Sohel Parvez

With a number of non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) suffering from severe cash crunch, the central bank yesterday barred financial institutions with lower capital and higher default loans from paying dividends.

Public foodgrain stocks fell to 6.56 lakh tonnes, the lowest in nearly three years, raising apprehensions that greedy traders would use the current situation to manipulate prices to pocket higher profits.

Raw jute prices hit a new high as the natural fibre traded for as much as Tk 5,300 per maund (one maund equals 37 kilogrammes) at local markets in Faridpur, the biggest producing district, as supply shortage became acute.

Bangladesh’s lentil imports are on the rise due to increased consumption amid inadequate domestic production.

The need to maintain social distancing in order to avoid infection amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has buoyed the global demand for bicycles.

Beximco Pharmaceuticals is set to acquire 54.6 per cent stake in Sanofi Bangladesh for about Tk 400 crore, as it looks to expand its product base and diversify into new areas.

Bangladesh’s jute industry is passing exceptional times.

During his childhood, Md Mujbur Rahman would see his mother waiting for days to receive money sent by his father through the post office from Adamjee Jute Mills, the then biggest operational jute mill in the world.

The government is committed to facilitating the growth of business, trade and investment to reach the goal of becoming a developed economy by 2041, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said recently.

Anyone visiting the countryside will notice a certain change in the scenery: the croplands look like yellow and green canvases.

The government has given the nod to private firms to import 330,000 tonnes of rice as it looks to increase the supply of the staple grain in the domestic market to curb spiralling prices.

Abdur Rahim*, a private tutor in Dhaka, thought his life had finally stabilised after two decades of hard work. With a steady income, he could afford a place in the capital and sustain his family.

Local cotton production is likely to increase this year thanks to rising acreage and expansion of cultivation of hybrid varieties, stakeholders said.

Roadside fruit stands stacked with oranges are now a common sight in Dhaka, particularly in urban residential areas and kitchen markets.

The pandemic has brought many changes in people’s habits and practices, one of these being an increase in hygiene consciousness, which is why they use more soaps and detergents to keep the highly contagious coronavirus at bay.

Over the last several years, Green Delta Insurance Company (GDIC) has emerged as one of the country’s leading insurance providers.

Local firms are gradually expanding their oilseed crushing capacities, not just to get more oil but to also cater to a growing demand for soybean meals among feed manufacturers, industry leaders said.

Bangladesh has become the third largest importer of apples in the world thanks to the rising purchasing capacity and growing health consciousness among the country’s people.

Buying a product from a store could help you win Tk 100,000.

The government may import up to 5 lakh tonnes of rice to replenish the country’s depleting food stocks and tame the soaring prices of the staple, according to a senior official of the food ministry.