Stocks end flat amid choppy trading

Stocks closed flat with marginal gains on Thursday amid choppy trading as investors followed cautious stance ahead of final approval of the budget. Profit taking on some selected stocks also marked the last working day's trading in the week. The...

DSE up, CSE down at opening

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw positive trend amid see-saw while the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw downward trend in early hours of trading on Thursday, the last trading day of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE,...

Export ban on 5 essentials during Ramadan

The ministry of commerce (MoC) decided Wednesday to ban export of green chilli, brinjal, cucumber, lemon and coriander leaves to increase supply and keep their prices under control during the upcoming month of Ramadan. "The steps have been taken to...

Attack drug traffickers, save drug abusers

Today, June 26, is "International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking" as declared by the United Nations in 1987.  Drug abuses and its illicit trafficking are crippling generations of people all over the world, causing about 200,000 deaths each...

Bangladesh scenario: Bubbles and busts

Bangladesh stock market has a chequered history. Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) started its journey as an incorporated body in 1954. However, formal trading began in 1956. Trading remained suspended during the 1971-1976 period because of the liberation war and the...

An insight into taxing the super rich

In the budget for the next fiscal, a new slab has been proposed at the rate of 30 per cent for individual taxpayers having the annual income of more than Tk 4.42 million (44.20 lakh) with a view to raising...

Protecting the twin engines of growth

In 2008, when the seemingly 'invincible' economies became hostage of the global economic downturn, Bangladesh emerged as a dark horse and rode the storm out admirably. While the superpowers barely managed to bring about any economic growth (with some falling...

Manpower export to ME in tailspin

Manpower export to the oil-rich Gulf countries in the Middle East virtually came to a halt due mainly to failings in diplomatic maneuverings with the recruiting nations, sector-insiders claimed. The crisis seems all the more excruciating as there has been...

VAT makes Internet accessibility costlier

Local hands were losing their competitive edge in the international software outsourcing job market in the wake of the VAT imposed on Internet use, said information technology (IT) sector insiders. The costlier access to Internet was also leaving its impact...

Stocks close higher for third day

Stocks edged another positive session Wednesday for the third running session with increased participation as investors continued on buying mood on large-cap stocks. The market opened with a positive note which continued throughout the session. DSEX, the prime index of...

DSE, CSE open positive

The prices of most of the shares on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw upward trend in sessions on Wednesday, the 4th trading day of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up...

Govt may review proposed tax on mobile handset import

The government is likely to review its proposed tax on import of mobile handsets for the fiscal year (FY) 2014-15 taking possible price hike of the widely-used device into consideration. In the new budget announced on June 5, the Finance...

The arithmetic of govt borrowing

The government, an entity constituted through the expressed will of the people or otherwise, is required to keep the state afloat, in financial terms. It has to manage funds to meet its recurring expenses and finance development activities. Barring the...

EDF for exporters raised by 25pc

Allocation to the export development fund (EDF) has been raised by 25 per cent to US$1.5 billion to meet a growing demand from the exporters, who largely help the current surge in the country's foreign-exchange reserves. The central bank has...

Fees hover around Tk 19,000 instead of Tk 5,000

Authorities of some top colleges in the capital are charging excessive fees from the admission seekers, defying the government's directives, students and guardians alleged. They said some colleges in the metropolitan areas have hung notices seeking admission fees much higher...

Stock markets and economic growth performance

The recent developments in the stock markets of Bangladesh have given rise to considerable divergence of views about its role in economic development, more specifically economic growth, of the country. Some policy makers have termed the market as "wicked" and...

Indian Foreign Minister comes calling

The new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose neighbouring Bhutan for his first foreign trip (June 15-16). And his external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has chosen Bangladesh as the first destination of her bilateral visit. She arrives in Dhaka today...

BTCL to bank on 4G for survival

The state-run telecom operator BTCL is shifting its focus from landlines to wireless data service for survival, officials have said. To this effect, the company has applied to the telecom regulator seeking allocation of spectrum before setting up a network...

India nuke enrichment plant expansion operational in 2015, says IHS

India is expanding a covert uranium enrichment plant that could potentially support the development of thermonuclear weapons, a defense research group said last week, raising the stakes in a regional arms race with China and Pakistan. The revelation highlights the...

Fighting strains Ukraine ceasefire, Putin urges dialogue

Fighting flared between Ukrainian and pro-Moscow separatist forces, both sides reported this week, further straining a unilateral ceasefire declared by Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin pressed Kiev to talk to the rebels. Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, at...

Stocks close higher for second day

Stocks closed higher for the second running session on Tuesday with participation declined slightly as investors remained cautious. The market saw a mixed trend in the first 30 minutes. But, rest of the session it gained amid modest volatility as...

DSE up, CSE down at opening

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw marginal gains while the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed negative trend in early hours of trading on Tuesday, the third trading day of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up...

Independent consultants, experts yet to be appointed

The government is yet to appoint independent consultants and experts as per requirement of the Padma Bridge project though work on all components of the project has already begun, sources said. The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), executing agency of the...

Tax benefit on dividend declaration set to continue

The government is set to continue tax benefit on dividend declaration for the publicly listed companies in the upcoming fiscal year (FY), sources concerned said. In the Finance Bill-2014, the government proposed to scrap existing tax rebate at a rate...

BB withdraws excess liquidity from market with higher CRR

The central bank raised the cash reserve requirement (CRR) by 50 basis points to 6.50 per cent for the commercial banks. The move is aimed at reducing inflationary pressure on the economy by way of withdrawing excess liquidity from the...

It\\\'s for BBS to end GDP controversy

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has questioned the country's economic growth estimates prepared by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) for the outgoing fiscal year. According to the CPD, gross domestic product (GDP) cannot grow at so high rate...

The President\\\'s meeting with the UN Secretary-General

The initial news of the meeting of the President of Bangladesh with the UN Secretary General in the Bangladesh media emanated from official Bangladesh sources, from aides of the President accompanying him and/or the Bangladesh Mission in New York. It...

World Cup 2014 and soccer prowess

"Bangladeshi players can't hit big sixes regularly as most of them have grown up eating only ‘khichudi’ and no orange juice!" After that remark from the country's leading all-rounder, this writer was thinking for some time if there is any...

Slot shortage may hamper hajj flights

Uncertainty looms large over carrying Hajj pilgrims by Biman Bangladesh Airlines as the national flag carrier has yet to manage the necessary number of slots, which determine timings for arrival and departure of flights, from the Saudi Arabian authorities. About...

150pc hike in toiletries\\\' prices in 5 years

The prices of almost all types of toiletries, specially detergent powder have increased many folds in the last five years, affecting the common people gravely, trading sources said. According to traders, prices of detergent powder almost tripled and other toiletries...