Gold edges up -

Gold prices edged up on Tuesday, supported by a softer dollar and Treasury yields, as investors hunkered down for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming speech at Jackson Hole later this week, reports Reuters.Spot gold was up 0.2 per cent...

China says solar sector needs to curb overcapacity

HONG KONG, Aug 19 (Reuters): China's industry ministry said on Tuesday it held a meeting with solar industry representatives, the second in two months, as it urged the sector to strengthen regulations, curb overcapacity and reduce extreme competition among firms.Representatives...

Petrobras has no planned investments in ethanol, distribution with Raizen

SAO PAULO, Aug 19 (Reuters): Brazil's majority state-owned oil company Petrobras has no planned investments in ethanol production or distribution of the fuel with Raizen, the company said in a statement late on Monday.Shares in Raizen jumped earlier in the...

South African iron ore mine faces closure as ArcelorMittal crisis weighs

South Africa's Assmang is weighing the closure of its Beeshoek iron ore mine after failing to secure a contract to supply its sole customer, the ailing steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa, reports Reuters.The closure of the mine could result in...

Facing Trump tariffs, India's shrimp farmers consider switching to other businesses

HYDERABAD, India/GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador Aug 19 (Reuters): On India's southern coast, V. Srinivas thrived for two decades by farming shrimp, as the country became the top supplier of the delicacy to the United States. Now, Donald Trump's 50 per cent tariff...

Oil prices fall on prospect of sanctions easing

LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters): Oil prices fell on Tuesday as traders weighed the possibility that talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US to end the war in Ukraine could lead to the lifting of sanctions on Russian crude, raising supply.Brent...

Is social media content creation trending in rural Bangladesh?

The sunlight is hitting the dusky roads, and people are waking up listening to the cuckoo of hens. In the meantime, a new story is unfolding. The rising stars of social media are starting their day by recording a morning...

ESG for Bangladesh: silent progress to collective commitment

Sustainability is no longer an add-on; it is today an economic and ecological imperative. In Bangladesh, transformation is underway: from green start-ups to ready-made garments, from food to finance, the conversation around Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards is becoming...

Addiction to short video content

Once upon a time, leisure for young people meant reading books, playing cricket, or chatting with friends. Today, it is dominated by mobile phones, especially short video content on TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels. What began as...

AI and the future of creativity

Artificial Intelligence is transforming creativity on a global scale, challenging the traditional boundaries between human imagination and machine capability. From composing music and writing novels to designing fashion and visual art, AI systems are now active participants in creative processes....

Reforms and diversification key to boosting RMG

For decades, policy circles and industry stakeholders have repeatedly stressed the need for reforms and diversification to rejuvenate the country's readymade garment (RMG) exports. Reforms essentially imply structural changes in production and operations, with a strategic shift from low-end, mass-volume...

Commercial Court Ordinance not just another law

Many existing laws of Bangladesh area legacy of the long past colonial era. Those include the penal code, civil and criminal procedural codes, contract law and company law. Though there is a single bench in the High Court Division of...

Nature-based solution to address climate change

Climate change is an existential threat to mankind, particularly to affected states. Among other options, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognised as vital to addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. According to IUCN (2016) "Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are actions to...

The construction of the four-lane Kamalapur-Titipara underpass in Dhaka is nearing an end

The construction of the four-lane Kamalapur-Titipara underpass in Dhaka is nearing an end. Once operational, it is expected to ease traffic congestion, save travel time, and improve connectivity significantly. The photo was taken on Monday. — FE Photo

2nd Teesta Bridge to open tomorrow

The long-anticipated second Teesta Bridge is set to open tomorrow (Wednesday), bringing a major boost to road connectivity between Gaibandha and Kurigram and reducing the distance on the Dhaka-Kurigram route by 135 kilometres, reports bdnews 24.comThe inauguration will be led...

Dr Mazibur appointed BAEC chairman

Eminent nuclear scientist Dr. Md. Mazibur Rahman has been appointed as the chairman (current charge) of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), a BAEC press statement said, citing a government notification issued on Monday.Prior to the appointment, he was serving as...

HC rule to stop mobile surcharge for Padma Bridge construction

The High Court issued a rule on Monday, asking the relevant authorities to explain why the 1.0-percent surcharge collected from mobile-phone users to fund the construction of the Padma Bridge should not be stopped.The government introduced the surcharge in 2016...

Rice import duty cut to near zero as local prices surge

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has slashed rice import duty from the usual 63.25 per cent to nearly zero, requiring traders with Food Ministry approval to pay only a 2 per cent service charge and related costs, aiming to...

Three more troubled banks to come under AQR this week

Three more commercial banks, which were plagued by irregularities and scams during the Awami League government's tenure, are set to come under an asset quality review (AQR) by an international audit firm this week.The banks that will face AQR, generally...

Sylhet ropeway turns into stone looters' haven

SYLHET, Aug 18: The 17-kilometre ropeway, built in 1964 to transport stones from Bholaganj in Companiganj upazila to Chhatak for Bangladesh Railway (BR), has turned into a hotspot of illegal stone extraction, looting, and land grabbing.The country's only ropeway, once...

Rooftop solar target faces doubts

A leading energy think-tank has raised doubts over whether Bangladesh can rapidly scale up rooftop solar capacity to 3,000 megawatts (MW) by December this year, citing limited institutional capacity and financing challenges.The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)...

Protect nature to save fisheries resources: CA

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus Monday urged all to come forward to protect nature and help conserve the country's fisheries resources, reports BSS. "Let's learn to show respect to nature. Let's learn to be kind to nature," he told the...

Prayer Timings (2025-08-19)

NCC working with experts to find solutions

The National Consensus Commission (NCC) is working with legal and constitutional experts on the draft July Charter to find solutions, including on agreements made with notes of dissent from political parties. The draft has already been sent to the parties,...

Biman posts record Tk 9.37b profit in FY25

Biman Bangladesh Airlines posted the highest-ever profit of Tk 9.37 billion in the 2024-2025 fiscal year (FY) since its inception in 1972, according to a statement from the airline.Previously, the national flag carrier of Bangladesh recorded the highest Tk 4.4...

Govt sweetening terms to lure IOCs after 2024 flop

The government has moved to launch an offshore bid round again soon, sweetening further the terms to lure international oil companies (IOCs) following last year's failure.State-run Petrobangla is working on finalising the draft of the model production sharing contract (MPSC),...

High-level brainstorming session today on project execution

Entire pantheon of the interim administration sits for a high-level brainstorming session today to address ongoing challenges in development- project planning, procurement, financing and execution besides foreign-aid disbursement and government debt management.The Cabinet Division has arranged the meeting titled 'Contemporary...

FA leads investment-promotion mission to Japan soon

A high-profile government delegation led by Finance Advisor Dr Saleuddin Ahmed visits Japan from September 1 to explore new Japanese investment in multimodal networks and tourism under a latest development drive.However, official sources say the trip has been organised to...

Narrow product range risks RMG sector’s sustainability

Bangladesh long banks on few items for apparel-export earnings, risking the sector's sustainability, although diversification with high-value products suiting growing global- market trends holds great potential, trade experts say.Five traditional items from the country's main export sector- trousers, T-shirt, shirt,...

Move on to foil DUCSU election, alleges JCD

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) has alleged that a group of students, envious of its growing popularity, is attempting to foil the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election by inciting mob violence and obstructing its candidates from collecting nomination forms....