Experts say

Daylong Dhaka summit begins on Bangladesh-Japan economic relations

The Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro), Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) jointly organised the summit at Pan Pacific Sonargaon in Dhaka this afternoon.

The demand for day labourers is considerably high in Faridpur as farms in the major crop producing region require the assistance of seasonal workers whenever the harvest period comes around.

Calls, social networking and news consumption dominate internet usage in Bangladesh amidst a scarcity of local and Bangla content.

Wheat importers of Bangladesh are exploring alternative sources to ensure uninterrupted domestic supplies after Russia pulled out of a UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal that assured safe transport of Ukrainian wheat. 

FBCCI president says at FBCCI Members Night 2023

Eastern Bank Ltd has won the International Finance Banking Awards 2023 in the “Most Innovative Retail Bank in Bangladesh” category.

Standard Bank Ltd (SBL) organised the bank’s 143rd meeting of the executive committee of the board of directors at its head office in Dhaka yesterday. 

Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd has organised a half-yearly “Business Conference-2023”. 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) will revise its global oil demand growth projections based on the economic growth prospects of China and some other countries, its executive director Fatih Barol said on Saturday.

Non-performing loan (NPL) has been a concern for the banking sector in Bangladesh for quite some time. According to the World Bank, Bangladesh had the second-highest NPL ratio of 9.4 per cent in South Asia in 2022, right after Sri Lanka.

Profits of Singer Bangladesh more than doubled in the first half of the current calendar year thanks to higher sales coupled with lower import costs and freight rates.

Kazushige Nobutani, president of the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), is scheduled to come to Bangladesh today along with Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister for economy, trade and industry of Japan. Their visit is aimed at discussing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) the two countries plan to ink in order to promote trade and investments. In an email interview with The Daily Star, Nobutani spoke about investment opportunities in Bangladesh for Japanese firms and challenges the face, among other issues.

Another 21 factories being set up in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Mirsharai upazila of Chattogram are set to go into commercial production from September.

To diversify export destinations, Bangladesh needs to take up a comprehensive plan and coordinate efforts focusing on every country that bears potential, said Md Fazlul Hoque, former president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

It all started in early 2008 when the Japanese government announced the “China Plus One Strategy” to cut its over-reliance on the manufacturing behemoth by setting up business operations in other countries.

South Asia is one of the least integrated regions in the world in terms of trade and people-to-people contact, according to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh.

IFIC Bank PLC in collaboration with Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has organised a workshop on “Prevention on Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism” for creating awareness among officers of different scheduled banks operating in Laxmipur.

Renowned US online newspaper Policy Watcher lauded Bangladesh's economic achievements saying that as one of the fastest growing economies, Bangladesh has now become a case study of economic development in the world