Md Asaduz Zaman

Food inflation in Bangladesh stayed above 12 percent for the second consecutive month in September as prices showed no signs of cooling down, hitting the pockets of the consumers who spend most of their incomes to feed their families.

Construction costs in Bangladesh rose by 6.98 percent in August, making it costlier to implement both public and private construction projects, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

About 3,000 kilogrammes of single-use plastic waste are dumped by tourists on the Saint Martin's Island of Cox's Bazar every day during the peak season, according to The Earth, a non-profit organisation working on community development and environment.

Bangladesh is home to the world's longest sea beach as well as the world's largest mangrove forest alongside numerous places of outstanding natural beauty. But despite its potential, the country still could not explore the global markets and attract foreign holidaymakers..Even 52 years aft

Government revenue collection in the July-August period, the first two months of the current fiscal year of 2023-24, has increased by nearly 15 percent year-on-year, thanks to a rise in VAT from multinational companies. 

State-run Chhatak Cement Company in Sunamganj might not return to production anytime soon as its modernisation project is set to miss the deadline for the second time while uncertainty over the supply of the key raw material persists.   

Utilisation of foreign assistance under the government’s Annual Development Programme (ADP) by ministries and divisions has slightly declined year-on-year in the first two months of fiscal year 2023-24. 

The number of women bankers has gone up slightly over the last three years, after it saw a drop during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

If you had visited the Krishi Market in the capital’s Mohammadpur during the first half of yesterday, you might have noticed two young men trying to sell half-burnt soaps, packets of detergent and several containers containing cleaning agents on a rickshaw-van.

Sustainable finance is the process of incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into financial investment decisions, resulting in longer-term investments in sustainable economic activities and projects.

Almost 10 years ago, Sondha Rani, 45, started her small betel leaf shop in Mohammadpur Krishi Market, after taking a loan from a relative. She, along with her husband, ran this small shop, which served as the only means of income for their three-member family.

"I couldn't get anything out of the shop. Some of the gold and silver that I had burned and melted. The fire took everything. What it left is just my misfortune," said Ashraf Uddin, the owner of a jewellery shop.

A four-year industrial park project undertaken by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Sirajganj will enter its 14th year of construction due to delays in land acquisition and difficulties in obtaining approval from relevant ministries.

Mrinal Biswas, a resident of Botiaghata upazila in Khulna, doesn’t find job opportunities every day. And when the 62-year-old fisheries worker is lucky to be employed, he earns Tk 500 per day.  

The government has initiated an agricultural project at a cost of Tk 209 crore with the aim to increase production of crops in char areas by expanding the use of modern technologies. 

The export of paper and paper products from Bangladesh rose 85 percent year-on-year in the first two months of fiscal 2023-24 as the country is grabbing a bigger share of the global market in face of reduced competition.

Potato prices are soaring even though farmers this year grew a record 1.04 crore tonnes, cutting the buying power of consumers, especially fixed and low-income people already battered by sustained high inflation. 

Agent banking, which helps bring banking services to unbanked people, continues to gain ground in Bangladesh as the number of accounts, deposit collection and loan disbursement are on the rise.

The number of bank branches in Bangladesh rose to 11,212 in June 2023, up 2.11 percent year-on-year, according to central bank data.

Although wage growth in Bangladesh has been slowly climbing since July 2021, it has remained below the inflation rate for the past 18 months consecutively, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).