Achieving the twin goals: Growth with equity

'It is now clear that more than a decade of rapid growth in underdeveloped countries has been of little or no benefit to perhaps a third of their population. Although the average per capita income of the Third World has...

Many businesses sans new BIN risk incurring invalidity

Government's revenue authority observed a bleak scenario of obtaining new VAT-registration numbers with only 26.5 per cent of the existing businesses having registered so far, although old ones will be invalid soon. Those businesses who submit VAT returns are still...

Turkish cuisine seeks place at the table

In a bid to banish stereotypes of late-night greasy fast food, Turkish chefs are trying to burnish their image by showcasing the culinary riches the country has to offer. A new breed of cooks has shaken up the Istanbul food...

Changing agricultural policies

Bangladesh's agricultural policies evolved in the last four decades in response to changing needs of time. Immediately after independence, as we may recall, policies were formulated keeping in view the strategic role of the public sector. It was a time...

A fresh look at the Afghan War

With the Syria crisis dominating headlines, few are paying attention to America's longest war. In fact, the war in Afghanistan has hardly been mentioned in the early months of US President Donald Trump's administration, despite the presence of two experienced...

Taxpayers may submit revised returns

Taxpayers under the universal self-assessment method may enjoy some relief like submission of their revised returns and relaxed auditing of their tax files in the upcoming fiscal year. Tax files of the taxpayers won't be audited or scrutinised in case...

BD rethinks MIP of some Indian goods

Dhaka is reconsidering minimum import price (MIP) of some products as India said its exports to Bangladesh hit hindrance following a pricing order, officials said. The statutory regulatory order (SRO) was issued in July last year which had modified MIP...

Meghalaya mining effluent makes cropland barren in Sunamganj

SUNAMGANJ, June 04: People of five bordering villages in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj district have already lost their homesteads and cultivable lands due to sand and mining effluent that also filled two haors in the locality with its sediments and...

Remittance inflow rises 16pc

The flow of inward remittance jumped by more than 16 per cent in May this year over that of the previous month. It was estimated at $1.27 billion in May 2017, up by about $175 million from $1.09 billion in...

Let\'s be more close to the nature

This year people observing the World Environment Day with a call to establish closer connection with nature and keep the planet inhabitable. Saving the natural world and keeping the environment friendly to human habitation is also a motto of observing...

The looming disaster

Today Bangladesh is standing at the crossroads of economic development. On one hand, there is the lure of advancement towards the economic gains of the modern world, whereas, on the other, there exist a plethora of challenges that impede its...

Malaysian youths embrace world of cosplay

From Monday to Friday, Hafizah Rashid works as a medical laboratory technician in the Malaysian capital. But on the weekends she is a superhero. The 33-year-old is one of a growing number of Muslim women embracing the world of cosplay...

Connecting people to Nature

The United Nations in 1972 declared June 05 as World Environment Day to raise public awareness about the need to preserve and improve the environment. The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972, led to...

Budget: Fusion of vote and VAT?

Bangladeshis are now caught between hope and despair. The source of hope, false or real, are the claims made by a section of policymakers about high-sounding economic achievements and future growth prospects to impress the electorates. The people are, however,...

Vive l\'Euro?

Emmanuel Macron's victory in the French presidential election on May 07 triggered a surge of optimism about the future of the European Union (EU), and the eurozone in particular. This is partly because Macron ran an unambiguously pro-EU campaign, and...

Budget FY18: Common people put at disadvantage

National budget is not only the annual financial statement but also a reflection of the economic philosophy of the government. The current philosophy is market maximisation and state minimisation. To put it bluntly, it is the prioritisation of profit and...

Defeated, yet Bangladesh lives to its ICC rating

Bangladesh lost the opening match of the ICC Champion's Trophy to England but it was a defeat that has not humiliated the team in anyway. For 40 overs of its innings, the first of the match having been put in...

CSR in the banking sector

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is gaining increasing importance. The driving force behind it is the pressure from various stakeholders (importers, environmentalists, etc.) while the impediments are lack of good governance, absence of strong labour unions and consumer...

The divergence of US and British populism

Britain, France, the United States -- which is the odd one out politically? The answer seems obvious. Last year's Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and the election of Donald Trump in the United States were the twin symbols of...

On whose head rest our loads

Friday night at around 10 PM I ventured into Kawran Bazar in search of quality Langra Mango for a bargain price. The surrounding of the wholesale fruit market was extremely filthy. I felt so squeamish at the sight of mucks...

Mandatory for all private executives

Submission of income-tax returns is likely to be made mandatory for all private-sector executives and officers in management position from July 01 under a new law. The Finance Bill 2017 holds this provision as the government bids for bringing onto...

Stocks stay positive for 2nd week on budget hype

Stocks extended the winning spell for the two consecutive weeks that ended Thursday as some investors showed their buying appetite on bank issues amid optimism. Brokers said the market maintained the positive trend for the second week in a row...

Of books and the reading habit

The word 'publication' means the act of publishing and also indicates printed copies of any newspaper, magazine, journal etc. There are varieties of publication materials in the forms of books, bulletins, booklets, leaflets, newsletters, pamphlet etc. A book is a...

Upshots of Trump\'s Middle East tour

Within Trump's 100 days as President of the United States, the world has entered a period of increasing unpredictability. Global challenges are multiplying, and the international order is visibly under grave threat. President Trump's recent visits to Riyadh, Jerusalem and...

The power of negativity in doing damage

When it comes to socio-economic development efforts in a developing economy like Bangladesh, negative perceptions might create absolute obstacles to the due development process. Sense of national integrity and firm commitment to the overall development might lose its speed and...

Iraq must invest in education to secure its future

Even though 200,000 people - 85,000 of them children - continue to be trapped in the violence raging in west Mosul's Old City area, work is ongoing to re-open 47 schools in the areas of west Mosul that were retaken...

Connecting farmers

The era of the predominance of rice in Bangladeshi diets seems to be weakening gradually. The reasons are not far to seek as urbanisation, sustained income growth and decline in poverty "are continuing to change consumption patterns and heighten demand...

Tk 20b for recapitalisation of SoBs against Tk 147b shortfall

The budgetary allocation for state-owned banks' (SoBs) recapitalisation has remained unchanged at Tk 20 billion for the next fiscal year (FY) against capital shortfall of over Tk 147 billion. The government was set to provide Tk 20 billion for recapitalisation...

Muhith unveils yet another \'ambitious\' budget

Finance Minister AMA Muhith placed Thursday a Tk. 4.0 trillion-plus 'ambitious' budget for the financial year (FY) 2017-18 in the Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) banking heavily on value added tax (VAT) and income tax for bankrolling it. But given the...

Preventing AIDS in children

Despite enormous progress, the AIDS epidemic remains one of the major critical issues of our time. The situation is dire for children - especially for adolescent girls. AIDS is a leading cause of death of adolescents globally - and in...