Govt rejects commerce ministry's plea

The government has turned down the commerce ministry's plea to provide electricity for the tea industry at subsidised prices."There is no scope for supplying electricity for tea production, as enjoyed by the agriculture crop sector," the Power Division under the...

Growth in corporate VAT in FY’25 halves

Consumption tax-collection growth declined to 4.47 per cent last fiscal year, impacting national revenue, mainly as sluggish business environment hit large businesses hard, sources said. A senior revenue official also cited graft in VAT collection as another reason, suggesting procedural...

Oil transportation from Ctg to Dhaka via pipeline begins tomorrow

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 14: The first-ever fuel oil transportation from Chattogram to Dhaka through a newly constructed oil pipeline is set to begin tomorrow (Saturday). The construction of the country's first oil transportation pipeline has been completed, costing Tk 36 billion....

CAAB to launch int'l flights Oct 2

Despite having insufficient preparations, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has set the 2nd day of next month as a fresh deadline for commencement of international flights at Cox's Bazar Airport.The CAAB issued an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) on...

BTRC plans for massive telecom law overhaul

The telecom regulator has unveiled plans for one of the most far-reaching legal shake-ups in the sector in over a decade, aiming to bring the country's communications framework in line with rapid digital transformation and rising security demands.In a recent...

Ctg port sees revenue rise in FY25

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 13: Chattogram port reported significant growth in its revenue income and the income surplus also increased in the fiscal year (FY) 2024-25, reflecting strong operational performance despite concerns of disruption following last year's July uprising. The port handled...

What to do with the loss-making SoEs?

In the face of mounting debt of the state-owned enterprises (SoEs), the government has recently launched an online platform known as the SABRE+ system. Developed by the Finance Division, SABRE+ stands for State-owned Enterprises and Autonomous Bodies Budget, Reporting, and...

A brief history of summits in our time

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will be meeting in Alaska on Friday in what has been billed as a summit. And the summit will focus on the war between Ukraine and Russia that has been raging for more than three...

Modern film city planned in Gazipur

The Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) is set to build a state-of-the-art film city in Gazipur to rejuvenate the country's struggling film industry.The government plans to allocate around Tk 5.07 billion from the national exchequer for the project, which will...

Digital supply chain finance

The industrial MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise) is not just a noteworthy economic organ of Bangladesh, but a vital one. They are the key role players of employment generation for populous economies, like Bangladesh and perform as the backbone...

Approval of new routes from Dhaka to southern dists soon

Congestion on the Jatrabari-Gulistan Flyover, one of the entry points to the capital, is likely to worsen, as approval process of new routes from Dhaka to the country's southern districts through the Padma Bridge will start soon.At present, over 400...

A society losing its ethical moorings

Two persons were beaten to death by villagers in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur on the night of Saturday (August 9).The reason for their fatal end, as reported, was that the victims lost their way and entered the Burirhatbottola area under...

Bangladesh telecom sector: the case of state-owned Teletalk

Mobile telecommunication in Bangladesh is rapidly transforming from primarily a voice and SMS service to a mobile data-dominated market. Exponential growth in mobile internet adoption is driving significant market expansion. With changing technological capabilities and shifting consumer preferences, the mobile...

A turning point for Bangladesh

This is where economic diplomacy comes knocking on the door of the strongman; the recent initiative by the United States (US) to lower tariffs on key Bangladeshi exports is a ringing endorsement of the magic that is possible with good...

Donald Trump is using tariff as a weapon of choice

Upending text book theories on tariff, President Donald Trump is using tariff as a weapon of choice for multiple objectives. This has made the existing rule-based global trading system go haywire, making the predictable and transparent multilateral trading system put...

Operator appointments for key terminals begin in December

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun has said the process of appointing operators for key terminals at Chattogram Port is underway, with at least one operator expected to be appointed by the end of December...

Foreign portfolios see fresh inflows into equities amid easing risk

The equity market has recently been receiving fresh inflows of investment from foreign investors as macroeconomic indicators started showing signs of economic recovery and the forex market attained stability. Stocks, which are lucrative to overseas investors, saw foreign stakes go...

Why is hilsa out of reach?

The interim government's decision to increase food aid through vulnerable group feeding assistance during the lean days of ban on fishing to the fishermen families is a commendable move. Notably, the fishing ban comes on two occasions for 22 days...

Govt plans IT-based postal voting for expats

The Election Commission (EC) is planning to introduce an IT-supported postal voting system to enable Bangladeshis living abroad to vote in the 13th national parliamentary election, expected to be held in February next year.Under this system, the EC will send...

DMP's alleged non-coop hindering plan execution

The implementation of the Bus Route Rationalisation (BRR) plan, designed to introduce single-route bus services in Dhaka, has faced major hurdles, allegedly due to non-cooperation from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).Insiders involved in the initiative claim the DMP is firmly...

Syndicates active in fertiliser price hike, artificial shortages

Syndicates of fertiliser dealers and transport operators are driving volatility in the fertiliser market recently by creating artificial shortages and selling at prices much higher than government-set rates, a government intelligence report has revealed.The report has also warned that fertilisers...

Revenue reform, tax digitisation, trade-clearance systems start paying

Three major steps on digitisation of the tax administration in last one year of the interim government has already started paying off through faster trade documentation and leak-plugged tax mobilisation, officials claim. The breakthroughs are taking place by way of...

Upgrading BD's energy infrastructure

Imagine this: your lights never flicker, your industrial machinery runs without interruption, and voltage stays perfectly within safe limits. If you care about climate, you can choose to source more of your electricity from renewable energy. Your utility predicts demand...

Dhaka bourse maintains silence on mandatory self-listing

While all market stakeholders have been clamouring for listing of fundamentally-strong companies to invigorate the equity market, the mandatory self-listing of the Dhaka bourse has conspicuously remained absent from the conversation. The listing of the exchanges is mandatory as part...

Why does behavioural safety matter to an organisation?

Behavioural safety may seem straightforward and self-explanatory, but it's more complex than it seems, carrying deeper sense of purpose related to safety and well-being. Before we begin discussing how behavioural safety can be important within an organisation, it is essential...

Save children from lead poisoning

Dhaka is adjudged one of the most polluted cities in the world in various international rankings. Due to high percentage of carbon compounds, lead and various particulate objects, air pollution in the city have reached such an alarming level that...

How dicey is the Trump tariff deal?

The announcement of a 20 per cent reciprocal tariff on all imports from Bangladesh by Donald Trump, the president of the United States (US), has brought a palpable sense of relief in Bangladesh. This announcement, made on July 31, set...

Dhaka-Ctg oil transportation pipeline operation begins this month

CHATTOGRAM, Aug 08: The construction of Bangladesh's first-of-a-kind oil-transportation pipeline has been completed spending Tk 36 billion, and its operation is expected to begin this month, enabling BPC to save time, costs and curb system loss and environmental pollution.The pre-final...

Expensive railway line earns far below targeted revenue

The newly built Ishwardi-Dhalarchar railway line was able to earn only 0.60 per cent of its revenue-earning target set for the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24.It earned revenue amounting to Tk 17.33 million in FY'24 as against the target of Tk...

Selection of operator delayed over disputes

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is facing hurdles in completing the process of selecting an operator for the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) following some disputes over the proposed agreement to this effect. The negotiations...