Govt mulls funds from pvt investors, dev partners

The government has finalised its plan to expand the four-lane Dhaka-Chattogram highway into 10 lanes and is considering managing funds from both private investors and multilateral agencies due to the high cost estimated at Tk 620 billion.Officials said though the...

In the grip of viral and other fevers

Fevers have long ceased to be a highly dreaded disease, particularly after cure for malaria and typhoid has become available. The same cannot be said about the various types of fever this country, particularly the capital city is witnessing right...

Will Rohingya crisis be resolved in near future?

Myanmar's military junta has dissolved its State Administration Council (SAC) and replaced it with a new interim caretaker setup, the so-called 'State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC)'. On July 31,2025, the February, 2021's coup leader, Senior General Ming Aung Hlaing...

Tk 136b projects await ECNEC nod

The Local Government Division has submitted two major project proposals worth Tk 135.72 billion to expand surface water supply in Dhaka and Khulna city corporation areas. Of the total outlay, Tk 50.11 billion will be financed from domestic resources, while...

Govt reviews maiden BD-Bhutan PTA

The government has decided to review and monitor the implementation of the country's maiden preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bhutan, aiming to remove trade barriers and expand business, sources said.To this end, the commerce ministry has formed a high-powered 12-member...

Abysmal potholes in corporate tax payments exposed

Gross mismatch between the number of registered companies and that of corporate income-tax receipt by the exchequer persists, as the tax returns submitted annually by the former continues to be disproportionately low in Bangladesh, official statistics show.Only nearly 40,000 companies...

Challenges, opportunities, and risks

In the middle of Dhaka's growing waste crisis, a quiet revolution is happening, one that's being led by young people who see opportunity where others see garbage. Across Bangladesh, a number of youth-led initiatives and businesses are emerging that are...

How biochar can boost fertiliser efficiency

As Bangladesh's population grows and the demand for food rises, efficient fertiliser use has become more critical than ever to safeguard food security. Farmers in the country rely heavily on chemical fertilisers and pesticides, a long-standing practice that has caused...

Challenges to achieving the export target

Setting the annual target of exports is a tradition for long in the country though there is no official target for imports. As earnings from export is an important source to support the country's balance of payments (BoP) as well...

Distinction among govt agencies a must to ensure co-operation

Special Assistant for Road Transport and Bridges Dr Sheikh Moinuddin has opposed the Dhaka bus-route plan made by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), saying a clear distinction among the government agencies is a must to ensure they co-operate with one...

Widespread violations of PPR found in major rail projects

The execution period of 43.33 per cent of the procurement tenders under five major Bangladesh Railway projects has been extended by 211-1,598 days due to the failure to complete work within the time frame. A post-procurement review by the Bangladesh...

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...