Trump's third term White House ambitions

Let's go back to the cliché: power is often an aphrodisiac for those who seek it. Again, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The corruption is much more than bad behaviour in the financial or social or political sense....

Bangladesh's maritime crossroads

India's grand assertion of securing control over Bangladesh's Mongla Port has become a major diplomatic embarrassment. After months of celebrating its perceived strategic victory over China and strengthening its regional influence, India has now been confronted with an unexpected reality-Pakistan's...

BR yet to embark on viability study

The Bangladesh Railway has yet to commence work on a technical-assistance project, approved in 2023, for a feasibility study and preparatory work related to installing a new dual-gauge line parallel to Joydevpur-Iswardi route.Despite its initial completion deadline set for December...

How to stay fit during Eid holidays

Eid-ul-Fitr is a time for joy, celebration, and togetherness. After 30 days of fasting during Ramadan, it's only natural to look forward to indulging in delicious treats like shemai, payesh, and lavish dawats. With family visits, travel, and holidays, sticking...

Fight against TB falters amid funding crisis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health challenge in Bangladesh. While the disease was once reported to be endemic in certain areas of Dhaka, particularly in low-income communities due to overcrowded living conditions in urban areas, poverty and malnutrition have...

Eid an example of unity in diversity

Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the two main religious festivals of Muslims across the world, is knocking on the door to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The festival was first observed at least 1,400 years ago in Madinah...

41pc capacity underutilised even after 3yrs

Even after three years since its construction at a cost of Tk 33.71 billion, more than 41 per cent of the total capacity of the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant - Bangladesh's first and one of the largest in South Asia...

Shoppers eagerly await ‘Chand Raat’

CHOTTOGRAM, Mar 28: The people of Chattogram are eagerly waiting for ‘Chand Raat’ (the last night of Ramadan, which is observed marking the eve of Eid-al-Fitr) to go on a shopping binge for the upcoming festival. Following a tradition, a...

Are your workers paid duly before Eid?

Labor unrest in Bangladesh's industrial sector is a long-standing issue. Particularly before Eid, workers face uncertainty regarding payment of wages, allowances and overtime bills. As they plan to shop for their families and return to their near and dear ones,...

The eternal wanderer has no idea where his journey will end up

Human species could evolve to the stage it is now because of its wandering habit. Interbreeding and adaptation helped the cause. It is a continuous journey in search of a better life and living condition. But because religions appeared to...

Trade, investment prospects in a shifting landscape

Despite multiple challenges, including natural disasters and political uncertainty, Bangladesh has immense prospects of trade growth and investment. With a track record of resilient economic performance amid challenges, Bangladesh has come a long way from being one of the poorest...

The epic tragedy of Gaza

Epics are about war, heroes, villains, bravery, suffering, deaths, destructions, betrayal, crime and cruelty — all on a grand scale and spread over a period of time. Rarely have these constituent attributes of tragedy converged around an event in recorded history.  At present, all...

Call money rate almost stable on last day before Eid vacation

The inter-bank call money rate remained almost stable on Thursday, the last working day before the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, as banks managed their funds efficiently with the help of the central bank.The weighted average rate (WAR) of call money rose to...

Tax-dodging, money laundering by bigwigs unearthed

Intensive tax-file scrutiny and asset hunt in Dubai by revenue sleuths have unearthed a notable volume of tax-dodging and money laundering by numerous bigwigs, including a former president of Chittagong Stock Exchange. Officials have said the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC),...

Bangladesh's independence is unique but grossly undermined

The usual fervour and euphoria have been missing to some extent from the celebration of the Independence Day this year. This is because of the confusion about and uncertainty over the future of the country. Controversial narratives about relations between...

Next ADP likely to be worth Tk 2.30t

A relatively fat development budget worth Tk 2.30 trillion is likely to be prepared for the next fiscal year, too, by the interim government notwithstanding a staggeringly low execution of the outgoing ADP. By official count, only a fourth of...

1971: Ayub Khan's terse message to Yahya Khan

The people of Bangladesh have just gone through yet one more anniversary of Independence Day. When fifty-four years ago, in March 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made the declaration of Bangladesh's independence, in the aftermath of the brutality unleashed by...

Parenting in the digital age

The growing addiction to smartphone use, video games, and internet-based lifestyles, particularly among children and young adults, poses an unprecedented threat to the family as a cohesive unit and its integral role within the broader society. Apparently, the surge of...

Fish farms vehicles for huge tax-dodging

Billions of taka has been shown invested in fish farms by numerous business owners allegedly for taking advantage of tax incentives meant for farmers, amid a tantalizing change of fortunes.Officials say a tax-intelligence team fielded by the interim government following...

The Battle of Kumira at Sitakunda during the Liberation War

Chattogram was the principal port of the then East Pakistan. It was the principal means of marine communication with the outside world as well as main source of revenue income through imports and exports. The Pakistani forces were therefore desperate...

Market task force suggests removing prior investment requirement for IPO shares

The task force of the capital market has recommended omission of the minimum prior equity investment requirement for investors to apply for IPO shares. The suggestion given in a report submitted to the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on...

The indomitable spirit of the Bangladesh Army in the War of Independence

Independence Day, observed on March 26, holds a special place in the heart of every Bangladeshi. It marks the day the nation began its journey toward freedom, breaking the chains of oppression and injustice. The Liberation War of 1971 was...

America's 'Liberation Day' set to intensify global trade war

A tariff-a tax on imports-may be a simple concept, but its impact is anything but. This much is known-tariffs distort economies, inflate consumer prices, disrupt global trade, stifle competition, and trigger retaliation from trading partners. They can be wielded as...

Transport operators won't listen to reason

This Eid-ul-Fitr is going to draw bigger homebound crowds at the bus and launch terminals, railway stations and airports. One of the reasons for this is that the government and private company employees, students and others will be enjoying longer...

Banks, NBFIs asked to provide data of entities over financial frauds

Banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) have received letters from the revenue authority asking them to provide information about fixed assets of and transactions conducted by business groups infamous for financial scams committed during the ousted regime. As many as...

Strategic implications of Yunus's visit to China

“In diplomacy, everything is complex and everything is simple at the same time.” – Lester B. Pearson. Bangladesh interim government chief Dr Muhammad Yunus will visit China on March 26 in a historic initiative reflective of a watershed moment for...

Ctg Port, ICD's open during Eid holidays

CHATTOGRAM, Mar 23: Despite the closure of all government institutions, banks, and other financial institutions during the nine-day long Eid Holiday, the Chittagong port will continue its operations under special management during the Eid Holidays. Along with the seaport, supporting...

Tycoons open trust fund, then siphon off funds

Tycoons first opened trust fund and then siphoned off funds to tax-haven island nations before transferring to developed countries for finally settling in the chosen destinations, financial intelligence has found out. This is a common pattern of asset accumulation and...

Loss of glaciers threatens life on the planet

If the Amazon serves as the planet's lungs, glaciers provide the world population with freshwater that sustains life together with oxygen. A piece of highly disconcerting news is that following the ravage of the Amazon, the 275,000 glaciers in all...

Water conservation is key

March 22 (Saturday) was this year's World Water Day and the theme of the day is Glacier Preservation. But what has a tropical country, Bangladesh, to do with glacier, which is a big mass of dense ice very slowly sliding...