BB to introduce Tk 2.0b refinance scheme

The central bank is going to introduce a Tk 2.0 billion refinance scheme aiming to revive the country's jute sector through ensuring fair price at the farmers' level, official said. A meeting will be held today (Tuesday) in the conference...

Domestic software makers edging out foreign cos

Locally developed software is now replacing imported ones alongside their successful outbound activities mainly due to its world class quality and lower costs, industry insiders said. Local information technology (IT) and software service providers said they are helping Bangladesh save...

Making banks reliable and trustworthy

Banks have to make decisions about the amount of capital they need to hold mainly for three reasons. Firstly, capital helps prevent a crash, a situation in which the bank cannot meet its obligations to pay its depositors and other...

Illegal foreign workers

The State Minister for Labour and Employment told the parliament the other day that as many as 12,183 foreigners are working in the country. The Special Branch (SB) reported 400,000 to be the number and most of them working without...

Foreign borrowings: Prudent approach

An investor needs money to invest, which may not always come from own funds, requiring the investor to resort to credit from different sources. Commercial banks by far are the main source of credit for investors. About 40 per cent...

Teesta and LBA now out of Bangladesh\\\'s orbit

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has finally communicated to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Myanmar the bad news that the Congress government would be unable to deliver the Teesta and the Land...

What role can the AAP play in Indian polls?

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made news in India and beyond by going to power in important Delhi state in India within a year of its debut and caused equal sensation when it chose to quit the government voluntarily as...

Stocks down for second day

Stocks closed lower for the second running session Monday amid thin market participation as most of the investors remained cautious. The market opened with positive note like previous session, but could not sustain. At the end of the session, the...

DSE, CSE open positive

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw positive trend in early hours of trading on Monday, the second trading session of the week. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up by 12.10 points...

MoF summons SoCBs\\\' chiefs over repeated bank heists

Concerned about the security of public money following burglaries in bank branches, the ministry of finance (MoF) has summoned the chief executives of state-owned commercial banks (SoCBs). The chief executives would have to appear before the MoF high-ups Monday (today)...

The looming power tariff hike will be ill-advised

Another hike in power tariff is in the offing. The power distribution companies have already submitted their proposals to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC). The BERC has conducted public hearings on these proposals. Even if the proposed increase is...

Dishonoured women suffer in foreign land

To a woman motherhood appears to be the most prized possession. In the heavenly feeling of motherhood, a woman finds her ultimate fulfilment. But not all are blessed with this precious gift. Then for some others, motherhood proves to be...

Heightened rivalry, for what?

The upazila polls, now being held across the country in phases, have generated enough of heat at the national as well as local levels. Last Sunday's issues of a number of national dailies carried pictures of gun-toting supporters of rival...

Overcoming the last taboo: Menstruation and women\\\'s rights

Barriers to women's achievement are falling in every sphere.  Women lead countries, corporations, and households.  Globally, more girls are entering school, earning family income, and participating in public life. But one big taboo stands in the way of women's full...

The economic prospects of BIMSTEC

A new sub-regional grouping was formed on June 06, 1997 in Bangkok and christened as Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation (BISTEC). Myanmar attended the inaugural meeting as an observer and joined the organisation as a full member...

Govt mulling nat\\\'l air cargo service

The government is contemplating introduction of national air cargo service with a view to expand exports, official said. A proposal of Ministry of Commerce (MoC) in this regard was discussed at a meeting of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and...

Customs suspects crews\\\' role in gold smuggling

The customs authority smelt the involvement of influential quarters including airlines' officials and staffs with the gold smuggling that went up significantly in the recent months. This perception of the customs authority formed, as it was found that most of...

ICAB, NBR jt efforts to end audit anomalies

The revenue board is yet to provide names of the accountancy firms, against whom it earlier brought allegation of audit anomalies, and relevant evidence to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) for necessary actions, sources said. The National...

Govt to buy 20m gunny bags for food storage

The government will purchase 20 million gunny bags from public and private sources for storage of food grains, a high official said. With this end in view, the Directorate General of Food (DGoF), which is under the ministry of food,...

Stocks edge lower, turnover up

Stocks edged marginally lower Sunday, the opening day of the week, with improving turnover as late hour sell-pressure cut early gain.The market opened with positive note, but could not sustain. At the end of the session, the prime index of...

Stocks see mixed trend at opening

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw positive trend while the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw negative trend in early hours of trading on Sunday amid marginal volatility. DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up by 14.19 points or...

Has Yingluck Shinawatra weathered the political crisis?

The political unrest in the south east Asian nation of Thailand appears to have receded in recent days, but concerns continue to rise over the duration of the government. The polling to the rest of the parliamentary constituencies, which were...

Web portal to guide investors launched

A web portal, launched by a young woman entrepreneur, to reduce unemployment has gained enormous responses among both local and foreign entrepreneurs across the country. The first-of-its-kind portal www.luckyideabd.com is providing technical and advocacy support to the people who are...

Road, sea link with Myanmar can \\\'help reduce trade gap\\\'

Connectivity with Myanmar by sea and road could help the country lessen its trade gap, stakeholders said. The important economic dimension of the two countries is to develop connectivity that will help the two nations reach their annual trade target....

Fresh distress call from Zinda Park

Green activists continue to protest the recent move taken by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) to take over the Zinda Park. Situated in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj, Zinda Park was set up through voluntary participation of the local people on their...

Man-made disasters and earthquakes: Plan and action

Bangladesh has a long history of major disasters and natural calamities. Millions of lives have been lost over the years. The medical backup required to save the victims was never up to the standard. Moreover, the facilities near a disaster...

Cold War warmed over

Can we have a new Cold War without a communist threat?  Some important political players seem to think so. One of them is Russian President Vladimir Putin. At his surreal press conference, Putin depicted the protest that overthrew the pro-Russian...

Pry, mass education sector may lose $ 667m foreign aid unless donors’ conditions met

The country's primary and mass education sector may lose US$ 667 million in foreign aid unless the government meets certain conditions set by donors, including reviewing its decision to cut the sector's development allocation beyond 15 per cent, officials said....

Farmers need soft loan for mechanised farming

Concerned quarters feel that soft loan facilities for farmers are needed for buying equipment like tractors and power tillers, as currently they have to rely on rental equipment which erodes their profit. Sources said cultivation in the country is getting...

Government should finance private universities

Private Universities are those higher education institutions established privately by a group of people or an organisation under Private University Act, 1992 (Amended 1998) that was passed on 9th August in 1992. The present scenario of private universities reveals a...