Reforms a must for settling taxation disputes

For quite some time, the world has been observing an incredible upward curve of the Bangladesh economy. Without any doubt, today's Bangladesh is an emerging force to be reckoned with. But unfortunately the taxation system of the country is not...

Child budget and our expectations

Bangladesh has made substantial progress in reducing poverty. We have seen consistent 6 per cent economic growth coupled with social development throughout the last decade. Bangladesh is now one of the sixteen countries of the world where the goals of...

Risk management practices and limitations in banking sector

The most-talked-about issue in the recent banking arena is risk management which is considered to be the prudential means for ensuring sustainability as well as financial stability of banking business. The role of risk management is very critical in the...

When a marriage ends abruptly

Wedding in the evening and divorce by the next morning! This sounds incredulous but it is not. It happened in a village of Bijnor district under Uttar Pradesh, India. The crux of the matter was an alleged theft by relatives...

Crisis of safe drinking water in coastal areas

In Bangladesh, approximately 20 million people are living in coastal areas, continuously struggling for safe potable water. The majority of them depend on surface water for drinking purpose.  Seasonal calendar shows that pond water is generally used from mid-November to...

Brexit: The trade costs of leaving the EU

The "Brexiteers" - those who want Britain to leave the European Union (EU) - argue that their goal would be virtually cost-free and have no effect on the United Kingdom's global trade. They are wrong. On June 23, when voters...

Water and woes

WaterAid is a registered charity having network in many countries of the world. While visiting its stall at Copenhagen in connection with the 4th Congress on Women, this writer received a 'Brief' on the State of the World's Water 2016....

Power Division seeks Tk 50b more in next ADP

The Power Division has sought to pump up the budgetary target in the next fiscal year by Tk 50 billion (Tk 5,000 crore) for implementation of its different development projects successfully, officials said. "The division has sought an additional allocation...

Govt set to backtrack on new VAT, SD Act implementation

The government is likely to backtrack on its move to implement the new VAT and Supplementary Duty (SD) Act in the upcoming fiscal year following agitation of businesses and less preparedness of both taxmen and taxpayers. The National Board of...

Cabinet purchase body to approve nine projects involving Tk 47.25b

The cabinet committee on public purchase is set to approve next month a total of nine projects involving over Tk 47.25 billion that include construction of dual gauge double rail and conversion of the existing rail line into dual gauge...

Towards a fruitful teaching profession

An education system is only as good as its teachers. Teachers play the main role to ensure universal and quality education for all. They are central to shaping the minds and attitudes of the future generations to deal with new...

Deterrent to arbitrary arrest and torture in remand

An 18-year-long legal battle has finally come to a happy culmination with the Supreme Court (SC) upholding the High Court (HC) verdict delivered on arrest on suspicion by the police and torture in remand. The HC ruling made it clear...

Shady link of FDI with tax havens

Globally, tax havens and offshore jurisdictions are attracting huge amounts of foreign direct investment (FDI) when many developing countries are not receiving their required FDI even providing a lot of incentives. Again, outward FDI from the offshore secret jurisdictions are...

Ctg port braces for higher target

The ministry of shipping (MoS) has set a target of handling 54.50 million tonnes of goods at the the country's prime seaport in the next fiscal year, up by nearly 7.0 per cent, officials have said. In the current fiscal...

Corporate tax target at risk as banks\' profit declines

Lower growth in operating profit of major corporate taxpayers has put the revenue authorities in the soup as far as attaining its tax collection target for the current fiscal year (FY) is concerned. The Large Taxpayers Unit of the revenue...

BR plans overbridges, underpasses

Bangladesh Railway (BR) will have to spend minimum one billion taka for developing road infrastructures between Dhaka and Narayanganj as they find it difficult for them to close unauthorised level crossings. BR has already taken a move to close five...

The festival of making things—big or small

What happens when you are in Bangladesh and not in Silicon Valley? There are big questions of 'if' and 'how'.  Do we have the right institutions, the resources, the money, the tools, accessibility to investors and producers who can and...

Govt looks to keep inflation rate at 5.8pc in next fiscal

Despite some risk factors, the government is likely to keep the inflation rate at 5.8 per cent in the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2016-17. The inflation target was estimated considering the existing prices of essential commodities including petroleum products in...

Not money\'s worth

If the projection made in a recent survey carried out by the Roads and Highways Department (RHD turns out to be true, the much-discussed Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway project would serve as a classic example of the way an incompetent and...

Cheap cigarette taxes likely to go up

The government might increase both price slab and tax rates of cheap cigarettes in the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2016-17 with the aim to reduce the consumption of the item. Price slab for 10-stick packet of cigarettes is likely...

Most of the listed MNCs maintain steady dividend growth trend

Most of the multinational companies (MNCs) listed with the local bourses declared significant amount of cash dividends for the year ended on December 31, 2015, maintaining their profit growth. Majority of the 13 listed multinational companies that account for 26...

Erdogan\'s misplaced sympathy for Bangladesh war criminals

While Pakistan went through a rather subdued routine of protesting execution of their one-time collaborators-the war criminals of Bangladesh-the Turkish President Erdogan has chosen to make louder noises with repeated outbursts against the trial and execution of what he thinks...

West Bengal and Assam election results: Not good news for Bangladesh

India had elections at the state level in a number of states including two crucial ones from Bangladesh's point of view. These two states are West Bengal and Assam. In both, particularly Assam, Bangladesh had figured as a crucial issue...

Holding price hike in check during Ramadan

There is a plenty of supply of commodities which will be of high demand during the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, price situation should remain normal. The ministry of commerce has prepared a report showing the supply, marketing and price...

Agriculture still a key driver of Bangladesh economy

At the birth of Bangladesh as an independent country agriculture was the mainstay of the economy, contributing over 70 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). It employed about 75 per cent of the labour force and allowed 80...

Dhaka to protest Delhi\'s jute goods dumping allegation

Bangladesh has decided to strongly protest the Indian allegation of dumping jute goods at a hearing in New Delhi early next month, officials said. "We are sending jute goods to India at competitive prices. There is no question of dumping...

Import growth registers slight downward trend

The country's overall import growth witnessed a slightly downward trend in the first nine months of the current fiscal year (FY) due to falling trend of prices of commodities including fuel oil in the global market, officials said. The import...

New VAT law to ‘deal blow to agro-processing industry\'

Nearly 500 agro-processing units of the country are likely to suffer a major blow after the new Value Added Tax (VAT) law takes effect from July 01 next, sector insiders fear. According to them, imposition of new VAT will put...

US firms invest in China amid rising tensions

Apple and 28 other US enterprises have announced their decision to invest in China to the tune of over $5.14 billion on May 13 and 14 respectively. Apple, the major American technology company, of course, has reasons to be more...

Supply side, demand side, or innovation side?

It has become impossible to deny the so-called secular stagnation gripping the world's most developed economies: Wealth is piling up, but real wages are barely rising and labour force participation has been on a downward trend. Worse yet, policymakers have...