Execution challenging, say trade bodies

The proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 has been met with cautious approval by leading trade bodies, who praised its intent but flagged serious concerns about its implementation.While acknowledging the Finance Adviser's effort to address inflation, unemployment, and...

FY 25-26 budget reactions

Eid cattle trade begins in Dhaka city

The official sale of sacrificial animals commenced in the capital from Tuesday, ahead of Eid-ul-Azha which will be celebrated nationwide on June 7.In line with tradition, temporary cattle markets-locally known as haats-began operating four days before the festival.This year, a...

High-level body to be formed for review

The government is going to form a high-level committee to review the recently promulgated Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 due to widespread objections from government employees, reports UNB.Law Adviser Asif Nazrul made the announcement while speaking to reporters after receiving...

Govt employees, pensioners to get special incentives from July

Government employees and pensioners will receive a special incentive ranging between 10 per cent and 15 per cent, effective from July this year, says a finance ministry notification.It said that employees in Grades 1 to 9 will enjoy a 10...

LNG re-gasification hits record high at 1,050 mmcfd

Bangladesh's liquefied natural gas (LNG) re-gasification reached its highest level ever on Monday as the regular berthing of LNG tankers to the floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) resumed, following last week's rough weather in the Bay of Bengal.The country's...

Merchandise export earnings see double-digit growth in May

The country's single-month merchandise-export earnings in May 2025 witnessed a double-digit growth of 11.45 per cent year on year to fetch US$4.73 billion due to the sustained performance of ready-made garment industry.Bangladesh earned $4.25 billion in May 2024, according to...

Prayer Timings (2025-06-04)

BD becoming self-reliant in air shipment of its exports

A surprise Indian restriction on aerial transshipment taboo on Bangladesh exports turns a blessing in disguise with the latter poised to become self-reliant in air shipment, officials say. Airfreight facilities are taking a facelift at all the country's internationalairports in...

Budget not consistent with July spirit of equity, employment: CPD

Economic-policy analysts at the CPD see the interim government's maiden budget paradoxical to July spirit of equity for its customary fiscal measures and take exception to the black-money-whitening provision in particular.The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) says although the proposed...

Inflation to fall to 7.0pc by Sept

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur on Tuesday expressed hope that the rate of inflation would fall to 7.0 per cent by this September, paving the way for lowering the policy interest rate.He said there were two big challenges -...

Budget framed within means for easing life: Salehuddin

This budget is framed realistically within the means and for easing people's life, sans growth hypes of yesteryears, interim government's high-ups said to defend its maiden budgetary measures with curtailed spending on fund-guzzling development schemes. At a post-budget press meet...

Black money whitening not commendable

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has acknowledged that the opportunity to whiten black money in the proposed national budget is not a commendable measure and hinted that this provision might be reviewed, if required. In the proposed budget for the...

Transformative trade dynamics in Trump era

Yanis Varoufakis, globally respected political economy thinker and former finance minister of Greece recently in an article wrote: “Trump understands how raw economic power, not marginal productivity, decides who does what to whom — both domestically and internationally”. Yes, economic...

Bangladesh's export future: education and research is the key

In the globalised economy, the countries that have risen fastest and sustained growth longest are those that embraced exports. The 2008 World Bank Growth Report is unequivocal: countries with outward-oriented policies consistently outperformed those looking inward. For Bangladesh, a country...

Gig economy 3.0: Freelancers embracing AI

As reported by the Oxford Internet Institute, Bangladesh has emerged as a significant player in the global freelance market, ranking among the top 10 countries for online labour. With over 650,000 freelancers and a tech-savvy youth population, the country has...

Textile waste to fashion product

Bangladesh, the world's second-largest exporter of garments, has significantly shaped the global fashion industry by supplying affordable, high-quality clothing. However, this achievement comes at an environmental cost. The country's ready-made garment (RMG) sector generates an estimated 400,000 tonnes of textile...

Biotechnology to boost agro productivity

With the world's population rising rapidly, the challenge of feeding billions of hungry mouths has reached a critical point. Meeting this demand will require a dramatic increase in agricultural productivity -- nearly double the current levels -- within the next...

FY'26 Budget: Conventional but rooted in ground reality

As expected, the national budget for the 2025-26 financial year, unveiled by Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday last, lacked the usual ambience, uproar, and thumping of tables by lawmakers -- whether elected genuinely or otherwise -- in parliament....

No quick success in 'complex' Ukraine talks, says Russia

MOSCOW, June 03 (AFP): Russia on Tuesday said it was wrong to expect a quick breakthrough in Ukraine talks, a day after Moscow rejected Kyiv's call for an unconditional ceasefire at negotiations in Istanbul.The sides agreed on a large-scale swap...

South Korea's Lee will win by landslide

SEOUL, June 03 (AFP): Lee Jae-myung of the left-leaning Democratic Party is on track to win South Korea's presidential election by a landslide, exit polls showed Tuesday, with turnout high after months of political chaos.Six months to the day after...

At least 27 people killed, over 90 injured

GAZA, June 03 (AFP): Rescuers said the Israeli military killed at least 27 people near a US-backed aid centre in Gaza on Tuesday, with the army reporting it had fired on "suspects who advanced toward the troops".The UN human rights...

Handmade bangles are winning hearts online

At first glance, they might seem like simple accessories-vibrant, painted bangles worn on wrists that clink softly with every move. But in the hands of young artisans like Samiha Mehreen Muhasana, these churis are becoming more than just tradition. They...

The call of home echoes louder than Eid bells

From advertisements to television programs, the muddy roads and the smells of cows leave no doubt that Eid has arrived. The dream that pulled us away from home to unknown paths now calls us back to the house of dreams....

Easily attainable target to lure cos into listing

Listed companies may get a tax rebate by 2.5 percentage points to 20 per cent for FY26 and FY27 if income from all sources is transacted through banks, according to the budget laid out on Monday. The conditions for the...

Tax Rates

Govt to raise foodgrain procurement target for FY'26

After securing an impressive 3.38 million tonnes of foodgrain for public storage in the outgoing fiscal year (FY2024-25), the government has set a higher procurement target of 3.7 million tonnes for the upcoming fiscal year (FY2025-26).To meet this target, the...

Tk 41.66b for free medical services to poor

The Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed proposed allocating an additional Tk 41.66 billion for providing free medical services to the poor in the country in his budget speech for the 2025-26 fiscal year on Monday.An allocation of Tk 10 billion for...

Decline in agro growth hits overall economy in FY'25

Bangladesh's agricultural growth has dropped significantly in the outgoing fiscal year (FY2024-25), falling to just 1.79 per cent compared to 3.3 per cent in FY2023-24.Experts warn that this notable slowdown in agriculture-the country's largest employment-generating sector-could have a ripple effect...

Tk 1.0b fund to be introduced to back up young entrepreneurs

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Monday proposed to introduce a new fund of Tk1.0 billion for supporting the young entrepreneurs, as well as another Tk1.0 billion fund to hold youth festival."I propose to create a new fund of Tk1.0...