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...

DSE, CSE up at opening

The prices of most of the shares on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and 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 of the...

Upward revision of wealth tax, tax slab in budget likely

The well-off section of the people may witness an upward revision of tax measures on their wealth and tax slab in the budget for upcoming fiscal year (FY), sources concerned said. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is likely to...

PPP initiative yet to see full launch of any project

Two years have gone by since the establishment of the public-private partnership (PPP) office, but the implementation of any project is yet to begin under it, different sources said. The PPP office has accorded approval to the Dhaka elevated expressway,...

Big groups still reluctant to float shares for public

Most of the country's leading business groups and corporate entities are reluctant to go public due to multiple factors, company insiders said. Among the major reasons, many companies prefer to avoid rules and regulations set for listed companies by the...

Syria: Will warring factions heed Pope\\\'s call for peace?

Pope Francis called for immediate peace in strife-torn Syria as he arrived in Jordan on Saturday (May 24) to see for himself the Syrian refugees, now sheltered in Jordan. The Pope expressed deep anguish and frustration over the unremitting civil...

Shadow banking outside banks

Ever since the banking crisis overwhelmed the financial world in 2008, obtaining bank loans for any purpose has been a daunting task in any corner of the world. Bankers have become hypersensitive about their reputations regarding loose and predatory lending...

CSR for inclusive and sustained growth

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) intends to undertake activities by integrating economic, environmental and social aspects.  In recent times, conceptual framework and practices of CSR have broadened in multi-dimensional arenas. Along with the spending for the community, practices of green banking...

The perils of collateral security

The term 'collateral security' frequently resonates across the Board Rooms, Credit Committees and Credit Departments of the banks for evaluation of loan proposals.  Unfortunately, ignorance and negligence to identify the risks inherent in securing bank's exposure through collateral security are...

Mandatory installation of solar panels on building roofs goes

The government has decided to withdraw the mandatory requirement of installing solar panels on the rooftop of buildings for getting new electricity connections to households, officials said. According to the new rule, a customer will have to deposit the cost...

Infected betel leaves threaten Tk 15b export of fresh fruits, vegetable to EU

Bangladesh's export of fresh fruits and vegetable to the European Union (EU) countries is set to hit snags if the authorities do not stop export of betel leaves infected with harmful Salmonella Bacterium, officials said. Trade relations with the EU...

Fresh move to boost jute exports to Syria

Bangladesh has beefed up its efforts to boost jute goods exports to Syria as political situation in the Middle-Eastern nation has started improving, officials said. The state-run Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) will export jute goods worth Tk 1.35 billion...

For polluted China, gas is a matter of life or death

"If I work in your Beijing, I would shorten my life at least five years," Premier Zhu Rongji, a career politician from Shanghai, quipped in 1999, referring to the notorious air pollution in China's northern capital. Research has confirmed life...