Unlocking the potential of CMSMEs in Bangladesh

Despite impressive economic growth of more than six per cent per annum in the past decade, policymakers and businesses in Bangladesh continue to ponder why the country continues to rank low in productivity and innovation indices. The dominance of cottage,...

Revising RMG workers' minimum wage

Determining the minimum wage structure for the country's export-oriented ready-made garments (RMG) industry workers is tricky. Though an independent wage board is responsible for doing the work, it has to go through a lot of debate and protests. The government...

Oyster-shaped railway station, greeneries stunningly attractive

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 06: The newly-built oyster-shaped railway station of Cox's Bazar and the picturesque green natural setting on both sides of Chattogram-Dohazari-Cox's Bazar-Gumdhum (CDCG) rail line give a stupendously attractive view. The iconic railway station and the rail line await...

Are unseasonable warm weather and rains interlinked?

The year 2023 may be remarkable for missing one of its most cherished seasons --- Sharat (autumn) in this part of the world unless it shows up in Hemanta (late autumn) or in winter. It is more like Barsha (monsoon)....

Projects delayed as no time- frame for DCs to acquire land

The authorities tweaked the land- acquisition playbook to speed up the implementation of key infrastructure projects. The new approach includes LA work in support of the main infrastructure project, allowing the deputy commissioners to acquire lands and utility shifting, while...

NBR presents plan to cut tax expenditure, raise collection

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Thursday briefed the visiting mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) an outline of its plan to cut tax expenditure and expedite revenue mobilisation.The mission held separate meetings with the three wings of...

Tips on tax return: A complete guideline for salaried persons

Filing income-tax return without help of the agents or lawyers is not so easy for the commoners. Taxpayers have to comply with different tax provisions to give inputs on their income and expenditure in the return form. In case of...

University ranking and students' option

The two universities from Bangladesh, the University of Dhaka (DU) and the North South University, which for the first time placed themselves in the 601-800 bracket of the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking of 2023 slipped to the next level...

Heatwaves and women: an unseen health crisis

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently announced that the era of global warming has ended, and the era of global boiling has begun. This affirmation came after July 2023 was globally declared as the ‘hottest month’ in around 120,000...

Reformation of business schools

Almost all public universities, private universities, Bangladesh Open University, and colleges under National University, Bangladesh offer different undergraduate and postgraduate business programmes. The question is how many of these educational institutions have the required resources and plan to develop the...

Roedad Khan and post-1971 Pakistan

Roedad Khan was divisional commissioner of Quetta when I was in school in the capital of Balochistan in the 1960s. As an important civil servant in Pakistan's central government, he would rise higher and by the time 1971 came round,...

Capital flight, stagflation, and policy dilemma

The main news article on September 30 in FE stated: “Inflation in Bangladesh seems inexplicable with prices stubbornly staying manifold over production costs while it eases worldwide, a situation which some economists describe as ‘greedflation’ created by profiteers.” An alternative...

Construction work to begin this year after a long hiatus

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 03: Construction work of the new Nagar Bhaban of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) is set to begin within the current year after long 13 years of laying its foundation stone. The 20-storey Nagar Bhaban (City Building) of the...

Protection Fund to compensate clients of scam-hit brokers

The Investors' Protection Fund (IPF) of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) will disburse for the first time Tk 250 million to compensate investors, who fell victim to scams committed by four brokers. In a directive signed on Sunday, the Bangladesh...

Is visiting tourist spots during national holidays worth it?

A week-long beach carnival was being hosted at Laboni Point, Cox's Bazar, marking World Tourism Day on the 27th of September. To boost tourism in Cox's Bazar, it was said to be an 'environment-friendly investment in Ttourism,' by the convener...

IMF to check compliance with loan conditions

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission is set to assess progress in compliance with the conditions tagged to a $4.7-billion loan package for Bangladesh, pending release of the next tranche.Officials say a programme-review mission of the IMF is scheduled to...

Is St. Martin's Island a coral reef?

Reports often appear in the press on the St. Martin's Island and how it, along with its rich biodiversity, is being destroyed by human actions. No doubt, the beautiful island has to be saved from the senseless acts of its...

New act soon for unified transport ticketing system

A new act is set to be enacted for the comprehensive management of the integrated circuit (IC) named Rapid Pass -- which is already in use in the country's first metro rail. Rapid Pass is part of the government's move...

Ease of price restriction fuels block trade in large-cap stocks

Large-cap stocks have been dominating block board transactions since the regulator in November eased price restriction allowing buy-sell of shares at prices up to 10 per cent lower than the floor price on the platform. The same securities have seen...

Corporate houses can do better

Industry minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun has apparently posed an innocent question, if large conglomerates produce muri (puffed rice) and chanachur (spicy snack mix), what will small entrepreneurs do? Indeed, corporate business culture has over the past few years bloated...

Vaccines to combat dengue

In absence of any specific anti-viral drug, there is no treatment for the mosquito vector-borne disease, dengue, except supportive treatment. It is no doubt a sad commentary on medical research, especially on dengue, since, according to a 2016 study, 4.0...

Extending trade benefits to graduating LDCs

Within five months, World Trade Organization (WTO) members will meet at the highest-level decision-making summit in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It will be the 13th ministerial conference (MC13) of the multilateral trade-rule-making organisation. Preparations...

Navigating reputational risks in banking industry

In the complex world of finance, where numbers rule and data drive decisions, there is an intangible factor that holds immeasurable value. This is reputation. The banking industry, often seen as the bedrock of global economies, is no stranger to...

ICB Capital's new product: It is to secure high return tapping into bonds

ICB Capital Management has designed an investment product, in which individuals, institutions, and registered funds will be able to inject money to get, as it has forecast, an annual return of more than 8 per cent. Anyone willing to make...

New law permits taxmen to disclose undeclared assets

Taxmen now have the authority to disclose information about undeclared assets and income of tax-evaders in the current financial year, as the restrictions on taxpayer-information privacy have been eased under the new tax law.This new provision, integrated into the Income...

Largest pvt data centre for financial sector opens today

Felicity IDC Limited (FIDC) -- a tier 3, PCI-DSS-certified internet data centre (IDC) -- is going to open for cloud service today (Saturday). It is specially designed for the country's financial sector. The data centre, located in Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City...

Glimpses into world economy

Global growth forecasts for the near term are on the anvil and will be unveiled in the second week of October next, during the the annual joint IMF and World Bank meetings. But there are already plenty of concerns expressed...

When young members of society take their elders to court

Six young climate activists, aged between 11 and 24, from Portugal have filed a case against 32 European nations at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. Their contention is plain and simple: the 27 EU-member nations, the...

The Nazi in Canada's parliament

Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, has resigned. He recently mistook an ageing Nazi for a Ukrainian freedom fighter in bygone times and a Canadian hero by virtue of his being a citizen of Canada. When...

Lack of skilled recipients limits tech transfers

A major lift in digital technologies has happened in Bangladesh for absorption of technical know-how from Chinese technical assistance and investments, although the technology transfer remains limited for skills deficiency.Investment promoters and industry people are of such view in evaluation...