Oil inches up

Brent crude oil prices advanced on Tuesday adding to gains in the previous session after a drone attack on an oil pipeline pumping station in Russia reduced flows from Kazakhstan, but gains were capped on the prospects of supply rising soon.
18 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Automation boosts Barishal’s salt processing

The use of automatic machines has increased processed salt production by 25 percent in Barishal, while improved efficiency has turned Jhalakathi district in the division into a manufacturing hub.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Russia sharply raises inflation forecast

Russia’s central bank sharply raised its inflation forecast for 2025 on Friday, warning there was no sign rocketing price increases would go into reverse.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Resourcing a resource-hungry country

Bangladesh’s higher education system faces a critical issue: While universities are expanding rapidly, an increasing number of degree-holding graduates are struggling to find meaningful employment because employers cannot find graduates with the necessary skills.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM

No well-thought-out urban planning in the past 50 years

Bangladesh is growing horizontally and vertically, with new multistoried complexes being erected on fresh land in suburbs and towns to replace more modest structures.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM

29 IIG operators still owe Tk 205cr to BTRC

A total of 29 international internet gateway (IIG) service providers in Bangladesh still owe the country’s telecom regulator about Tk 205 crore collectively even though the monthlong window to clear their dues has long passed.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Ramadan on the horizon, soybean oil still scarce

Consumers say that the supply of bottled soybean oil has not improved significantly, while several players in the local supply chain have expressed mixed reactions regarding the outlook of the edible oil market ahead of Ramadan, when demand for the cooking staple nearly doubles.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Wheat acreage lowest on record

Cultivation of wheat has hit the lowest on record in the current season in Bangladesh as many producers opted to grow potato and other high-value crops on land previously used for the second most important staple food after rice.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM

GDP may cross $500b for first time in FY26

The finance ministry is likely to project that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) will surpass the $500-billion mark for the first time in the upcoming fiscal year (FY), anticipating an economic rebound in FY 2025-26.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Coats plans to go greener in Bangladesh

The UK-headquartered thread manufacturer Coats Group has been expanding its operations in Bangladesh to meet the growing demand from local customers, according to a top official. 
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Monetary policy is working

The country’s tight monetary measures are beginning to yield results, paving the way for a gradual stabilisation in consumer prices, according to CAL Bangladesh, a financial services company.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Potato exports rising as prices drop locally

Potato exports from Bangladesh are picking up after last fiscal year’s unusual slump, as a sharp drop in domestic prices provides hope that they could reach levels of the past decade or so.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Development spending in Jul-Jan hits 15-year low

Implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) stood at just 21.52 percent in the first seven months of fiscal year 2024-25 as public works were weighed down by political unrest.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Declining investments dampen growth outlook

Bangladesh’s investment-to-GDP ratio declined by 0.25 percentage points to 30.70 percent in the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24, according to official data, signalling a potential slowdown in future economic growth.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Guardian Life launches ‘Nirbhar’ insurance plan

Guardian Life Insurance Limited has introduced a new insurance plan, Nirbhar, designed to offer regular income benefits after a limited premium payment period.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Dhaka Bank to install CRMs at metro rail stations

Dhaka Bank PLC has signed an agreement with Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) to install cash recycling machines (CRMs) at all 16 stations of the Dhaka Metro Rail, officially known as MRT Line-6.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Housing fair begins in Ctg

A four-day housing exhibition, REHAB Chattogram Fair 2025, began yesterday with the aim of showcasing flats, plots, and other real estate and housing products. 
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Proactive action plan needed to cure labour market woes: expert

A proactive action plan, incorporating demand-driven training, apprenticeships for youth, and strategies to foster entrepreneurship, must be adopted to address the severity of unemployment, wage disparity, and gender inequality, said a top expert on labour markets and employment.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

Swadesh Islami Life’s fine for ‘excessive commission’ upheld

The Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) has upheld a Tk 5 lakh fine on Swadesh Islami Life Insurance Company for excessive commission expenses.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM

A comedy of exploitation

Move over nine-to-five office hours! In Bangladesh, where traffic jams are our unofficial “overtime”, the idea of a 90-hour workweek sounds like a plot twist in a Dhallywood movie.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM