Bangladesh-China FTA: Facts and issues

A free trade agreement (FTA) comprises a set of rules between two or more countries with a particular focus on economic benefits and trade facilitation between or among agreed parties. FTA, generally legally binding for signatory parties, includes the elimination...

A mother triumphs against overwhelming odds

Mothers are a special breed, even in the animal world. Except the sea horse, the male of which nurture the offspring in their pouch and a bird, the female of which leave their consorts to hatch eggs never bothering about...

Sugar industry and rash business decisions

The propensity to jump on the bandwagon is quite strong among the Bangladesh businesses. One or two success stories attract them to any business in big numbers. While doing so they hardly bother to examine the pros and cons of...

For governments right and left, a season of discontent

Democratic governments are rarely popular for extended periods, and often have to scrape by with low polls, noisy demonstrations and constant pressure from the media. And though authoritarian regimes can squash dissent and muzzle the news, they too face rising...

Pre-poll tax exemptions to weigh on collection

Tax collection during the current fiscal year is set to face a big blow owing to what economists call "populist policy" of exemptions before the general elections.On the basis of official projection, the FE estimated around Tk 133 billion loss...

The wonders of Chinese Mandarin

Spoken by around one-fifth of the global population, the Chinese (Mandarin) is deemed to be the most popular language in the world. Simultaneously influencing several other East and Southeast Asian languages including Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, traces of Chinese language...

Rohingya Refugees -- in quest of immediate repatriation

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), the Rohingya issue is a textbook example of ethnic cleansing orchestrated by the civil-military administration of Myanmar. Influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh has been non since the 1970s...

Brexit and the global economy

The singular issue of Brexit has consumed the United Kingdom for two and a half years. The "if," "how," and "when" of the country's withdrawal from the European Union (EU), after decades of membership, has understandably dominated news coverage, and...

Violence against women - a cause and consequence of inequality

The lack of women's empowerment is a critical form of inequality. And while there are many barriers to empowerment, violence against women and girls (VAW) is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality.Estimates by the World Health Organisation...

Old Dhaka: A veritable museum of heritage

Dhaka city is expanding on its all sides. With its expansion, who knows today’s central Dhaka will not soon be called an old part of the capital city? It may then be marked as an added part of Old Dhaka....

A cost-benefit analysis of Rampal power plant

The Rampal Electricity Generation Project has largely remained in the headlines as a topic of a heated debate since the inception of the project idea. It is a major upcoming project in Bangladesh that involves a 1320-megawatt coal-fired power station...

The 'big business' dilemma

With rapid advancement in technology, decline in barriers to kickstarting a business and access to low-cost resources due to globalisation, aspiring and innovative startups have a newfound belief of scripting a success story more than ever before. The traditional hurdles...

Access to safe food: A crying need

Is safe food for the consumers still a far cry? Getting safe food is a fundamental right of the consumers. But the consumers are still not sure whether the food they are consuming is safe or not. Consumption of safe...

Doing the FDI equation

One of the major areas of Bangladesh economy where success of policy intervention is yet to be effective is attracting the foreign direct investment (FDI). A series of policy supports including generous tax benefits and a smooth system of profit...

Can National Single Window project facilitate trade?

Globalisation has boosted International trade. Trade facilitation now matters more than ever before. Efficiency in international trade is a priority for the private sector. Businesses are adopting advanced technology to make the cross-border trade faster. But unloading and release of...

Babies' apparels and our export potentials

Bangladesh babies' garment(s) has untapped export potential (the difference between potential and actual exports in value terms), which is leaving room to realise additional exports worth of US$ 296.8 million (or more than Tk 24 billion). It is also stunning...

Need for sobering influence of cultural enlightenment

At a time governance is exposing cracks and weaknesses to deal with plutocracy the world over, the enduring system of democracy deriving its strength from the majority's support seems to be in great danger. The concept of rule by the...

Whither post-Accord workplace safety?

The issue of workplace safety and security in Bangladesh's RMG sector has got attention once again after a number of recent incidences portray negative image about the future direction of the monitoring and inspection of RMG factories. The globally acclaimed...

Role of financial inclusion in women’s empowerment, economic development

Financial inclusion aims at including the unbanked and unserved population under the financial services network. Financial inclusion initiatives try to ensure that all adult population, irrespective of income level, have right to effectively use the financial services that are suitable...

An emerging need in urban Bangladesh

A working mother typically lengthens her day in order to carry out some domestic chores before and after work. While cleaning, shopping, cooking and other chores can be postponed, child care cannot since a baby needs constant care up to...

Mainstreaming human security: Need for paradigm shift

To protect human security in rural Bangladesh, people-centred development is the core of discourse as this approach appeared in the cutting edge of international development discourse focusing on self-belief, self-reliance, and community living with the spirit of togetherness, social justice,...

Economics and voting behaviour

In an election-oriented set-up the incumbents tend to advertise their achievements. The leadership of our government also does not waste any opportunity to zealously narrate the development work it has done since Bangladesh Awami League-led alliance took over the reign...

Banks' surplus liquidity falls ahead of nat'l polls

The excess liquidity in banks dropped by nearly 15 per cent or Tk 140 billion in September mainly due to higher growth of currency outside banking system before the national elections.Officials said the selling of the US dollar by the...

Impersonation of law enforcement agencies is a serious crime

Impersonation can be just a fun but at times a most serious business. In Chhadmabeshi, a comedy, mahanayak (super hero) Uttam Kumar plays the role of a taxi driver at the stately residence of a man. The man is none...

Most pharma cos post higher EPS for Q1

Most of the listed pharmaceuticals companies saw a rise in the earnings for July-September period this year, thanks to higher expense on healthcare.Of the 15 pharmaceuticals companies listed with Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), 11 companies posted healthy earnings per share...

A global pandemic

Violence against women is considered as a persistent, serious and extensive 'global pandemic' nowadays and takes place in every society. Declared by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in December 1993, the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women...

The disappearance of farmlands

Agriculture is the major economic activity in Bangladesh. But this economic activity has been on the decline for the past few decades due to depletion of arable lands to non-agricultural output. The arable land covers an area of 9.762 million...

Plans, performances and perils

Since the assumption of power by Awami League (AL) in 2009, the General Economics Division of the Planning Commission (GED) presented to the nation two Five Year Plans and a Perspective Plan. The 7th Five Year Plan and the perspective...

Cash waqf as an approach to philanthropy

Cash waqf, is categorised as a special type of endowment which is different from the ordinary real estate waqf. Its original capital, asl al-mal or corpus consists, fully or partially, of cash. The word waqf (plural awqaf) comes from an...

Pushing toilet revolution to next stage

Bangladesh is highly appreciated for bringing down the use of open space toilets closer to zero. While open defecation is largely visible in India, the opposite is true for Bangladesh. Around 40 per cent of the Indian population either have...