The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has launched an investigation to understand the circumstances behind abnormally high prices being placed in buy orders for newly listed Sonali Life Insurance.

Vegetable farmers in Rangpur and Dinajpur incurred huge losses amid the lockdown when they were finding it difficult to send crops to Dhaka and other parts of the country as truck operators were demanding high fares on different grounds.

The country’s agro-processors yesterday urged the government to allow their factories to remain open during the 14-day countrywide lockdown starting from July 23.

Sales and profits of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh jumped in the second quarter of 2021 (April to June) thanks to a newly launched business of aggregate and the inclusion of new products in its portfolio.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is likely to launch its new online tax return filing system in September this year, said officials yesterday.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) yesterday gave the go-ahead to Oryza Agro Industries and Master Feed Agrotec to raise funds of Tk 10 crore each from the stock market through its SME board.

CDC Group, the development finance institution and impact investor of the United Kingdom, has extended a trade finance loan of $30 million to City Bank.

Loans written off by banks declined sharply in the first quarter of this year as the lenders’ capacity to keep 100 per cent provisioning against their delinquent assets has decreased because of the slowdown in their business.

The blue-chip index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange is lagging behind the broader index as most investors prefer to bet on low-priced securities and are driven by rumours instead of making investment decisions by examining the fundamentals of companies.

The government yesterday launched a digital platform that allows customers from across the country to purchase sacrificial animals in a bid to maintain public health guidelines on Eid-ul-Azha amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Garment shipment will suffer a serious setback if production is suspended in July and August as it is the prime season for apparel manufacturers since sales rise in the Western market because of winter and Christmas, exporters said.

Despite a bumper yield of Boro paddy in the just concluded season, rice prices are going up, putting increasing pressure on low-income people, many of whom are suffering from income losses for the lockdown and pandemic-induced slowdown of economic activities.

Premier Bank recently witnessed the appointment of its new deputy managing director and chief business officer.

As central banks dabble with digital currencies, commercial lenders are ramping up efforts to influence policy and technical plans, according to more than half a dozen industry executives and public filings.

Finland’s Nokia said on Tuesday it planned to raise its full-year outlook as business picked up pace in the second quarter, sending the telecom equipment maker’s shares up more than 6 per cent.

Financial firms may need to bolster their defences in the face of rocketing cyber-attacks after employees began working from home, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) said on Tuesday. 

China’s exports grew much faster than expected in June, as solid global demand led by easing lockdown measures and vaccination drives worldwide eclipsed virus outbreaks and port delays.

The prime index of the stock market jumped to a three-and-a-half-year high yesterday thanks to increased participation from investors.

Jobike has been left crippled by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as the on-demand bicycle rental service provider had to shutter a majority of its operations in the country.

Bangladesh Bank yesterday said that clients would enjoy regular banking hours before the start of the Eid-ul-Azha vacation so that they can celebrate the religious festival with joy.