Single bid marks 40pc of contracts

Nearly half of the procurement contracts executed by the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) during the 2023-24 fiscal year saw low bidder participation, raising concerns about competition, transparency, and value for money, reveals the recent Procurement Post Review of the...

Ocean-going ship imports may get tax exemption again

The government is rethinking its decision to impose a 7.5% VAT on the import of ocean-going ships, following strong backlash from local investors and concerns over potential damage to a booming foreign exchange-earning sector. After promising tax exemptions until 2030,...

H1 results reveal banks' bare bones

IFIC Bank's balance sheet looked solid, showing no signs of worry from 2010 through the political transition in August last year. The lender, which had not sustained losses for more than 15 years, suddenly reported a loss of Tk 11.28...

NBR’s FY'25 tax-to-GDP ratio falls

Bangladesh's tax (NBR part)-to-GDP ratio declined by 0.66 percentage point in the 2024-25 financial year, raising concern over waning domestic revenue in comparison with the nominal GDP.The ratio fell to 6.56 per cent in FY25 from 7.2 per cent in...

Shippers oppose CPA move to reduce movement of vessels

External trade may get in difficulty for a faceoff between the Chittagong Port Authority and shippers over the CPA move to lower the number of vessels plying the seaport channel to heal trade-decelerating congestions.Sources said the port authority in a...

Capital market yet to reach its full potential: Khasru

CHATTOGRAM, July 30: BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said that the country's capital market could not achieve its potential."Many investors have taken short-term loans from banks, creating a mismatch. Although the capital market is meant for long-term...

Sluggish economy eats into H1 profits of listed foreign firms

Most multinational companies (MNCs) saw their profits erode in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year, largely due to high finance costs amid political uncertainty. Economic activities have slowed down after the political changeover and...

Transport owners' tyranny must go

The interim government had given transport owners a six-month ultimatum to remove all unfit vehicles from the roads. To facilitate this transition, the transport owners were even offered soft loans so that they can replace their rundown fleets with newer,...

Modernisation of monetary policy framework

In the process of monetary policy formulation, Bangladesh Bank (BB) has been relying on the monetary targeting approach since its independence, to achieve the ultimate goal of price stability along with financial stability and supporting growth. The possibility of achieving...

Deadlock over utility shifting works of MRT 1 still persists

The complexities over carrying out utility-shifting works on the MRT 1 from Badda at Pragati Sarani could not be resolved in more than three months.In April last, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Traffic Division asked the project office of mass...

S Korea intends to begin with $6.0b in fresh ventures

Dhaka expects South Korean loans for nearly two dozen proposed development projects initially involving Tk 816.70 billion as the Asian country aspires to be a new financier of megaprojects in Bangladesh. High officials of the lender-country evinced initial consent to...

Auto rice millers, govt row over Miniket, Jeerashail

Auto rice millers in Bangladesh have urged the government to lift the recent ban on the sale and marketing of Miniket and Jeerashail varieties. They warned that if the ban continued, it could lead to a serious food crisis in...

What's in store for US-BD final round of tariff talks?

A Bangladesh trade mission, as reported, is scheduled to meet for the third time with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington, D.C., on July 29 and July 30 to see if the 35 per cent...

Deals with foreign firms likely by Oct to operate Ctg port facilities

Foreign direct investment is set to flow in Chittagong-seaport facilities as the interim government intends to break long-lasting FDI droughts before national elections to make its finish memorable. By October, the appointment of internationally reputed port contractors is expected to...

Appointment of consultant by Dec this year

CHATTOGRAM July 26: Bangladesh Railway (BR) is set to appoint a consultant for the construction of new rail-cum-road bridge over the River Karnaphuli in Kalurghat by December this year. According to sources, five foreign firms have already been shortlisted for...

DSE leadership vacuum: Power play stalls appointment of MD

Shareholder directors of the Dhaka bourse wanted a green signal for the IPO proposal of Best Holdings in 2020, no matter what flaws the management identified while scrutinising the fundraising plan.Positive opinions from the management of the Dhaka Stock Exchange...

The missing agenda from reform narratives

Beginning as a protest against quota in government services, the July-August movement gained strength to sweep the length and breadth of this land relying on the rallying cry of making the nation discrimination-free. As many as 11 reform commissions were...

Stopping real-life sinister madness in Gaza

French president Emmanuel Macron, in a post on X last Thursday (on July 24) announced he would recognize Palestine as a state in September at the UN Nations General Assembly.Before him Ireland, Norway and Spain did also decide to recognize...

Building our research capacity

Bangladesh stands at a pivotal moment in its history, where fostering a research mindset amongst students proves essential for long-term progress. Despite being driven by a young population, the development of a robust research culture remains hampered by institutional issues...

Famine by starvation in Gaza: too little, too late

The UN agency on relief in Palestine (UNRWA) had warned more than a year back that given the total embargo imposed by the Israeli authorities since October 7, 2023 on the entry of trucks carrying foods, medicines and fuel for...

Unplanned urbanisation: Will lessons be learned?

Urban planners on Friday called for gradual relocation of all the crowd-gathering structures, including the Milestone School campus, from the flying approach zone (FAZ) of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Otherwise, as they warned, similar mishaps like the Milestone tragedy...

In quest for quality statistics

Despite various efforts and initiatives, the quality of the country's national statistics remains a matter of grave concern and controversy. It is disheartening to note that a significant portion of the statistics provided by the national statistical agency, the Bangladesh...

Youth festival project proposal returned without appraisal

The Planning Commission has returned a youth festival project proposal without initiating appraisal. Titled "Inspiring Youth for Nation Building through Organising Youth Festival," the proposal was submitted by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.Officials said the proposal does not comply...

Delhi ignores Dhaka's request for trade talks, businesses pay

India continues to cold-shoulder requests for holding talks to resolve accumulating trade-related disputes, officials say, while Bangladesh businesses have to pay for abrupt shipment restrictions in particular. In recent months, calls from Dhaka went unheeded for lifting the ban on...

An untapped gem called Sitakunda

Have you ever imagined reaching, within just a few hours, a place where you can lose yourself in lush green hills, soak in the cool waters of serene waterfalls, and then find solace at a quiet seaside with endless blue...

From disaster response to risk reduction

Bangladesh is a breeding ground for a wide array of natural disasters, owing to its geographical location, subtropical climate, and flat topography. The territory is known for the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, the 1970 Bhola Cyclone, which killed at...

Tajuddin Ahmad at 100

Tajuddin Ahmad would be a centenarian on 23 July. He was a mere fifty years old when he was assassinated in November 1975. Yet in those brief five decades of his life, he achieved a feat rare in the history...

Ctg port tariffs poised for steep rise

Bangladesh's external trade is set to get costlier as the government Thursday approved a proposal for increasing tariffs on both goods and vessels at Chittagong seaport, in some cases up to 10 times or above, officials said. The ministry of...

ICDs' handling charge hike to affect export trade

Bangladesh's external trade, especially export, is now up against the wall and the factors behind this are of both domestic and international origin. At a time, when the government's ongoing talks with the current Trump administration of the US, which...

Taka weakens further as central bank intervention

The Bangladesh Taka (BDT) continues to weaken against the US dollar as the central bank's ongoing interventions in the foreign exchange market aimed at stabilising the exchange rate.As part of its efforts, the Bangladesh Bank (BB) purchased $10 million from...