In a world without statesmen

It is our misfortune to be living in historically arid times. A world uncertain about the future, nations unable to ascertain the destinies they would like to shape for themselves, governments caught in a bind over issues overwhelming them are...

Controversial 'minimum value' imposition on imports may go

A long-despised fiscal measure styled 'minimum value' provision in the customs act is up for getting axed to allow importers to assess transactional value for imposition of duty taxes, sources said.The much-debated provision has affected competitiveness and capital flow of...

Next budget to have realistic goals

Bangladesh switches focus from macro- onto micro-centric economic activity with budgetary focus on trade expansion, job creation and investment that benefits all. Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, the custodian of the national exchequer under the post-uprising government, explained the aforesaid...

Women in SMEs face high tax and finance roadblocks

Women entrepreneurs in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector are facing numerous challenges due to high tax and VAT rates, complex tax systems, and lack of access to finance and infrastructure despite contributing to the country's socio-economic development, insiders...

Managing, boosting domestic demand central to curbing inflation

'We believe elections will promote decentralization, as more activities will spread beyond Dhaka,'Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed says in conversation with The Financial Express on budget Following is the full text of the interviewQuestion: What is the vision of the...

Crisis of democracy in America

Global perceptions of America as a democratic country have deteriorated across the world over the past year and are now worse than views on China in the same respect, according to an annual study of perceptions of democracy published in...

Well-off likely to pay higher taxes

Affluent people may have to pay higher taxes in the upcoming fiscal year under amended wealth-tax provisions in the new budget, among some other changes in fiscal measures.The base of calculating surcharge would be actual payable taxes instead of existing...

NCT unlikely to get foreign operator soon

CHATTOGRAM, May 26: Saif Powertec Limited, an international-standard port operator in Bangladesh, which is handling the New-mooring Container Terminal (NCT), has kept its fingers crossed amid ongoing moves to appoint a foreign operator to manage the terminal, sources close to...

Most SMEs miss business boon Fourth Industrial Revolution offers

An industrial breakthrough driven by everyday-evolving technological innovations shies away from smaller enterprises, in particular, across Bangladesh largely for blissful ignorance of the wonders artificial intelligence and technologies work, save few exceptions. Sharmin Sultana Liza tries to make a difference...

Asset managers' last-ditch effort to keep investors with pooled funds

The country's mutual fund (MFs) industry is in a tight spot as unitholders, frustrated over no return and persistent erosion in the equity market, have increasingly been withdrawing their investments. The disinterest shown in open-ended funds has raised concerns among...

Enhanced domestic revenue mobilisation for economic resilience

The upcoming budget for FY2025-26 is very significant for Bangladesh from several perspectives. This is the first budget after the fall of the ousted government, and the interim government aims to use the budget as a platform for structural reform...

Smart farming to help farmers

During its emergence as an independent nation more than half a century back, agriculture was the mainstay of the economy with 85 per cent of the population dependent on it. And agriculture's share of the GDP was 80 per cent....

Economic outlook is marked by cautious optimism

Food inflation, as well as overall inflation, has continued to fall since November 2024. Food inflation came down to 8.63 per cent in April 2025 from 8.93 per cent in March 2025. Similarly, general inflation came down to 9.17 per...

Revenue misses target by Tk 715b until April

Taxmen stroll far behind the pared-down target for the outgoing fiscal by Tk 714.76 billion or 38.02 per cent, as of April, fundamentally for sluggish investment and ongoing macroeconomic challenges.To rub salt into the wound, came a pen-down by the...

OFC as a strategic monetary policy tool

Bangladesh, which is close to important south and southeast Asian markets, is a potential location for setting up a an Offshore Financial/Business Centre (OFC/OBC). With the interim government announcing a plan to establish a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) and attract...

Desecration of human body at its worst

Highway robberies have ever remained a problem in this country. A number of rape incidents on running buses added a new dimension to the highway crimes. Of late, both robbery and sexual violence against women passengers on moving buses made...

Streamlining pro-poor safety net schemes

The interim government in the upcoming national budget for the FY 2025-26, is reportedly going to restructure the Social Safety Net Programme (SSNP) by reducing the number of beneficiary schemes while at the same time increasing total monetary allocation as...

Complete shutdown in revenue offices from tomorrow

Now the recalcitrant officials of the National Board of Revenue announce "complete shutdown" in all the revenue offices countrywide, including export-import assessment on sea, land and air routes, from tomorrow (Monday).Only international passenger services are exempt from the shutdown meant...

Inside ACC Genesis 2025 Debate, dialogue, and development

In a vibrant gathering that blended academic rigor with youthful energy, ACC Genesis 2025 unfolded recently on the green campus of Adamjee Cantonment College, Dhaka drawing participants from top schools, colleges, and universities across the country.The flagship inter-institutional debating championship...

Tagore and Nazrul's vision for empowered women in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, a land of rich culture, continues its journey towards achieving true equality for women. While the nation has made significant progress in various sectors, deeply-rooted patriarchal norms and economic inequalities still hinder the progress and well-being of women. In...

ADB update on dev financing in extended realms

Asian Development Bank's (ADB) latest annual meet was different, in venue, scale of finance planning, dimensions of outlook extending from Asia through the Pacific into Europe and so. Pooling funds through a broader synergy for bankrolling development in the fast-changing...

Free primary education: a false promise?

Article 17 of the Constitution of Bangladesh mandates that the state shall establish a uniform, mass-oriented, and universal system of education, providing free and compulsory education to all children up to a level determined by law. The Primary Education (Compulsory)...

India weaponising trade against Bangladesh

Despite persistent efforts, bilateral trade does not always take place smoothly as barriers to trade increase or emerge in new forms for various reasons. Geo-political tension casts a shadow on trade relations disrupting trade. The bilateral dispute also makes things...

SB warns of post-season rice market instability

An intelligence agency has sounded the alarm over possible post-season rice- market instability across the country as millers and their allied traders have started buying paddy in large volumes with the beginning of Boro harvesting.The Special Branch (SB) recently sent...

CAAB hopes to complete negotiation with Japanese consortium by June

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is expecting to complete the negotiation with the Japanese consortium that will take the charge of operation and maintenance work of the newly-built third terminal of the country's prime international airport by June...

Payment delays put Thakurgaon power plant's foreign IPP in quandary

Foreign owners of the EPV Thakurgaon 115-megawatt power plant rue recurrent payment delays that cause severe financial and operational difficulties to the company.The independent power producer -- one of numerous ones hired by the past government -- has alleged the...

Let it be a celebration for workers also

For the millions of workers in Bangladesh's labour-intensive industries especially in the ready-made garments and export-oriented sectors-Eid is not just a religious festival; it is a long-awaited hope, a dream of returning home. With Eid-ul-Adha approaching, many workers are now...

Mysterious, unpredictable and uncertain, life still unfolds unforeseen possibilities

The statement that reality or truth is stranger than fiction indicates how mysterious life is. Can a person be the maker of his/her own life? Or, it is predestined! When the life beginning in a mother's womb ends up as...

Mysterious, unpredictable and uncertain, life still unfolds unforeseen possibilities

The statement that reality or truth is stranger than fiction indicates how mysterious life is. Can a person be the maker of his/her own life? Or, it is predestined! When the life beginning in a mother's womb ends up as...

Youth in agriculture

With Bangladesh set on course of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the role of youth in transforming the agricultural sector could never be more critical. Agriculture, which contributes around 12.7 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP)...