India bets on Modi touch to reform infrastructure PPP drive

India's new government is betting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replicate his relative success with regional infrastructure projects to ensure fewer public-private partnerships (PPP) stall for want of land. The government wants private companies to contribute half of a...

Palestine seeks ICC war crimes case against Israel

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki said there was "clear evidence" of war crimes by Israel during its offensive in Gaza as he met International Criminal Court prosecutors to push for an investigation. Malki visited The Hague shortly after Israel and...

Afghan unity talks at early impasse

The two men vying to become Afghanistan's next leader may have shaken hands on a deal to resolve a bitterly disputed election, but they are miles apart on a critical component of their gentleman's agreement - forming a united government....

Move to make EPB more functional

The government has initiated a move to incorporate some fresh provisions in the draft Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Act, 2014 aiming to make the Bureau more functional and effective for further rejuvenating the country's overseas trade. Regular holding of board...

Corporate tax structure and investment

Corporate tax came into particular focus this year in the course of discussions on the national budget for FY2014-15. A major conclusion of these discussions was that corporate taxes in Bangladesh were very high, misaligned with other taxes and the...

Road from Bali: Moving towards plurilateral reform?

The signing of the trade deal at Bali, Indonesia last year was hailed as a watershed event causing euphoria among the member countries. It was the first time that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) reached an agreement on trade reforms...

Impact of climate change hits Jessore hatchling trade severely

JHENIDAH, Aug 7: Belated start of production, increase in per unit electricity bill coupled with a hike in production cost has hit hard fish hatcheries in Jessore, compelling many owners to quit the business. Alhaj Firoj Khan, Firoj Khan, President...

Stocks end flat amid choppy trading

Stocks ended flat in the green Thursday amid choppy trading as mid-session sale pressure wiped out early gains. The market started with an upbeat note, but could not sustain amid mid-session sale pressure. DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka...

DSE, CSE up at opening

The prices of most of the shares on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed upward trend in the first few minutes of the session Thursday, the last trading day of the week. DSEX, the...

Rethink on NBR step likely

The government is likely to rethink the budgetary measure that provides for imposition of 25 per cent tax on annual incomes of state-run regulatory entities from the current fiscal year, as the step stirred up discontent. Finance Minister AMA Muhith...

CPA unlikely to develop KCT demolishing existing GCB now

The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) is unlikely to develop the Karnaphuli Container Terminal (KCT) by demolishing the existing General Cargo Berths (GCB) right now to keep the country's prime seaport operational, officials have said. The demolition of the existing GCB...

Govt rejects UGC proposal seeking recreation leave for public varsity teachers, staff

The government has finally turned down a proposal of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for allowing 'rest and recreation leave' facilities to the country's public university teachers and staffs, officials said. Although the universities' regulator had earlier applied twice seeking...

SME clusters for spurring growth

Michael Porter, father of the concept of 'industrial cluster', defined cluster as a 'geographic concentration of interconnected businesses and associated institutions in a particular field'. In this definition, we are getting three criteria of an industrial cluster. These are (a)...

On rural sanitary latrines

Health is wealth - so goes the adage. But wealth is health, in the context of Bangladesh. Only those with money can afford to get good treatment either at home or abroad; those without it are destined to die. Fortunately,...

DSE turnover crosses Tk 6.50 billion

Stocks edged marginally higher Wednesday with turnover crossing Tk 6.50 billion after three and a half months as favourable prices spurred investors’ participation. “Buying spree was spurred by banks’ reduced deposit interest rate and low prices of stocks,” said an...

DSE, CSE gain

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

Of financial crimes and toothless tigers

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India on August 02 night arrested the chief executive officer (CEO) of a state-run bank from southern city of Bengalore along with 11 others, allegedly, for taking bribes in exchange for loan extensions...

Govt bank borrowing surges in recent weeks

The government's net borrowing from banking system surged in the recent weeks due mainly to release of Padma Bridge construction funds and disbursement of export subsidies, officials said. Its net borrowing from banking system shot up to Tk 70.52 billion...

A review of the Monetary Policy Statement

Like every half-a-year, Bangladesh Bank (BB) has recently announced the monetary policy statement (MPS) for the first half of the FY 2014-15 (July-December 2014). It has mainly focused on restraining inflation. Current monetary stance has targeted the monetary growth path...

Golden voices of a golden era

The 34th death anniversary of Mohammad Rafi, one of the all time great singers of the sub-continent, was observed in a sombre mood on July 31. Then on August 4, came the 85th birth anniversary of another classic singer Kishore...

Revenue earning from DSE dips 46 per cent

The government revenue earnings from the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) fell 46 per cent month-on-month in July amid reduced trading hours and weak volumes owing to the occasion of Ramadan. The government bagged tax worth Tk 65.20 million in July...

JICA funds likely for widening, renovating 200 bridges

Japan has hinted at financing a bridge improvement project to widen and renovate nearly 200 bridges in the country's western zone. The fund will help the government fine-tune those with its future plan of turning four-lane national highways, officials said....

Philippines to propose no action to raise tension in sea disputes

The Philippines will propose a freeze on all activity that raises tension in disputed waters in the South China Sea as part of a three-part plan at a regional security meeting next month, Manila's foreign minister said this week. Southeast...

Maliki orders air force to help Kurds against the Islamic State

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered his air force for the first time to back Kurdish forces against Islamic State fighters after the Sunni militants made another dramatic push through the north, state television reported this week. Kurdish peshmerga fighters,...

China denounces US tech \\\'pawns\\\' as cyber espionage spat deepens

Chinese state media have launched a publicity offensive against Google and other US technology companies as a spat with the US over cyber espionage coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Google's traffic in China has slowed...

WTO failure points to fragmented future for global trade

India has dealt a potentially fatal blow to the World Trade Organization's hopes of modernizing the rules of global commerce and remaining the central forum for multilateral trade deals. In the short term, this is a setback for freer commerce....

Will Europe\\\'s banking \\\'big bang\\\' loosen lending?

In the biggest advance in European integration since the launch of the euro in 1999, the European Central Bank will take charge of supervising banks from Helsinki to Lisbon in November after subjecting their books to unprecedented scrutiny. The aim...

Stocks close flat amid choppy trading

Stocks closed flat in the green Tuesday after previous day’s hefty gains with turnover declined slightly as late-hour profit booking wiped out most of early gains. The market started with a positive note, gaining 35 points within first 40 minutes...

DSE, CSE start on positive note

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

Amend VAT law instead of replacement : FBCCI

The country's apex chamber body has urged the government to amend the existing Value Added Tax (VAT) law, instead of replacing it with a new one, following successful enforcement of the current one since 1991. The chamber body has alleged...