Potential of mustard oil

This country has witnessed from time to time what in plain Bangla is called 'tel nie telesmati' (oily magic!), courtesy of importers and refiners of cooking oil such as soybean and palm oil, the two most affordable varieties. Much as...

Growth to remain sluggish for a while

Bangladesh's economy is likely to witness another year of low growth and high inflation, thanks to the revolutionary change in the political arena half a year ago. The student-led mass uprising, which forced the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina to...

Fresh project on stalled refinery moves, at a cost

A Tk 364.1-billion fresh project now moves for establishing a stalled second petroleum-refining unit at the Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL), ditching detractors' subtle bids for handover of the fuel business to vested quarters, sources said. The Energy and Mineral Resources...

Judicial reform urgent for timely justice

The judiciary has a crucial role to play in delivering justice, preventing the violation of human rights and holding accountable violators of the rule of law. In Bangladesh, however, dispensation of justice in a timely manner has become near to...

Boosting NBR's tax collection capability

The revenue authorities as usual failed to reach their tax collection target in the first half of the current fiscal year. According to a report carried in the FE, tax collection during the period since July 2024 till February 16,...

Cocktail language is getting better of mother tongue

A commercial, "food bole ssss7up" flashing on the TV screen in this month of language movement represents the supreme example of cocktail language. Here the Bangla word 'bole' in its original letters is interpolated between the two other English words....

Export diversification of Bangladesh through FTA

Bangladesh is often touted as a successful case of export-led growth among the least developed countries (LDC). Bangladesh has consistently prioritised export diversification, as reflected in its key national policy documents. These strategies focus on identifying potential sectors ripe for...

Gamblers still active in market in changed climate, despite punitive actions

The stock of Khulna Printing & Packaging more than tripled in the three months through Thursday despite repeated warnings by the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) that it was non-operational. The packaging company's factory has been producing nothing since 2021. Accumulated...

BRTC eyes 20pc cost saving with workshop revival

A Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) workshop, which was shut down in 2012, has been brought back to life, and it has regained its capacity to overhaul heavy vehicles. The Integrated Central Workshop (ICWS) in Gazipur can now fix engines,...

Project document flaws stall BR's Dhirashram ICD construction

Building an inland container terminal (ICD) at Dhirasram near Gazipur, aimed at augmenting rail-freight services, stalls as Bangladesh Railways couldn't commence its physical support works long after the project approval, sources say."Due to various clerical errors in the project documents,...

A brief account of Language Movement

Language Movement began in 1947 and reached its climax in the killing of 21 February 1952, and ended in the adoption of Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan. The question as to what would be the state...

Evolution of Bangla from Indo-European language-family

The Indo-European language-family is considered to be the largest in the world. This language-family flourished in vast regions of Europe and some regions of Asia including Persia and India since the ancient era. Its original place of birth extended from...

Huge food items arrive at Ctg port

CHATTOGRAM, Feb 20: A huge amount of essential commodities has already arrived at Chittagong Port ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, with more shipments in the pipeline.Additionally, a substantial quantity of food items are waiting at the outer anchorage...

When the media are considered dispensable

That the media are no longer the primary and dominant source of news is quite understandable. A survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics on behalf of the Media Reform Commission to know how people gather news and the...

Project cost hiked to Tk 149 billion

Long-stalled Bay Terminal infrastructure-building bid resumes with a proposed steep 43.07-percent hike in the project cost to Tk149.09 billion, official sources say. The Ministry of Shipping has submitted this revised proposal to develop support infrastructure for the proposed Bay Terminal...

Info holdback on tax evasion by tycoons deprives exchequer of billions

Information holdback on bank accounts of certain tycoons for the investigation into suspected tax evasion deprives the public exchequer billions of taka, revenue officials said. Revenue sleuths reveal the findings, now that a crackdown on financial and other offences goes...

Making money out of threats to shame cos in AGMs

A group of thugs impersonating investors blackmail listed companies into paying them money. They are known as "AGM parties" among stakeholders of the secondary market for they create undue nuisance, if money is not paid, in annual general meetings held...

Local electrical items overlooked in govt procurement

Electrical and home appliance entrepreneurs have sought equal and fair treatment of domestically-produced goods in government procurements to expand their market and also reduce the pressure on foreign exchange reserves by cutting import dependency.The Bangladesh Electrical, Electronics and Home Appliances...

Let UPS be not a failure

In a welfare state, the provision of a universal pension plays a key role in ensuring social security for the elderly. Developed countries generally offer pensions based on individuals' contributions to pension schemes. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO),...

Trump's Ukraine policy reasserts diplomacy

Russia is finally coming in from the cold.One couldn't have imagined this situation till recently. President Donald Trump, despite the many complaints people have over the nature of his politics in various fields, has dramatically altered conditions where the Russia-Ukraine...

Metro rail company in new dilemma

Dhaka metro-rail company is in a new dilemma over its staff members and those recruited in different projects under its recently drafted service rules.Officials and employees under grade 9 to 16 recruited in Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) threatened...

A misty train ride across Bangladesh's winter heartland

Cloaked in mist, the landscape in the predawn hour was haunting. I leaned against the train door and looked at rural houses, their shapes faintly discernible in thick darkness. Only the green light coming from the displays of digital electricity...

Country needs to brace for climate catastrophe

Bangladesh has to bear the brunt of awful climate impacts though its contribution to global warming is negligible, believed to be less than 0.47 per cent of global emission. The Bonn-based green organisation Germanwatch reaffirmed this phenomenon and focused on...

Spl court rulings limit ACC's ability to quiz accused

The scope for quizzing the accused in corruption cases, especially those filed over major financial scams, becomes narrow for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as the Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka is rejecting pleas to remand the accused despite having...

Tax collection trails target with growth in negative trajectory

Tax collection against the submitted returns declined 1.53 per cent despite extending submission time thrice and the number of returns having increased by 150,000, possibly as the well-off remain on the run. On the other hand, the overall tax receipt...

Ominous market signals before Ramadan

The arrival of the holy month of Ramadan arouses deep concern among all sections of consumers, particularly the low income groups, as the prices of some key essentials record a substantial rise. To ensure a fat profit margin, unscrupulous sections...

USAID freeze: how does it affect world?

Trump administration's freeze on USAID funds has shocked the world of aid. Shutting down of USAID, which last year covered 47 per cent of all humanitarian aid that flowed to the regions of the world in need of food, health...

Trump's neo-imperial ambitions: vestiges of expansionism

Global politics sometimes offers us leaders' territorial expansionist ventures reminiscent of past ambitions. Donald Trump, the 47th US President, wished to place territories like Greenland, Canada, the Gaza Strip, and the Panama Canal under United States' control. These objectives are...

Banks begin lowering both deposit, lending rates

A downturn in gains from investment in government securities prompts banks to begin lowering deposit and lending rates both with their attention now switched to private-sector lending, sources say. According to bankers and money-market analysts, initially, the commercial lenders are...

Halda becoming hazardous for fishes

CHATTOGRAM, Feb 16: The death of dolphins in the Halda River, a part of the national heritage, continues unchecked, as the number of dead dolphins has increased to 45 this year. A dead dolphin was recovered from the Kagatia Canal...