Ascending the ladder of growth

According to the World Bank statistics, Bangladesh is  now a lower middle-income country with a per capita annual income of US$1,080. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), however, puts it at US$1,314. Naturally our immediate next target is to become a...

Will a single-digit lending rate spur investment?

The Awami League-led government has initiated yet another drive to a single-digit lending rate in 2015 after six years of its similar endeavour. The then minister for industry, Dilip Barua, talked a lot about interest sensibility on investment in 2010...

Europe\\\'s last straw ?

The European Union (EU) is facing a truly terrifying array of crises. After prolonged euro and sovereign-debt crises polarized and radicalized the continent, creating a deep north-south rift, the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees has pitted east (plus...

‘Raise number of CNG autos to 50,000 to end fare chaos’

Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) has urged the government to implement CNG Auto Rickshaw Service Rules 2007, increase the number of autos from present 13,000 to 50,000, and take specific actions against hike of daily deposit by of auto-owners....

Stocks extend losing spell for four-session

Stocks fell for the four consecutive sessions Monday with turnover remaining sluggish as investors continued on selling mood amid weak sentiment. The market was positive for a brief period at opening and rest of the session declined steadily. DSEX, the...

Stocks down at opening

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw downward trend in early hour of trading on Monday, the second session of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went down by 8.16 points or 0.18...

Tk 140.5b default loans to be restructured

The central bank has so far cleared proposals of 10 business groups for restructuring their large loans worth Tk 140.48 billion, according to sources. A total of 22 commercial banks had earlier submitted the proposals to the Bangladesh Bank (BB),...

DTCA okays Rajuk flyover project defying its own city transport plan

The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) approved a flyover project of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) defying its own city transport plan that is supposed to be followed over the next 20 years. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader announced...

Strict financial reporting act to help broaden the depth of stock market

The stock market regulators should go for positive reinforcement in terms of further tax advantage and tax holiday and minimize the chance of earning manipulation by introducing strict financial reporting act that will cover both non-listed and listed companies. "I...

\\\'Bureaucratic tangles hinder atar export\\\'

Export of agar atar, a new potential exportable item, has remained suspended for last three months due to some procedural complexities, putting shipment target this fiscal year at risk, sector insiders said. They said delay in issuing export certificates, difficulties...

Now comes Project Preparatory Fund

The government is now working on fixing modalities for the formation of Project Preparatory Fund (PPF) that will complete preliminary activities before the launch of projects, officials said. A high official of the finance ministry said the Ministry of Planning...

Confronting the coming liquidity crisis

This month, Group of Twenty (G-20) leaders will meet in Antalya, Turkey, for their tenth summit since the 2007 global financial crisis. But, despite all of these meetings -- high-profile events involving top decision-makers from the world's most influential economies...

Sanchayapatras facilitate welfare of millions

This refers to a recently-published article styled as "Sanchayapatra- A Trojan horse" (not in the FE) by B P Paul, Chief Economist of the Bangladesh Bank. It has been argued that good sale of savings certificates is an anathema to...

The wealthiest vs. the richest

The list of 20 wealthiest countries in terms of private wealth held by individuals has just been published. Johannesburg-based The New World Wealth, a research consultancy, does the tracking of the global wealth sector. So far as the finding is...

When \\\'gifts\\\' are questionable

The taking of motor vehicles as 'gifts' from private parties by different police stations and building of 'police boxes' at busy intersections of the city by business firms in major cities, including capital Dhaka, for on-duty police personnel have become...

Confronting the coming liquidity crisis

This month, Group of Twenty (G-20) leaders will meet in Antalya, Turkey, for their tenth summit since the 2007 global financial crisis. But, despite all of these meetings -- high-profile events involving top decision-makers from the world's most influential economies...

Sanchayapatras facilitate welfare of millions

This refers to a recently-published article styled as "Sanchayapatra- A Trojan horse" (not in the FE) by B P Paul, Chief Economist of the Bangladesh Bank. It has been argued that good sale of savings certificates is an anathema to...

The wealthiest vs. the richest

The list of 20 wealthiest countries in terms of private wealth held by individuals has just been published. Johannesburg-based The New World Wealth, a research consultancy, does the tracking of the global wealth sector. So far as the finding is...

When \\\'gifts\\\' are questionable

The taking of motor vehicles as 'gifts' from private parties by different police stations and building of 'police boxes' at busy intersections of the city by business firms in major cities, including capital Dhaka, for on-duty police personnel have become...

European ministers praise BD’s dev at Luxembourg meet

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali met a number of his European counterparts on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) foreign ministers’ meet in Luxembourg. The ministers appreciated sustained progress in Bangladesh, particularly in terms of development of energy...

‘Developed countries destroying climate equilibrium’

Lack of institutional capacity in climate change finance governance is the greatest challenge for countries like Bangladesh to get access to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to cope and adapt with the effects of climate change. Speakers at a daylong...

DSEX dips below 4,500-mark

Stocks witnessed yet another bearish session on Sunday, extending the losing spell for the third straight sessions with key index of the prime bourse dipping below the 4,500-mark as investors' selling frenzy continued. The market opened with a downbeat note...

Taiwanese business couple attack suspect grilled

A Dhaka court has granted police three days to grill ‘Jahangir’, suspected of involvement in the attack on a Taiwanese business couple in Uttara. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Emdadul Haque granted the questioning after rejecting Jahangir’s bail petition on Saturday afternoon....

DSE, CSE down at opening

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw downward trend in early hour of trading on Sunday, the opening session of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went down by 11.61 points or 0.25...

NBR detects Tk 26b VAT evasion by BPC, cos under it

Authorities are upbeat about the prospect of recouping the initial revenue shortfall as taxmen discovered, in their current search for defaults, a stash of unpaid VAT with the state-owned oil marketing companies.     Officials said the National Board of Revenue (NBR)...

Global Nutrition Report 2015: A clarion call for action

This writer was on his way to attend the launching ceremony of the Global Nutrition Report 2015. It was arranged by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on  November 04, 2015.  The car had to stop for a while...

What to do about debt

Over the last few months, a great deal of attention has been devoted to financial-market volatility. But as frightening as the ups and downs of stock prices can be, they are mere froth on the waves compared to the real...

Two up, two down

At first sight the first news cheered us up somewhat while the second created a dash of despair, cancelling the feel-good effect engendered by the first. The two news items on business environment in the country prepared by the World...

Global Nutrition Report 2015: A clarion call for action

This writer was on his way to attend the launching ceremony of the Global Nutrition Report 2015. It was arranged by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on  November 04, 2015.  The car had to stop for a while...

What to do about debt

Over the last few months, a great deal of attention has been devoted to financial-market volatility. But as frightening as the ups and downs of stock prices can be, they are mere froth on the waves compared to the real...