Political stalemate over the 'national dialogue'

So the inevitable has happened as predicted by this scribe months before and published in the esteemed dailies about the fate of the so-called "dialogue" with the political parties specially led by two "major" ones who now refused to participate...

city events

champions in Nat'l Roller SkatingRoyal Club Limited emerged champions in the 2nd National Roller Skating Championship that concluded at the Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) Friday. Royal Club Limited secured 12 gold, 9 silver and 5 bronze medals while Rollers Skating...

Reversing the trend of global warming

Climate change is not a subject of fashionable scientific or pseudo-scientific discourse. It is now a life and death question of the human race. That the Arctic ice may melt is no more a remote possibility. The polar bear is...

Keeping hold of the basic rules of finance

NO figure commands more respect within the world's financial community than Paul Volcker, the former Fed chairman. That is why his recent declaration -- "the bright new financial system had failed the test of the marketplace" -- was such a...

Vietnam may be first domino among Asian economies

Fitch's lowering of its outlook on Vietnam's sovereign rating Thursday could be a sign of more weakness to come for many of Asia's economies and currencies, as record oil prices complicate their efforts to control inflation.Fitch Ratings lowered the outlook...

For the functioning of business conglomerates

Soon after the meeting between the government and the business, the concerned quarters suggested that the business needs the assurance that the decisions or recommendations would be implemented at the ground level. The business representatives say they are yet to...

As India groans with highest maternal mortality, Rajasthan gets lifelines to motherhood

LAST year, Kamla, 28, a poor farmer in Rajasthan's Dholpur district, was flabbergasted to see her eight-month-old fetus pop out of her uterus as she toiled in a field.Bleeding profusely, the hapless woman fainted on the spot. Thankfully, Kamla's co-worker,...

A 10-point plan for tackling the food crisis

As leaders gather in Rome to discuss the global food crisis, our task is clear, but not simple: to help those in danger today and ensure that the poor do not suffer this tragedy again.What has been described as a...

Income tax ceiling may be unchanged

The government is likely to keep the income tax threshold unchanged in fiscal 2008-09.Currently, the income tax exemption ceiling is Tk 150,000, which might remain unchanged in the next fiscal, officials said.The revenue board has been studying the tax-exemption ceiling...

Exciting prospects of earning billions from medicine exports

Indeed, the foreign currency earning prospects of the pharmaceutical sector are considered to be no less than the readymade garment (RMG) which is presently the single biggest export earning sector of the country. With steady promotional activities favouring the local...

Little allocation for education and reseach

The Dhaka University (DU) has prepared a budget of Tk 1.52 billion (152 crore) for the fiscal 2008-09 allocating a small sum of Tk 150 million for education and research due to which educationists say the quality of research, in...

About becoming a middle income country

According to a recent World Bank (WB) report, "Bangladesh: technique for earning sustained economic growth", Bangladesh will be in the middle income group by 2016. It states that if the country achieves a growth rate of 7.5 per cent from...

E-governance: A priority agenda for the government

From a recent report published in a local daily, it could be learnt that the Special Judge's courts set up on Jatiya Sangsad Complex to try high-profile corruption suspects have so far jailed 102 people including 75 involved in politics,...

Dilemma of the upcoming budget

The relentless rise in the prices of commodities globally has forced the weaker economies into a tight spot. Bangladesh is one of the countries hardest hit by this wild behaviour of the price of commodities in the global market. Countries...

Govt set to re-introduce four-tier duty structure after two years

The government is set to announce a massive change in import duty structure in the upcoming budget reverting to four-tier system after two years and lowering duty on capital machinery, officials said Thursday.The present three-tier duty structure of 10, 15...

City events

abandoneddue to rainThe final match of the 28th National Cricket Champion-ship between two neighboring districts Dhaka and Narayanganj was abandoned due to rain at the Sylhet Stadium Thursday. The match will be held today (Friday) at the same venue. Dhaka...

Disclosure about US Presidential election candidate's health record

It is a most awful and critical time for the United States, being the year for the presidential election, continuing war on terror, and high price-rise of the daily essentials and gasoline (fuel). It would be a challenge for the...

Govt to open 35 more centers in dists to issue passports

The government will open 35 more centres in district headquarters to issue passports from June 1 covering the entire country, immigration officials said.It has already set up 17 such centres at the district commissioner's offices. Each of the district headquarters...

A significant rise in price of platinum likely

RBC Capital MarketsThe price of platinum could see a stgnificant increase in the medium term as demand/supply pressures create the ultimate bottleneck, according to Leon Esterhuizen, analyst at RBC Capital Markets.He says a continued increase in demand is driven by...

Banks' reluctance to part with cash keeps the heat on Libor

FT Syndication ServiceLONDON: One of the enigmas of the past few weeks has been why interbank lending rates have stayed so high when conditions elsewhere in financial markets have been improving.Since the Bear Stearns rescue on March 16, equity and...

Indonesia to pull out of Opec

INDONESIA said last Wednesday it would withdraw from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) at the end of this year because, as a net oil importer, its interests were no longer served by being a member of the oil...

Stuck on you

I'VE always liked the idea of the 'mystery shopper', covertly checking that everything is where it should be on the shelves of retail spaces and that staff are working to optimum levels of helpfulness. I doubt, however, I'm subtle enough...

Delhi dithers as big retail rattles the gates

FT Syndication ServiceMUMBAI: India's government has obviously never heard the maxim: "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today". The government routinely defers decisions by commissioning studies of thorny issues in the hope they will have blown over...

Boro procurement drive yet to gain momentum

Procurement of Boro rice and paddy is yet to get momentum although the harvesting period ends this month, officials said Thursday.Pius Costa, director general of the Food Directorate, said the millers under agreement should supply 491,182 tonnes of rice, but...

Addressing threats to agricultural productivity

NOTWITHSTANDING considerable diversification of its economy achieved in the last three decades, agriculture's influence in the lives of its people continues to be a pervasive one in Bangladesh. A major share of the country's GDP is obtained nowadays from industries...

Govt set to allow 'legalising' undisclosed income in FY09

People having 'undisclosed' money will be able to legalise the same in the first four months of the 2008-2009 fiscal under a special offer to be announced in the next budget, an official said Wednesday.The caretaker government, which offered similar...

Japan growing at 'slowest pace in five years'

FT Syndication ServiceTOKYO: The Japanese economy will this year grow at its slowest rate for five years as a result of lower global growth and rising energy and commodity costs, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said.The IMF expects Japanese...

Reding in race to shake up mobile industries

Cheaper overseas text messages, lower surcharges on mobile phone calls, a shake-up of the EU's radio waves - this striking "to-do" list marks the latest quest by Viviane Reding, the EU telecoms commissioner.She has repeatedly clashed with the industry over...

Pitfalls of investment in the stock market

WHEN Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) launched web-based information, there was palpable excitement in that circle of non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) who were active investors in overseas markets and eager to invest in Bangladesh. Since live-prices could be followed through Internet, enthusiastic...

Afghanistan seeks cash to build 'new Kabul'

AFGHANISTAN will ask the international community next month for a half a billion dollars to begin work on a "new Kabul" that will be more than one and a half times the size of the existing capital.Under plans drawn up...