Gas shortage brings DAP fertiliser production to a halt
20 April 2026, 00:00 AM
An acute shortage of ammonia has closed down production at the state-owned DAP Fertilizer Company Limited (DAPFCL), marking a fresh setback for the country’s fertiliser supply chain, officials said.
20 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Octane imports now beyond storage capacity
18 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh’s octane stock is set to reach near full storage capacity after a fresh consignment of 25,000 tonnes anchored at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port last night.
18 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Octane reserves now beyond storage capacity
17 April 2026, 22:17 PM
Fresh 25,000‑tonne consignment pushes stock to 55,500 tonnes against 53,000‑tonne capacity
17 April 2026, 22:17 PM
The fading pages of Halkhata
15 April 2026, 02:50 AM
The bustling trading hub of Chaktai–Khatunganj in Chattogram -- one of the country’s oldest and largest wholesale markets -- once used to come alive a week before Pahela Baishakh to observe Halkhata, a thousand-year-old tradition.
15 April 2026, 02:50 AM
Eastern Refinery running on fumes
15 April 2026, 02:33 AM
With usable crude stocks nearly exhausted amid import disruptions due to US-Israel war on Iran, the Eastern Refinery Ltd (ERL) has been kept running by drawing from “deadstock”, residual crude settled at the bottom of storage tanks that can only be used in limited quantities in emergencies.
15 April 2026, 02:33 AM
Eastern Refinery production drops sharply amid crude shortage
14 April 2026, 22:27 PM
Possible shutdown within a week if fresh supplies do not arrive
14 April 2026, 22:27 PM
Ceasefire in Middle East: Fuel supply relief likely weeks away
9 April 2026, 03:29 AM
The two-week ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran may not have an immediate impact on Bangladesh’s fuel supply situation.
9 April 2026, 03:29 AM
Cooking oil, sugar prices rise on war shocks
5 April 2026, 02:00 AM
Prices of edible oil, sugar and spices have risen across major wholesale markets in Bangladesh over the past several weeks.
5 April 2026, 02:00 AM
To appease US, NBR to offer zero-duty for 100 more goods
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is set to propose zero import duties on an additional 100 goods in the upcoming national budget, aiming to boost bilateral trade with the United States and cushion higher tariffs on Bangladeshi products entering the American market.
20 May 2025, 18:00 PM
NBR moves to speed up auction of abandoned goods
About 2 lakh tonnes of imported goods left abandoned at Chattogram port alone for years
15 May 2025, 15:16 PM
Ctg customs saw 12% revenue growth in July-March
Revenue collection by Chattogram Customs House rose 12 percent over the past nine months thanks to the easing of import restrictions, with shipments of Ramadan essentials surging ahead of the month of fasting for Muslims..The country’s top revenue earner collected Tk 55,346 crore in the Ju
17 April 2025, 15:05 PM
Bangladesh earned Tk 1,500cr tariff from US imports in FY24
"Bangladesh generates a negligible amount of revenue from taxes levied on goods imported from the United States"
5 April 2025, 18:00 PM
Dates cheaper in Ctg this year as imports surge
Date prices have remained relatively stable this year compared to previous years, thanks to the govt's duty waiver and a decline in int'l market prices
22 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Unclaimed import boxes clog 18% of Ctg port capacity
Around 200,000 tonnes of imported goods, stuffed in 9,644 containers, have been abandoned at Chattogram port for years – occupying 18 percent of its capacity, as customs officials point the finger at lengthy auction processes for the backlog.
10 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Under-invoicing skews cardamom market
Chattogram-based Especia International Trading received the delivery of a 10-tonne cardamom consignment in mid-January. The trader declared the import price at $7.5 per kilogramme.
6 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Customs’ sale of 14-yr-old chemical poses health hazard
The Chattogram Custom House has auctioned off 14-year-old sodium glycerolate, which is used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, without conducting any quality assessment to determine its usability, raising concerns about potential health risks.
25 December 2024, 18:23 PM
Nowfel gained from illegal tobacco trade
Former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel received at least Tk 3 crore from a tobacco company, known for years for illegal cigarette production and marketing including some counterfeit foreign brands.
22 December 2024, 18:19 PM
Ship from Karachi port: What was in the cargo?
Most of the cargo that arrived from Karachi contained industrial raw materials, including soda ash, dolomite, limestone, chemicals, onion, fabrics and potatoes
16 November 2024, 14:49 PM
Cybergangs breaking into NBR server at will
On May 20, 2024, Chattogram Custom House Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zakaria was in Kolkata, India, where he had gone for treatment a week earlier.
15 November 2024, 20:00 PM
Unable to open LCs, seven S Alam factories shut down
An inability to open letters of credit (LCs) since the political changeover on August 5 has resulted in the closure of at least seven enterprises owned by the S Alam Group, including its sugar and edible oil refineries and steel factory.
14 November 2024, 18:00 PM
A good example of a bad plan
A year on, Karnaphuli tunnel losing over Tk 27 lakh a day
27 October 2024, 01:00 AM
Two S Alam sons dodged Tk 75cr in taxes in 20-21
At least six tax officials, including the then tax commissioner, were involved in extending undue favour to two sons of controversial businessman Mohammed Saiful Alam to legalise undisclosed money worth Tk 500 crore, an investigation by the tax intelligence has found.
19 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Egg supplies take a hit
The Tejgaon Egg Merchants’ Association, which delivers about 15 percent of the daily supply of 1 crore eggs in the capital, stopped sales from Sunday night claiming it was to avoid harassment by the government authorities.
14 October 2024, 18:06 PM
NBR detects Tk 1,400cr of unpaid VAT of S Alam firms
Ten companies of S Alam Group have been ordered to pay Tk 1,414 crore of unpaid value-added tax (VAT) they allegedly “evaded” in the past two years.
7 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Prices of essentials: Rains, supply dearth cause spike
The prices of rice, eggs, broiler chicken, soybean oil, palm oil, sugar and vegetables have increased significantly in Dhaka due to a supply shortage and incessant rain.
5 October 2024, 18:19 PM
S Alam’s tax file shows no foreign income
S Alam Group owner Mohammed Saiful Alam’s 2022-2023 tax file is a puzzle. In that tax year, he declared personal assets worth Tk 2,532 crore, but did not show any personal bank loans from Bangladesh or his foreign income.
29 September 2024, 01:00 AM
S Alam sons: They used fake pay orders even to legalise black money
Ashraful Alam and Asadul Alam Mahir, two sons of controversial businessman Mohammed Saiful Alam, deprived the state of Tk 75 crore in taxes by legalising Tk 500 crore in undisclosed income, documents obtained by The Daily Star have revealed.
18 September 2024, 01:23 AM
NBR server breached again
A cybercriminal gang attempted to release a container of liquor worth Tk 14 crore from Chattogram Port after breaching the National Board of Revenue’s server using login credentials of two customs officials.
13 September 2024, 18:00 PM