario

After a sharp decline in the two consecutive years, the import of goods in the country registered a modest growth last fiscal year (FY25). Though to all appearances it looks positive, a deeper look into the overall import trend would...

Ukraine urges BD not to receive grains 'stolen' by Russia

The wartorn Ukraine's embroiled authorities have requested Bangladesh to take urgent measures to avert unloading 'looted' grains and importing goods originating from their Russian-occupied territories, sources said. In line with a letter from Kyiv, the Ukrainian embassy in India's New...

Govt launches centralised digital platform for project approvals

The Planning Division under the Ministry of Planning has launched a centralised digital platform to streamline the public investment cycle, from preparing Development Project Proposals (DPPs) to appraisal and final approval.The Project Processing, Appraisal and Management System (PPS) is designed...

Meeting on proposed tariff hike at Ctg port tomorrow

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 23: Shipping ministry has convened a high-level meeting tomorrow to review Chattogram port's proposed new tariff structure with stakeholders, port users and officials amid differences between the port authority and users over the plan to increase charges.Shipping Adviser...

Are we leaving our gig workers behind?

Every day, we see them—the ride-sharing driver, whose friendly greetings begin our journey across town. The young food delivery person in a brightly coloured jacket with a delivery bag weaves through the monsoon-drenched streets to serve our food. The freelancer's...

FCTC Article 5.3: A mandate for transparency or silence?

In the evolving landscape of tobacco control act amendment, Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has emerged as both a cornerstone and a point of contention. While its intent is clear-to protect public health policies...

Time to reform microcredit

The impact of microcredit on small borrowers can be good, bad or, in some cases ugly with tragic consequences. But one thing is clear that microcredit has not sent poverty to the museum; rather, it has ensnared a majority of...

RMG makers seek increase in incentive rates

Country's apparel makers have sought increase in the rates of incentive to help the largest export-earning sector sustain its growth pace.They have demanded that the government raises the rate of special incentive to 1.0 per cent from the existing level...

Offloading shares of profitable SoEs, 10 MNCs ordered

A latest binding instruction comes for ministries concerned to act promptly for offloading shares of profitable state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and some multinational companies bearing government stakes for breathing life into limping bourses, sources said.For years, there has been no visible...

Development works slow as only 75 projects cleared last fiscal

Development works suffered badly as only 75 new projects involving Tk 984.98 billion were endorsed in the past fiscal year--the lowest in two decades in terms of both their number and expenditure.Official statistics show the Executive Committee of the National...

Ctg port expands container storage capacity by 10pc

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 22: Chittagong port, the prime sea port of the country, expanded its container storage capacity by nearly 10 per cent recently as a measure to address severe congestion.Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Md Omar Faruk said, "CPA is...

Land scarcity, wetland loss, and pollution in Bangladesh's urban expansion

Bangladesh has witnessed a remarkable transformation over the past seventy years. Once primarily rural, the nation is rapidly urbanising. Bangladesh's urban population has surged from less than 5 million in 1950 to nearly 60 million today, according to the United...

Financial inclusion landscape in Bangladesh

Financial inclusion has emerged as a cornerstone of development policy, not only as a means of economic empowerment but also as a pathway toward social equity and sustainable growth. In developing economies, expanding access to formal financial services is increasingly...

Social protection: not an option but a necessity

Asia and the Pacific is navigating multiple disruptions, both positive and negative. Economic restructuring, green transitions, intensifying climate change, demographic shifts and digital transformations are posing a critical question: how do we ensure that large numbers of people are not...