What factors matter in attracting FDI?

Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an important role in the long-run economic growth of a country. FDI develops productive capacity through transfer in technology, enhances domestic labour skills through global managerial practices and contributes to human capital development. FDI assists...

Infatuated with extremism

When people go missing leaving no trace whatsoever, a chilling sensation runs down the spine of the people in general. But for the near and dear ones of the missing person the fear is not as overwhelming as the pains...

Reforming Drug (mal) Administration

The verdict and the accompanying observation made by the Drug Court judge in the Rid Pharma's spurious paracetamol syrup case last month did tell amply about the state of affairs with the Drug Administration (DA), the regulatory body in the...

The complexity of inequality

Since 2013, when Thomas Piketty published his much-discussed study of the distribution of income and wealth, inequality has been at the forefront of public debate in most advanced economies, blamed for everything from slow growth and stagnating productivity to the...

Big hike in Ctg port service tariffs on the cards

A high-powered government committee has proposed increasing the tariffs of different services at the Chittagong seaport by five to six times the existing rates set 30 years ago. Officials said the government considered raising the tariffs as a strategy to...

Remittances: An incipient scissors crisis

There is much concern that one of the mainstays of the country's balance of payments, remittances, is on an alarming downward slide since the last fiscal year. Remittances declined by 2.52 per cent in 2015-16 and the data for the...

75-80pc consumers think VAT never goes to govt

A study has found high-level mistrust among the people regarding VAT, as about 75-80 per cent of consumers think that their VAT payment never goes to the government account. The study, conducted by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), also...

Call to reinforce efforts for Saudi investment

Leaders of the country's business community on Saturday urged the government to take initiative to tap Saudi entrepreneurs' proposed investment in different sectors. The Saudi businessmen had expressed their profound interest to invest in infrastructure, communication, power, plastic, bitumen, petroleum,...

Remittances: An incipient scissors crisis

Remittance outflows in recent years from countries from which Bangladesh receives most of its remittances are shown in Table 1 below. Remittance statistics of all gulf countries are not easily available beyond 2014, the year when oil price crashed. Remittance...

Trumponomics: Where supply-side meets demand-side

Something very interesting is going to happen in the realm of economic policy making and budgetary practice if US President-elect Donald Trump makes good on his electoral promise about bringing about changes in the American economy. This may see the...

Trade in a growing protectionist era

The most high-profile example of protectionist sentiments in recent times led by the US has been the trans-Pacific deal. However, as things look now, it is as good as dead after the election victory of Donald Trump in November 2016.   ...

BR moving slow on progress-track

The Bangladesh Railway (BR) could not make the desired-level of progress despite a 60 per cent yearly investment increase during the last seven years, experts said. According to official record, 70 per cent of some Tk 250-billion allocation during the...

Sales of winter clothes rising as mercury heads downward

Sales of winter clothes have been on rise in different city markets including footpath-based floating shops with gradual fall in mercury, shoppers have said. According to them, sales of winter clothes such as sweaters, jackets, coats, jersey, Sleeve T-Shirts, blankets,...

Domestic investment dull, foreign rather upbeat

The registration of domestic investment proposals continues to be sluggish though foreign and joint-venture proposals show a substantial rise. The development according to officials and some trade body leaders, belies the anticipated slowdown after the deadly Gulshan café attack. Bangladesh...

Dredging gives Titas new lease of life

Titas Upazila in Comilla district nowadays witnesses uninterrupted movement of water vessels in the Titas and normal operation of the irrigation network in the immediate vicinity following dredging of a channel of the river under a project undertaken by the...

Slovenia wants to extend co-op in beekeeping, honey cultivation

Slovenia wants to extend cooperation in the areas of climate change, trade, agricultural technology and knowledge sharing, especially beekeeping and honey cultivation. During a recent visit to Bangladesh, a 13-member Slovenian delegation has also shown interest to boost trade and...

Chinese entrepreneurs may invest in BD pharma sector

The Chinese entrepreneurs have expressed their interest to invest in pharmaceutical sector considering its potential and existing investment-friendly climate in Bangladesh, said a top business leader of the country. "The Chinese entrepreneurs see Bangladesh as a country for investment. They...

Stocks keep winning streak for six straight weeks

Stocks witnessed yet another bullish week that ended on Thursday, with key index of the premier bourse hitting 23 months' high amid growing confidence of investors. Analysts said the market maintained the upbeat trend for the six consecutive weeks as...

Sartorial elegance vs branding

Since when have Bangladesh farmers, fishermen, labourers of varying types started wearing trousers instead of lungi or loin clothes? It is difficult to keep count. But it can safely be assumed that it has a strong relation to costs. Readymade...

Success of Bangladesh\'s \"Green Factories\" in RMG sector

Bangladesh should rejoice at the news that seven industrial units of the country have ranked among the top 10 on a list of the world's 25 most environment-friendly factories. Until recently, Bangladesh's readymade garment (RMG) sector had been highly criticised...

PMO for expediting move to turn PKB into scheduled bank

In the face of declining remittance inflow, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked the authorities concerned to expedite the process of turning Probashi Kallyan Bank (PKB) into a scheduled bank. This is a strategy to widen formal channels and...

83pc rise in capital machinery imports

The country's overall imports grew by 14.75 per cent in the first four months of the current fiscal year (FY), thanks to a jump by nearly 83 per cent in import of capital machinery, officials said. "The overall imports increased...

The future of migration governance

We live in a rapidly evolving, hyper-connected world, where goods, capital, and people are more mobile than ever before. But, whereas countries have shown a willingness to cooperate on exchanging goods and capital, the international community has shown little appetite...

Women\'s leadership in politics, development

Women's leadership role in political spheres as well as development activities remains a serious concern worldwide. Recognition of the importance of women's effective participation and representation in democratic processes has been widely acknowledged, and also that genuine democratic elections must...

Let justice be done in paracetamol case

The furore over the acquittal of the accused in the Rid Pharma paracetamol syrup case is not for nothing. It is not the 'not guilty' verdict that is in question. In fact the flaws left rather deliberately by the investigating...

Competition Commission: Emerging challenges

As the world commemorated the World Competition Day on December 05, 2016, it is critical to note that four years after the enactment of the Competition Act-2012, the country has finally got its implementing agency, the Competition Commission. A chairman...

How to start a start-up

Start-ups are very different from regular companies. For a profitable start-up, one would need to have the centre of attention on four areas-- a great idea, a great product, an excellent team and a wonderful execution. One may fail as...

Govt ill-prepared to exact revenue gains

The revenue department looks ill-prepared to exact due gains from the merger, acquisition (M&A) and sale of shares by foreign companies.        Senior tax officials admitted such a shortcoming and the urgency of equipping the tax department with adequate skilled manpower...

Tax receipts from DSE down 11pc in Jul-Nov

The government revenue earnings from the premier bourse fell 11 per cent year-on-year in the first five months of the current fiscal year (FY) on the back of falling trade volumes. Market insiders said on the back of falling trade...

Reform -- key to double-digit growth

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) maintains that reforms in several areas of the economy are necessary for achieving double-digit growth. The BIDA told the Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) on November 22, 2016 that identifying what is bad in order...