The necessity of a transport research institute

Road and transport research work now-a-days is not only confined to developed nations but it is now also being exercised in developing nations like India, Malaysia, etc. Bangladesh is one of the emerging nations, but its higher population density with...

For public toilets in capital free of cost

In 1925, the great Indian politician Mahatma Gandhi said, "Sanitation is more important than independence". This sentence is very simple but important and meaningful. He realized that people are suffering lots of health and environmental problems due to lack of...

Politicians are ensnared: is there any way out?

The welfare, development, peace and plethora of a country are at the hands of the politicians who are responsible and vested with the specific tasks. The duties and responsibilities of the politicians, political leaders and the citizens at large are...

From the finite to the infinity

Thirteen years of age is considered raw and tender by any standard but for a handful of specially gifted persons this is enough to gain immortality. Two teenagers of this age have created history by becoming the world's youngest ever...

Merchant banks, stock brokers in dire straits

Very low turnover coupled with non-payment of a large amount of outstanding loans by the clients for long have put a good number of merchant banks and stock brokers in serious financial difficulty, market insiders said. According to the officials...

Chinese cos intensify lobbying for deep seaport contract

Lobbying on the part of the prospective Chinese firms has intensified, of late, over the strong indication that Dhaka and Beijing might strike a framework deal next month on the construction of a deep seaport at Sonadia at an estimated...

Dissolve BASIC Bank board: BB

The central bank has recommended the government to take action against the board of directors of BASIC Bank Limited in line with the existing Banking Companies Act. "We've recommended the government for taking action against the board of directors of...

BPO set to expand EMTS to grassroots level

Bangladesh Post Office (BPO) is set to expand its Electronic Money Transfer Service (EMTS) to door steps of people across the country with a view to recovering its lost glory, a high official said. The official said expansion of the...

98,731 apply for re-scrutiny of SSC exam papers

Despite glorious results of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations, a considerable number of students have challenged the published results and applied for reassessment of their examination papers. According to official data, a total of 98,731 SSC and its...

cellbazar.com renamed as ‘ekhanei.com’

cellbazar.com, a leading online marketplace in Bangladesh, has been renamed as "ekhanei.com", which will be formally launched in next week. Formerly owned by Telenor Group, the company will now be run under a joint venture (JV) partnering with another Norwegian...

Stopping leakage of question papers: A general approach

Stopping leaking of examination question papers has become urgent. This plague, if continues, will push the nation to the bottom while impoverishing education. The Financial Express published two articles on the issue on May 13 and May 22. The first...

Guarding against fraudulent activities in mobile banking

Cell phone has added a new dimension to money transaction and banking system. This is called mobile banking system. The system involves the use of the cell phones in several types of banking transactions. Mobile banking differs from mobile payments,...

Poisonous foods unfold a frightening spectre

The High Court (HC) recently directed the government to issue a gazette notification for enforcement of the safe food law in order to check food adulteration. Another important issue the directive covers is the probable formation of a separate body...

Stocks close flat amid choppy trading

Stocks ended flat into the red on Thursday amid choppy trading throughout the session as investors remained cautious ahead of budget announcement. The market strated with a positive note but did not sustain. DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka...

Stocks open positive

The prices of most of the shares on both bourses – Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) – saw positive trend in early hours of trading on Thursday amid modest see-saw, the last trading day of the...

Govt to extend time limit for aromatic rice export

The government is set to extend the time limit for exporting aromatic rice to the world markets by another year, officials said. In this connection, the ministry of commerce (MoC) has sent last week a proposal to the ministry of...

BD businessmen expect to double annual trade with Philippines

Country's businessmen are expecting to double the annual bilateral trade with the Philippines within the next few years considering the potential between the two countries, a joint chamber leader said. "There is potential to increase annual bilateral trade with the...

Empowering women: Empowering Bangladesh

The World Development Report 2012 finds that 'gender equality and economic development are inextricably linked'. But unfortunately, 'despite many international agreements affirming their rights, women are still much more likely than men to be poor and illiterate, have less access...

UN Peacekeepers: A force for peace, change and the future

There is a difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking. Peacemaking is much more daunting than peacekeeping. The United Nations (UN) can do both if only they are not short of resources and have all the major powers solidly behind them. The...

Does it signal Delhi\\\'s desire to improve ties with neighbours?

The presence of the south Asian leaders at the swearing-in ceremony of the new Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is the first "diplomatic coup" by the new government even before it took over the reins of the largest democracy of...

Dhaka may seek Indian finances to erect TK 320b Ganges Barrage

Bangladesh is likely to seek Indian finances to build the Ganges Barrage over Padma as India stands to benefit from the proposed water reservoir, officials at the Water Development Board said on Wednesday. "We've already requested the Prime Minister's Office...

DSE turnover crosses Tk 3b-mark

Stocks ended higher for the second running session on Wednesday with turnover crossing Tk 3.0 billion-mark after eight sessions as investors went for buying spree on lucrative scrips. The market started with a positive note and the upward trend continued...

Stocks see upward trend at opening

The prices of most of the shares on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed positive trend in early hours of trading on Wednesday, the fourth trading day of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the...

Minimum tax on cos\\\' gross receipts likely to be cut

The government is likely to cut minimum tax on gross receipts of companies, trim tax rebates for individual taxpayers and bring all state-owned entities under tax net in the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2014-15. The National Board of Revenue...

Food adulteration : Apathy exacting a high cost

In its last Friday's issue an English contemporary front paged a picture showing a policeman dragging a bearded man (towards the police van), reportedly a trader at the city's Mohammadpur Krishi Market, while a few of his colleagues in uniform...

49 per cent stakes of 26 govt jute mills to be offloaded

The government has decided to offload, at least, 49 per cent stakes of each of the 26 state-owned jute mills in the capital market soon, a top official of the Ministry of Textiles & Jute said. Finance Minister AMA Muhith...

When bankers turn bandits

Shahidul Haque Khan, a lifelong bachelor, lives a solitary life in his own duplex house facing a small garden of flower plants at Indira Road, Dhaka, enjoying a tranquil life. He passes his waking hours reading books and magazines and...

PDB in the trap of rental power plants

Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) has become dependent on rental and quick rental power plants. Because of the failure of big power projects to develop, PDB has to remain tied to rental and quick rentals for at least another six...

The state of the economy: Neither robust nor disappointing

Any time in the year is good enough to essay the state of the economy but the eve of budget appears to be most appropriate. It is a time when income and expenditure for the economy are brought together in...

Stocks close higher

Stocks ended higher Tuesday after two sessions' flat movement with turnover remained sluggish as investors went for buying spree on lucrative scrips. The market started with a positive note and the upward trend continued till the market closure. DSEX, the...