Death of integrity

We lament the increasing lack of integrity in our leaders. From submitting fake degrees to the Election Commission of Pakistan (in many cases) to scams of all shades and hues, the list is endless. Every stone turned reveals one. Without...

On syndrome of shocks

Rural life in Bangladesh confronts a number of conundrums - 'ranging from vagaries of nature and uncertainties of the market to personal calamities of myriad types'. In this article, we shall depend on the conceptual framework espoused by S.R. Osmani...

Modi talks tough on Bangladesh

As certain comments by some hard-line communal leaders have stoked fears and tensions among the minority communities, Narendra Modi, the front runner for prime ministership, has sought to allay such fears, saying that the country would be governed by the...

DSE turnover dips below Tk 4b again

Stocks declined for the third straight session on Tuesday with turnover dipped below Tk 4.0 billion-mark once again on the prime bourse as investors were reluctant to make fresh investments. DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE)...

DSE, CSE dive at opening

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

NU plans 9-month academic session

The National University (NU) authorities are planning to refix its academic session including introduction of nine-month academic year to modernise the university's education system. Sources at the university said they had some specific agenda to upgrade the country's lone chain...

After Rana Plaza, what comes next?

On April 24, 2013 the Rana Plaza, an eight-storied commercial building, collapsed at Savar off Dhaka city. On May 13, just 21 days after the accident, search for the dead ended with the death toll standing at 1,131. Approximately 2,515...

Biman sinking in loss

Govt to promote 11 products for export diversification

The government is set to provide all sorts of policy support to eleven domestic products to help diversify exports, commerce ministry officials said. They said the products would be promoted under special supervision of the Export Promotion Bureau so that...

BRTA digitisation yet to yield expected results

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is yet to come up with the expected performance in reducing corruption, malpractices and financial irregularities despite digitisation done by spending a big sum of money. The BRTA has launched several programmes by spending...

Stocks close lower for second day

Stocks closed lower for the second running session on Monday with turnover remained sluggish as investors continued to sell shares amid cautious trading. The market started with a positive note, but could not sustain. At the end of the session,...

DSE, CSE open positive

Share prices on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw positive trend in early hours of trading on Monday amid modest see-saw. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up by 18.98 points or...

Most steel mills in dire straits

Most of the steel mills are in dire straits due to low demand, energy shortage and non-availability of local billets, sources said. Slow progress of the government's annual development programme (ADP), dull business in the housing sector and weak flow...

No fund arranged yet for Bangabandhu-1 satellite project

Uncertainty looms large over implementation of the ambitious satellite project, Bangabandhu 1, as the authorities concerned could not confirm the 'orbital slot' for sending the satellite into space due to a scarcity of fund, sources say. The government is yet...

Politics in India: still a man\\\'s game

Women's issues may be high on the agenda for political parties vying for votes in India's mammoth general election, but few female lawmakers will get an opportunity to implement the policies being proposed. Less than a fifth of the candidates...

Sharp rise in reconditioned car sales

Sales of imported reconditioned cars have marked a significant rise over the last couple of months thanks to the decline in their import cost following depreciation of the US dollar and Japanese yen against the local currency.        Sources said now...

Political pygmies in their hot seats

Politics is a serious business. But it cannot, of necessity, remain so all the time. Anecdotes, innuendos, humour, sarcasm and even direct salvoes of words make its practice lighter and spicy. Only seasoned politicians of the highest calibre can use...

Gold glitters at BD airports

Bangladesh is not blessed with the deposits of any precious minerals. But of late, its two international airports, located in Dhaka and Chittagong, have turned out to be man-made mini mines of a precious metal, gold.   Customs officials stationed at...

Globalisation a boon or bane for developing countries?

Both proponents and opponents are unanimous that globalisation always brings huge gains for some countries and in sharp contrast, causes pains for some others. Globalisation is a much-talked-about issue of the present century. Its impacts, whether gains or pains, are...

Stocks slip into red after six sessions

Stocks slipped into the red Sunday after sixth sessions' gaining streak with turnover dropped significantly as investors booked marginal profit. The market started with a positive note, but could not sustain. At the end of the session, DSEX, the prime...

Mixed trend

Share prices on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw mixed trend in early hours of trading on Sunday, the opening day of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up by 12 points...

GSP among other issues on agenda

Bangladesh is expected to raise issues including GSP (generalised system of preferences), relaxation of the rules of origin and trade and investment in the first TICFA (Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement) meeting to be held in the city tomorrow...

Indian elections: Ties with neighbours often figure in campaign

The ongoing Indian elections are being bitterly fought mostly on the national issues, but ties with the neighbours including Bangladesh do also figure often in campaign with varying degrees of views by the key players of the political spectrum. As...

Beware of counterfeit cosmetics

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel raided a factory producing fake herbal cosmetics located at a building in city's Lalbagh area a fortnight ago. A photograph of the factory published in a contemporary showed how a young boy was engaged in...

The dos and don\\\'ts of agent banking

Agent banking is now a buzzword in the banking industry. Its importance is immense in paving the way for financial inclusion. But, many of us, including bankers, still do not have a clear perception of agent banking, its services, risks...

Peacekeeping and humanitarian intervention

The nature of war and conflicts has changed over time. We rarely see inter-state conflicts in the present world. With the end of Cold War, conflicts have become intra-state in nature. We see ethnic clashes or majority vs. minority conflicts...

Guidelines for young bankers for processing loan proposals

The banks assess the credit risk of a potential borrower by using one or other set of rules. One popular rule, known as "5 Cs" of credit,  tries to capture five essential characterstics of the borrower - Character, Capacity, Capital,...

CCI&E\\\'s revenue earnings rise 22.38pc in July-Feb

Revenue earnings by the office of the Chief Controller of Imports & Exports (CCI&E) increased by 22.38 per cent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year (FY) over that of the corresponding period, according to the CCI&E...

Capital shortfall of BKB, RAKUB crosses Tk 64.50 billion

Capital shortfall of two state-owned agricultural banks - BKB and RAKUB - has crossed Tk 64.50 billion, putting them into a difficult situation to comply with Basel-II requirements, officials said.     Such capital shortfall of the Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) and...

Renata strives to be a unique model of CSR

Renata Limited, a leading pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, appeared as a unique model for other firms in doing activities under the corporate social responsibility (CSR), its top official said. "Renata became quite a unique model because of its ownership structure...