The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has taken the initiative to expand soybean cultivation in northern Bangladesh in order to meet the country’s growing demand for edible oil.

Many of you, who know about the cultivation of soybean in Bangladesh, might think that the production of the oilseed contributes to meeting the country’s demand for edible oil to some extent.

Bangladesh Bank yesterday drew up a classification and provisioning policy for a group of financial items of banks excluding loans and advances, terming it “other assets”, with a view to ensuring discipline in the banking sector.

Paramount Textile Ltd (PTL) today said it will form a joint venture company with Dynamic Sun Energy Private Ltd to establish a 100 megawatt solar power plant in Pabna sadar, a northwest district.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today directed all concerned to take necessary measures so that Bangladesh can maintain its current position in future regarding foreign debt.

Stocks tumbled today while the turnover of the market also dropped amid fears that the listed companies may perform badly in the days to come because of a gradual rise in raw materials’ prices.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) today said the current price situation in the market has become onerous for the middle-income people apart from putting adverse impact on low- and lower-income population.

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday ordered banks to immediately adopt strict measures to discourage imports of non-essential items in a bid to rein in the escalating import payments and avert any pressure on the foreign currency reserves. 

Bangladesh’s rice consumption may marginally rise to 3.7 crore tonnes in the marketing year (MY) 2022-23 as the government continues to run food assistance programmes for the poor for a recent food price hike, said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week.

Nine banks, including four state lenders, suffered net losses in 2021, largely as a consequence of financial scams that forced them to set aside higher provisioning.

The key index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) declined yesterday after  rising for just a day while turnover also dropped.

Stocks of Khulna Power Company Limited (KPCL) rose by around 1 per cent after news broke that the company secured a two-year extension of its power purchase agreement with the government.

Some agricultural and gold products would be traded in the first phase on the the country’s first ever commodity exchange to be launched this year, Asif Ibrahim, chairman of the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), said yesterday.

Pacific Jeans Group, one of the fastest-growing garment exporters in Bangladesh, could rake in $500 million in export earnings in the current fiscal year as its apparel shipment grows steadily.

The government has instructed factory owners to pay their workers’ salaries, bonuses and arrears for March and April by April 28, following which a public holiday marking Eid-ul-Fitr will begin.

The Bangladesh Bank today instructed banks to impose at least 25 per cent margin on the opening of letter of credit for non-essential consumer items in a bid to curb the escalated import payments.

The government has instructed the factory and industry owners to pay the bonus and salaries for March and April before the Eid holiday scheduled to begin on April 29.

Banks had initially focused on using agent banking platforms to mobilise deposits from rural areas, for which lending took a back seat.

Bosses indeed play a key role in determining a worker's happiness factor. More than half of the employees responding to an annual job-satisfaction survey admit they do not leave companies, they leave bosses.

Stocks in Bangladesh yesterday ended a four-day losing streak as investors capitalised on declining share prices in anticipation of future gains, according to market analysts.