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.

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.

The European Union (EU) has allocated a fund of $21.5 million to help accelerate climate-smart and inclusive infrastructure investments in Bangladesh and five other South Asian countries.

Firms in Bangladesh have recovered about 60 per cent of their business compared to the pre-pandemic levels, found a survey.

Every industry, instead of just the garment sector, should be allowed to import fire safety equipment at reduced rates to safeguard workers’ rights and broaden Bangladesh’s image abroad, said entrepreneurs at a meeting yesterday.

Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) has urged all the ministries and their affiliated agencies to allocate 10 per cent of their annual budget for buying software and IT-enabled services (ITES).

Listed power generation companies of Bangladesh have started to feel the negative impact of the expiry of power purchase agreements with the government.

Bangladesh’s largest industrial enclave, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, in Mirsarai, Chattogram, finally witnessed the start of operations of its maiden factory last week.

The export-import activities between Bangladesh and India through the Benapole Land Port was suspended indefinitely after a strike was called by port users at the Petrapole port in India this morning.

The year 2021 ended with multiple accomplishments for Dhaka city. 

The government is set to launch a special drive against illegal stockpiles of raw jute to ensure a smooth supply in the domestic market and enable mills to make jute goods for export, the textiles and jute ministry said yesterday.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal yesterday said the government has granted the scope to businesses to invest abroad in order to curb the transfer of money out of the country through illegal channels.

Entrepreneurs yesterday expressed disappointment as their green operations are not fetching better prices although the costly move has allowed buyers to source products from eco-friendly factories and benefit from the improving image of the whole supply chain.

Profits of listed steel manufacturers have soared thanks to higher volumes of sales made after the economy opened up in full swing.

Listed steel maker GPH Ispat’s profit soared in the first half of the current financial year.

Any power tariff hike will have a serious impact on the garment industry as it will scuttle its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and erode competitiveness, said Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).