Jagaran Chakma

The Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) has sought approval from the interim government to terminate an agreement for establishing SBG Economic Zone Ltd inside the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Mirsarai of Chattogram.

Workers in as many as 20 pharmaceutical factories have been protesting for nine days to press home their 21-point demand, in a development that has compelled many factories to halt production.

Flash floods across parts of the country, the lingering effects of recent nationwide political upheaval, and persistent inflationary pressure have prevented business activities from getting back on track, according to businesspeople.

Bangladesh’s imports of capital machinery, industrial raw materials, and intermediate goods fell for a second consecutive fiscal year, reflecting the depressed state of private investment and bleak prospects for new jobs.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) and S Alam & Co, aimed at modernising ailing state-run sugar mills, has been cancelled by the government. 

Transport activities, including movement of imported goods and those meant for exports, have been halted since Thursday as the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, the lifeline of the country’s economy, has been submerged by flash floods brought on by heavy rainfall and the rush of water from upstream.

The interim government’s first task should be to address the disparity in government facilities between readymade garment (RMG) and non-RMG sectors to facilitate export diversification, according to one of the leading exporters of leather shoes.

Although the need to diversify Bangladesh’s export basket has been a subject of great discussion for more than two decades, there has been little progress in this regard.

Three firms in the Bepza economic zone inside Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Chattogram have started operations and exports, according to sources at Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza).

Our journey to the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), an eco-friendly industrial area in Chattogram, began on a sunny morning.

Although long-haul bus services in Bangladesh resumed five days ago, the number of passengers is still low as people are avoiding travel due to security concerns, according to industry insiders.

Paint companies are increasingly investing in developing new products, particularly those with a low environmental impact, according to Mohsin Habib Chowdhury, the chief operating officer of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited.

Businesses in Bangladesh, especially those that mostly deal with cash transactions, yesterday said they are contending with a liquidity crunch as the country’s central bank has placed a limit on daily cash withdrawals from banks.

Economic activities are finally returning to normal after three weeks of upheaval as both garment and non-garment factories started operations in full swing yesterday, according to industry insiders.

Hotels, resorts and motels in the country’s holiday destinations are lying idle for a lack of tourists amidst the deterioration of law and order since Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of prime minister on August 5 in the face of a mass uprising.

Factories are yet to start running in full swing for a lack of law and order since Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of prime minister three days ago in the face of a mass uprising.

The interim government’s immediate duty will be to address inflation and repair weak financial institutions as it seeks to rebuild the economy, according to experts.

Transport of passengers and export-import goods began to suffer again yesterday as most vehicles avoided plying roads amid a new wave of violence surrounding the students’ non-cooperation movement.

Malls and markets in Dhaka and other major cities have been hit hard by spiralling unrest across the country following the deaths of over 200 people, including students, during the quota reform movement in recent weeks.

The ongoing unrest and curfew have raised apprehensions over Bangladesh’s future exports on the back of data corrections by Bangladesh Bank showing that almost all major sectors suffered a drop in shipments last fiscal year.