Mongla port, the country’s second biggest seaport, has made a strong comeback as it sees an increased arrival of ships, making it a major gateway for Bangladesh’s overseas trade once again.

The Bangladesh Bank today asked banks to submit the required data of inland letters of credit (LCs) to the online import monitoring system (OIMS) appropriately.

Stocks ended flat today and investors’ participation was also almost the same compared to the previous day as people have adopted a wait-and-see policy amid rising Covid-19 infections.

The commerce ministry is expecting a full amendment to the companies act this year to make the vital law time-befitting, said Tapan Kanti Ghosh, senior secretary to the commerce ministry, yesterday.

The transition from manual banking to its digital means is certainly not a new phenomenon for Bangladesh’s banking sector. But the advent of the coronavirus pandemic has had clients from all walks of life honing in on internet banking to cut the chances of contracting the deadly flu.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has updated its rules on temporary importation of machinery, parts and equipment such that public and private agencies can implement projects that require using foreign items.

The spiralling trend of raw jute prices has come to a halt thanks to monitoring by the authorities to curb stockpiling by traders in the last two weeks, said traders and exporters.

The single-digit interest rate on bank loans has helped industries in Bangladesh tremendously as the cost of finances has gone down sharply, allowing them to navigate challenges during the coronavirus pandemic smoothly, said a top entrepreneur.

Fast disbursement of the government’s stimulus packages among cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (CMSMEs) is facing bottlenecks, starting with complexities over the definition of these entities, said speakers yesterday.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has called upon the Bangladeshi expatriates to invest in Bangladesh to build a prosperous nation.

Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) is establishing a world-class dry fish processing industry in Cox’s Bazar, said Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim yesterday.

Grameenphone has recently on-boarded the seventh batch of ‘GP Accelerator’ to provide six start-ups with investment readiness support such as company valuation, fundraising, legal paperwork for expanding beyond borders and attracting investment.

Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation is establishing a world-class dry fish processing industry in Cox’s Bazar and the government will extend tax exemptions to the businesses which will import machineries or take initiatives for such industry in the country, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said today.

Local ice cream producers are going through tough times in spite of logging higher sales in 2021 as they are having to bear higher prices of raw materials amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Shares on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) were almost flat yesterday while turnover rose slightly amid the intensification of the coronavirus pandemic.

Non-garment exporters should be allowed to import raw materials duty-free under the bonded warehouse privilege as it would help diversify the country’s export basket, the Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) said yesterday.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal yesterday defended the unexpected spike in gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the fiscal year of 2020-21, giving credits to expansionary monetary policies and progress in all economic indicators.

The railways ministry has asked the Economic Relations Division (ERD) to search for funds for a project to convert the Akhaura-Sylhet rail track into dual gauge from metre gauge.

Samiul Islam, a resident of Fulgachh village in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila, began his journey as a sole proprietorship several years ago by peddling sanitary products to low-income households in the area.

Riding on the zero-duty trade benefit and competitive prices, the shipment of apparel items to India is growing fast, a development that would help Bangladesh narrow its trade gap with the neighbouring country.