Macroeconomic policy stance for FY21 budget

The national budget for fiscal year 2020-21 (FY21) is going to be formulated at a time when the Bangladesh economy, as other economies around the world, is suffering from the fallouts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Since March 8,...

Charting a course for economic renewal

The Government of Bangladesh has allowed partial opening of the economy with effect from early May, while the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading faster than has been the case hitherto. Broadly, the issues relate to human lives and health on one...

Ctg markets remain closed till May 31

CHATTOGRAM, May 09: Despite the government's permission to open the shops from May 10 next, the merchant associations in Chattogram have decided not to open markets from the day due to fear of virus outbreak. As per decision of the...

Bangladesh-India freight train service resumes

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has started freight train service to bring in essential goods from India amid a slowdown in road-based transportation due to the coronavirus pandemic.Railway officials said the first train carrying 1,000 tonnes of onion left Gede at 04:25pm...

Covid-2019: Applicability of Force Majeure clause in Bangladesh

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said that Covid-2019 would compel stakeholders to revisit the concept of supply chain.It is estimated that the lockdown/shutdown/restrictions will directly affect various sectors amounting to up to one third of GDP...

Facilitating strategic medical equipment production

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic progresses, growing demands are causing shortages of testing kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), and ventilators in many affected countries. Even the most developed countries like the USA and UK are facing shortages in many...

Eight banks declare total Tk 9.11b cash dividends

Eight listed banks declared aggregate cash dividends amounting to Tk 9.11 billion for the year ending on December 31, 2019 amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Of the 30 banks, listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange, eight banks declared dividends so...

Procure key essentials from int'l market for next one yr

The government has issued an order recently, asking the country's importers to buy key essential commodities in advance for the next one year from the international market under "forward purchase" contract, officials said.The forward purchase contract is a way of...

Steps taken to raise DAP fertiliser production

The government has taken measures to increase DAP fertiliser production for boosting agriculture production aiming to help avoid possible food shortages due to coronavirus pandemic.Under the move, the ministry of industries (MoI) has asked DAP Fertilizer Company Ltd in Chattogram...

Retail investors, houses in a fix amid long closure

Many retail investors have long been passing a troublesome period, as they are unable to sell securities to meet their urgent needs due to the capital market's closure, prolonged by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Talking to the FE, top officials...

Is Bangladesh returning to normalcy too early?

It is now evident that the spread of coronavirus is better contained in Bangladesh than in many countries. As of April 28, 2020, a total 6462 people have tested coronavirus positive while 155 patients died. Although average 400-500 people are...

The carbon-tax opportunity

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought economic and social activity around the world to a near standstill. As a result, carbon dioxide emissions have declined sharply, and the skies above some large cities are clean and clear for the first time...

An exceptional memoir with rich literary flavour

Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury Bir Bikram was one of the key organisers of the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh Government-in-Exile at Boidyanathtala (later renamed Mujibnagar) under the then Meherpur sub-division on April 17, 1971. Granted the rank of a Captain, he was...

NBR orders probing VAT-evading firms

National tax collector has ordered the field-level VAT offices to investigate businesses that avoided the payment of consumption levy and submission of returns, despite being operational during the lockdown.The value added tax wing of the National Board of Revenue, or...

Banks, NBFIs invited to sign agreements

The central bank has invited applications from interested banks by May 14 to sign participatory agreements (PAs) on receiving refinancing facility under the large industries and services sector.All the scheduled banks have already been asked to send their applications through...

Ctg trade body leaders not in mood to reopen markets amid COVID-19 spread

CHATTOGRAM, May 07: Despite enormous economic loss suffered by shopkeepers and small traders of greater Chattogram triggered by the 40-day-long general holidays due to coronavirus outbreak, many merchant bodies here have delayed taking a decisive move to reopen markets and...

Bangladesh progress report on SDGs

The first Bangladesh progress report on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation was prepared in 2018 following a rigorous methodological framework. This involved a thorough understanding of the 7FYP and other documents related to SDGs prepared by the GED including Monitoring...

Deficit financing in this critical time needs relaxation

As the announcement of the national budget is approaching, a number of suggestions and demands are already on the table. Unlike the previous years, the setting for the upcoming budget is totally different. The spread of coronavirus across the world...

Policy that fattens up rice millers

That the government's rice procurement programme is benefitting the millers far more than the peasantry has been a recurrent allegation for many years now. The government, however, has preferred not to react to such a claim in public. A recent...

Risks of opening up shopping malls

Making a choice between life and livelihoods, particularly when it concerns millions of people, is very difficult now. Governments the world over are under pressure to ease the prolonged lockdown in big cities. Actually the trend gets currency with President...

Pharmacos remain unfazed despite the onslaught of Covid-19

Listed pharmaceuticals companies are expecting a growth in their earnings for January-March (Q3) as their productions, distributions and sales have almost remained 'unaffected'amidCOVID-19 pandemic.Pharmaceuticals companies are busy to meetthe demand of life saving products while other sectors have been facing...

Govt urged to take steps to reopen shops, small businesses

CHATTOGRAM, May 06: Businesses in Chattogram region, including small traders and shop owners who are passing a hard time due to lockdown caused by coronavirus outbreak, have urged the government to allow them reopen their establishments during the Ramadan.They have...

The day after tomorrow

When (and how) to end the COVID-19 lockdown has become the leading political question in every afflicted country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone so far as to describe the increasingly intense debate as a collection of "discussion orgies."At the...

World trade: What remains in store

Covid-19, caused by the deadly novel coronavirus, has been wreaking havoc across the world for the past few months. In addition to causing an unprecedented health emergency, it has stirred up an economic crisis almost equivalent to that of the...

Leave no one behind– Challenging task

A major challenge for Bangladesh is to mobilise and ensure effective use of the resources needed for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under the SDGs financing strategy, Bangladesh has estimated the amount of resources that will be required, financing...

Economic ramifications of Covid-19 in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is being forced to endure lockdowns to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. These lockdowns are having a crippling effect on workers and businesses across the country. The economy has almost come to a standstill and debilitating effects are being observed...

Govt favours forward contract for import of key essentials

The government is set to encourage 'forward contract' mechanism for import of key essential goods to avert any possible supply crisis in near future, officials said. A forward contract is anagreement that obligates the holder to buy or sell an...

Bank borrowing target raised

The government has increased its bank borrowing target by more than 54 per cent to nearly Tk 730 billion to partly finance the budget deficit of the current fiscal year, officials said.The government's net bank borrowing target has been revised...

Earnings of three-fourths of listed textile cos slump

Earnings of three-fourth listed textile sector companies fell in the first half (H1) of the current fiscal year as exports endured declining trend while the financial expenses increased.There are 56 textile and garment companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange,...

Four years of SDGs and Bangladesh

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) constitute a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a sustainable world. For the goals to be reached, everyone needs to do their part--the government, the private sector and civil society in every...