Climate financing: a climate change risk resilience tool

Climate finance as part of green financing is playing a crucial role as a 'climate change risk resilience tool' as we see in green financing to green establishments like green building, affordable green housing, green industry and green appliances.Green building...

Higher-axle vehicles key culprit: Study

Goods-laden vehicles of higher axles carry much higher than allowable weight limit compared to those with lower axles, thereby contributing to damaging expensive road infrastructure 16 times, according to a new study.Such overloading caused an increase in maintenance cost per...

'Jabberer Boli Khela' to be held Apr 25

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 21: 'Jabberer Boli Khela', a historic and century-old traditional popular sports event of local people, will be held at Laldighi Ground in the port city on April 25 (Boishakh 12).This is the 115th event of the wrestling competition...

Ctg expressway to introduce tolls as partial opening nears

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 22: Chattogram's Mohiuddin Chowdhury Elevated Expressway will have a toll system for vehicles, according to officials, as the Chattogram Development Authority plans to open a patch of the country's longest overhead expressway soon.While the partial opening was initially...

Govt revenue misses Q3 target, yearend outlook also down

Government's revenue authority faces an uphill task of collecting Tk 1.50 trillion in the last quarter of the current fiscal to reach even its revised target, as the tax receipt so far shows shortfalls.Revenue officials could find it a tough...

Whither student politics

Politics on the educational campuses, or student politics, in short, has often been glorified in the political history of the country. Especially, in the second half of the last century, the universities of the country turned into the battlegrounds for...

Anomalous public fund allocation for mitigating climate change impact

Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of climate change in the globe. As a deltaic country, it has a lot of cross-border rivers, which work as catalysts to lessen the impact of climate change and natural disasters. However, the...

Zero duty may impact Indian exports to Bangladesh

A report by Indian think-tank CUTS International (Consumer Unity & Trust Society) has warned India about the possible impact of the proposed Bangladesh-Japan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on its trade with Bangladesh.The report -- a quarterly analysis by CUTS Dossier...

What to make of Bank Asia's plan to acquire Bank Alfalah

Bank Asia's proposed acquisition of the Bangladesh chapter of Karachi-based Bank Alfalah seems to be a good deal, considering the financial performance of the latter over the years. Bank Alfalah Bangladesh's net interest income grew 34 per cent year-on-year to...

Fire at Dhaka Shishu Hospital

It was a pandemonium in, of all places, a hospital's intensive care unit (ICU). Parents and attendants rushing out of the room to save the lives of babies under treatment there for heart problems, a few of them recovering after...

Road safety policy needs authentic casualty figures

Not many people nowadays are deeply moved by the heart-rending reports of avoidable road accidents that make families happy and together seconds before devastated in the blink of an eye. The public have accepted it as though it is something...

Demand for training all drivers gets louder

When most driving seats are occupied by millions of unprofessional, untrained drivers risking passengers' lives almost daily, the authorities concerned hardly pay any heed to train them for road safety.However, a small part of a fresh Tk 49.8-billion project involving...

NBR draws up plan for funding govt vision

Government's revenue authority has framed a three-tier time-bound action plan for augmenting revenues to finance the building up of 'smart Bangladesh', as present finances are inadequate even for the current budget support.The National Board of Revenue (NBR) plans to implement...

Corporate bonds: Why investors scorn the vital economic lifeline

Lack of protection against loan defaults is the main reason as to why investors have evinced disinterest in corporate bonds, leading to many debt securities being undersubscribed or unsubscribed. The kind of investment instrument is usually offered to banks, financial...

Architect Marina Tabassum's great feat

In the capital's Fayedabad area in Uttara, there stands a place of worship for Muslims called Baitur Rauf Mosque. This is different in various ways from traditional mosques, and every account of its distinctive features is endearing in their own...

Prospect of rebound in trade still grim

As global trade passed a sluggish year in 2023, a strong rebound is necessary to support world economic growth in the current year. However, the possibility of a strong recovery of global trade seems thin for various reasons, as predicted...

Seven-year project at design stage in 6th year

A small bridge project, planned to be constructed over Pandob-Payra river to connect two chars in the southern district of Patuakhali with Barishal and Dhaka, remains at its design stage for the last six years, and a year before the...

A ramp show with a difference

Here was a ramp show. But it was a catwalk with a difference. No biped was present as a model but cattle, camels, goats, rams, horses, dogs had each a gala session of walking ramp. Like the models in a...

Fishing in Kaptai lake banned

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 19: The government has directed a halt to fishing in the Kaptai Lake, one of the prime sources of water and fish for the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT), for three months from April 25 till July 24. Sources...

Govt considers VAT exemption for recycled fibre industry

The government is considering exempting locally produced recycled fibre and its raw materials from Value-Added Tax (VAT) in a move to protect the industry and eventually reduce dependence on cotton imports, according to sources.To this end, the Bangladesh Trade and...

Higher tax rates for high-income people likely in next budget

Government's revenue authority plans fiscal measures like raising tax rate on higher-income people to contain gaping income inequality in the country, sources said.The highest rate of taxes for taxpayers having an annual income above Tk 1.6 million might be revised...

Default platforms yet to pay clients Tk 1.22 billion

The crisis-ridden e-commerce companies, including Eorange, are yet to refund an estimated amount of Tk 1.22 billion to the affected clients. The volume of clients' stuck-up funds with 27 such online shopping platforms was a staggering Tk 5.25 billion, according...

Saudi co gets all-clear to operate Patenga container terminal

Decks are now all cleared for operation of the Patenga Container Terminal (PTC) with belated declaration bringing its designated import-export area under customs domain.With Wednesday's customs all-clear, officials said, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) would be able to proceed on...

Flexible forex rate regime required : IMF

Bangladesh needs to pursue a more flexible exchange rate regime to help build up forex reserve and cut inflation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday.Krishna Srinivasan, IMF director for Asia and Pacific Department, made the suggestion at a press...

VAT on MRT fares likely from FY25

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) passengers may see nominal VAT (value-added tax) from next fiscal year as the government is going slow to avert any sudden pressure on their fares.The revenue board has found the MRT as a potential new avenue...

Consultant evaluation for Ctg-Cox's Bazar highway upgrade by June

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 18: The evaluation of three shortlisted foreign firms for a consultant on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar Highway Improvement Project is expected to be completed by June this year, according to officials. The consultant will oversee the construction of four...

Middle East conflict unfolds an ominous spectre

Ever since the latest round of surprise Hamas incursion into Israel and killing and taking hostage of civilians in October last, the powder keg Middle East has been itching to burst into a conflagration. With the Israeli retaliation of brutal...

Govt moves to strengthen bond market for economic stability

The government is looking for ways to develop its bond market for economic stability, but the major obstacle is the inability to forecast fund requirements through an approximate estimation of revenue income and expenses. However, it is determined to fix...

Ctg port getting 500 acres of land at token price soon

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 17: As many as 500 acres of khas land is expected to be handed over to the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) at a token price very soon to construct 'Bay Terminal'.Deputy Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman has told...

NBR swings axe on exemptions, eyes Tk 94b VAT hike in FY25

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has projected to collect an additional Tk 94 billion in value-added tax (VAT) in the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25, according to official documents. This increase is expected to come from three main sources: the...