Not all officials participated in the protest and incidents that occurred at the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on March 5 spontaneously, Khondoker Rashed Maqsood, the chairman of the commission, said yesterday.

Wage growth slowed in February and was outpaced by inflation for the 37th consecutive month, further eroding real incomes and making low-income groups increasingly vulnerable amid rising costs of living.

The Anti-Corruption Commission and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) have initially unearthed anomalies amounting to around Tk 28 crore in implementing the Regulatory Information System (RIS) project.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Ahsan H Mansur will visit the United Kingdom (UK) as a part of efforts to recover laundered assets.

With festivities in full swing ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission has emphasised the importance of safeguarding the local textile industry against the growing influx of imported garments.

As of the first week of March, the private sector had imported only 2.63 lakh tonnes of rice against the approved 16.75 lakh tonnes

The interim government has not taken any of the measures recommended by the White Paper on the state of the economy and the task force, even after a long time since the report's submission, said an economist yesterday. 

The basis proposed for setting gas tariffs is unconstitutional, against the laws and against the principles of fairness, according to the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) recently.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) today relaxed the down payment requirements for exit facilities on defaulted loans of closed or loss-incurring companies.

The central bank launches an investigation into alleged fraudulent activities

The DSEX rose 0.19% to 5,184.59 points as of 11:14 am

Container handling at six jetties under Chattogram port’s general cargo berth (GCB) remains disrupted as berth operators continue slowing down operations amid an unresolved dispute with shipping agents over onboard container handling charges.

Hami Industries PLC has signed an agreement with Lubricant Asia Limited to lease out 6,752 square feet of space from its factory in Fouzderhat Heavy Industrial Area of Chattogram for two years.

Syed Manzur Elahi, a sponsor director of Apex Footwear Ltd, has purchased 50,000 shares of the leading footwear maker, the company said yesterday.

Donald Trump’s new administration has plunged international development assistance into an existential crisis. Within hours of taking office in January, the president had issued, an executive order mandating a 90-day pause on most aid to poorer countries. Last week, the State Department confirmed it was cutting more than 90 percent of the US Agency for International Development’s programmes.

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves fell from $21.39 billion to $19.7 billion yesterday after the country paid $1.75 billion in regional import bills through the Asian Clearing Union (ACU).

Garment manufacturers and exporters demanded adequate supply of gas and electricity to production units and a reduction in bank interest rates to enhance production and exports, a leader of one of the panels that contest the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) polls said yesterday.

Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical exports posted steady growth in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, buoyed by rising demand from developed markets, though a sharp decline in February raised concerns, industry experts said.

Some officials of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) returned to work yesterday after protests and a work abstention last week. Over the weekend, the commission chairman instructed officials to restore normality. 

The government will fundamentally transform the country’s telecom policy to unlock the digital economy, improve service quality and prevent internet shutdowns during critical periods, said Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, the newly appointed special assistant to the chief adviser.