Good connectivity to facilitate rapid dev

The China-South Asia Expo kicked off in the Chinese spring city of Kunming Friday aiming to expand cooperation in diversified areas from trade-investment to silk corridor development through road and sea in the region. Some 46 countries including Bangladesh are...

IEA World Congress begins in Jordan

The World Congress of the International Economic Association (IEA) began at King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre in the Dead Sea, Jordan Friday.  It aims to promote interaction among prominent economists towards gaining a truly world perspective on issues of...

Typhoon Yolanda: Lessons in post-disaster management

It has been more than six months since the fiery typhoon Yolanda (the local name of Haiyan) struck. Most of the affected people in the Philippines are still recovering from the devastation. Responding to the Yolanda aftermath was quite different...

FDI: Key to multi-pronged development

Like most other developing and least developed countries, Bangladesh also considers Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as an important tool for development. In order to attract more and more FDI, the country has taken many initiatives. One such initiative was the...

Derivatives: A long way to go

'Derivative' is the new buzz word in the financial sector of Bangladesh. Some local and international experts are continuously telling about the importance of introducing a derivatives market to mitigate investment risks in a developing country like Bangladesh. The Bangladesh...

Challenges of consultancy

Most people perceive consultancy as an easy source of earning handsome amount of money and consultants as persons having least accountability for their activities.  But in reality this perception is not true. In fact, though monthly salary of a consultant...

Corruption: Where to draw the line

Corruption takes many forms. It is not easy to draw a line to define corruption. The definition of corruption no longer fits into a definite pattern as the ways of corrupt practices are becoming increasingly wide ranging. Definition of corruption...

Climate change adaptation research in Asia and Africa

IN the book titled 'Global Warming and the Political Ecology of Health', authors Hans Baer and Merrill Singer mentioned, "Our world is changing in dramatic and consequential ways. From melting glaciers to rising seas, and from increases in violent storms...

How will Narendra Modi change India?

The Bharatiya Janata Party's landslide victory in parliamentary elections has ended an era of shaky coalition governments in India. The desire for change among the country's youthful electorate after a slump in economic growth, years of policy drift and a...

The role that Dhaka University has played so far

The headline "Bangladesh after four hundred years of its existence" reminded me of a course I took in Sociology at the Dhaka University. It was taught by National Professor Dr Rangalal Sen, a renowned sociologist and I am honoured to...

DSE hails budget

Dhaka Stock Exchange has hailed the budgetary proposal to exempt the demutualised stock exchanges from paying taxes for the next five years "This is a positive message for the stock exchanges", said Swapan Kumar Bala, managing director of DSE. The...

GDP target not achievable:CPD

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Friday said the quality of investments, both public and private, is needed to be increased to achieve the target of 7.3 percent growth set by the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Dr Debapriya...

Ambiguity, populism mark a pro-growth approach

Finance Minister AMA Muhith Thursday placed the Tk.2.5 trillion national budget for the next fiscal (2014-15) setting the country's economic growth target at 7.3 per cent for the year. The finance minister fixed the higher growth target with the expectation...

19-party to stage countrywide demonstration Monday

The BNP-led 19-party alliance will stage demonstrations across the country Monday protesting the 'growing' incidents of killing, forced disappearance and abduction, reports UNB. BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a press briefing at the BNP's...

A deep look into the present-day realities of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is negotiating a difficult path in the present-day global scenario as it is beset with myriad problems that a developing nation, having its own characteristics, generally faces. Nevertheless, the country of 160 million people is making remarkable strides on...

Unemployment and corruption

The fact that unemployment causes corruption is well established and makes sense both from common observations and rigorous theoretical points of view. However, the fact that corruption also causes unemployment can struck one as a total surprise. To make an...

When the US needs support, Europe pleads poverty

The United States has troubles. This was the subtext of President Barack Obama's speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point last week. The latest trouble is the raw ambition of Russian President Vladimir Putin to dominate as...

S Korean exports suffer worst decline

South Korean exports last month suffered their worst decline in eight months as a drop in Chinese demand and the effect from fewer working days more than offset growing purchases by European and US customers. South Korea, the fourth-largest economy...

India services activity grows for first time in nearly a year

Activity in India's huge services industry expanded for the first time in nearly a year in May, driven by a surge in new business, a survey showed on Wednesday. The HSBC Services Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by Markit, rose to...

Stocks close flat amid cautious stance

Stocks closed flat on Thursday with slight improvement in turnover as investors remained cautious on announcement of the national budget.The market started with a positive note, but the morning hype evaporated gradually as session progressed. At the end of the...

DSE, CSE open positive

The prices of most of the shares on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed positive trend in the opening sessions on Thursday, the last trading day of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE,...

July deadline for Iran nuclear deal appears in jeopardy

Option B: The blueprint for Thailand\\\'s coup

On Dec. 27 last year, Thailand's powerful army chief stood before a crowded news conference and stunned the beleaguered government of Yingluck Shinawatra by saying he would not rule out military intervention to resolve a deteriorating political crisis. General Prayuth...

Stock market regains stability, not buoyancy

Country's stock market that had received severe mauling in 2010 has been able to regain stability in the outgoing fiscal (2013-14) but not the desired level of buoyancy.  The capital market regulator and the government initiated a number of measures...

DSE, CSE to enjoy 5-yr tax holiday, dividend tax-free up to Tk 15000

The government is set to offer tax holiday facility for Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) for the next five years until 2019, in the budget for fiscal year 2014-15. It may also allow capital market investors...

MoU readied for building deep-sea port by Chinese co

The government has prepared a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming to award the job of building the deep seaport in Sonadia by a Chinese company, sources said. The MoU may be signed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Beijing visit from...

NBFIs should rely more on bonds than deposit

The country's non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) should move away from their deposit reliance to the bond option for the sake of healthy development in the financial sector, an international financial consultant said.  "To my mind, the bond market can be...

Business brass to urge China to ramp up BD garment imports

Bangladeshi business leaders will urge their Chinese counterparts to bump up apparel imports from Bangladesh, helping to raise the share to at least 10 per cent, the head of the country's apex trade body said.    "China imports apparel products worth...

WiMAX businesses having bumpy ride after 3G service

The WiMAX business is facing a blow following a major expansion of 3G (third generation) internet service by the mobile phone operators since October last year. As a result, the companies providing WiMAX facility are planning to introduce LTE (Long...

Strengthening resilience, working for a sustainable future

Climate change is a major challenge for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as global warming is causing ocean levels to rise. Due to their small size and isolation, SIDS are more vulnerable to natural and environmental disasters, climate change and...