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...

Labour-short Japan expanding foreign trainee programme

Japan is both ageing and shrinking as it tries to emerge from two decades of economic stagnation. The construction workforce is a prime example. It has contracted by a third since its peak in 1997 and is set to continue...

Stocks return to green

Stocks returned to the green on Monday after four session's bearish trend amid increased participation of investors in lucrative stocks. The trading started with a positive note in the morning, which continued throughout the session as investors bet mainly on...

Stocks positive at opening

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

Dhaka conditionally accepts Chinese proposal on tariff preference change

Bangladesh has decided to conditionally accept a Chinese proposal to replace the tariff preferences that the latter offers under the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) with zero tariff facility granted under the multilateral trade deal reached under the auspices of WTO,...

Pvt investments\\\' share in GDP sees downtrend

Private investments in terms of the share of gross domestic product (GDP) slowed down over the last three fiscal years (FY) amid the fear about its impact on employment and money flow. According to the official statistics, the share of...

MasterCard vows to expand business in Bangladesh

Global payment technology giant MasterCard has vowed to shortly expand its business in a big way in Bangladesh to tap its vast potential as the market is poised to take off into a cashless payment revolution. "With setting up of...

For widows to step out of the shadows

The word 'widow' brings to the canvas of our mind an affrighted similitude of a lady with a saddened face, wearing a grayish brown sari, perhaps the only sari she owns. The elongated holes are visible in her earlobes that...

In praise of \\\'gamchha\\\'

A famous folk song,"O iccha kare parandare gamchha dia bandhi" (How I wished I could tie up my soul with gamchha!) has immortalised the indigenous version of towel. While towel is thick and heavier, gamchha/gamuchha/ gamochha is a thin and...

Of fat Swiss bank accounts, graft and political instability

Finance Minister AMA Muhith is deeply frustrated by the current state of investment in the private sector. In fact, an investment-drought has gripped the economy in recent years. In such a situation, anyone holding the portfolio of the ministry of...

Stocks edge lower amid dull trading

The market edged marginally lower on Sunday with turnover dropped further as investors remained reluctant to make fresh investments amid shaky sentiment. DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange ended at 4,322.26, shedding 6.14 points or 0.14 per...

DSE, CSE down at opening

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

Upcoming visit of new Indian external affairs minister to Dhaka arouses enormous interest

The upcoming visit of India's new external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to Bangladesh will be of a 'goodwill' gesture in nature. But substantial discussions will take place between the two sides on a variety of issues ranging from bilateral matters...

Towards ensuring safe food

The widespread use of formalin and other chemicals in fruits and a large number of food items has caused grave public concern. Green activists after conducting a thorough examination of fruits and food items last week found toxic substances in...

Entrepreneurship expo begins in city today

The first-ever entrepreneurship and innovation exposition will begin in the capital today (Sunday) aiming at creating skilled manpower through providing necessary training to turn Bangladesh into a middle- income country by 2021. The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI),...

Education focusing on gender sensitivity

Now it has crossed the boundary of doubt that investment in education for both boys and girls stands as one of the most important determinants of development having positive implications for all other measures of progress. Sending only boy children...

Quest for quality education

There goes a most familiar maxim that 'Education is the backbone of a nation'. Education makes an individual enlightened, enables to justify right and wrong and finally develops one's spiritual capability. Education brings perfection in life. Educated people can change...

Religion, rites and rituals

Astronomers and physicists first observed that other galaxies are moving away from our own at a great speed as if they had all been propelled by an ancient explosive force. Based on that observation scientists have theorised that the universe...

How are women workers in RMG sector?

The ready-made garment (RMG) sector plays an important role in boosting the country's economy. This sector accounts for 78 per cent of the country's export receipts and contributes 17 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). More than 4.0...