Md Asaduz Zaman

Reporter, The Daily Star

Take steps to roll out universal pension scheme

The government should take specific steps through the upcoming national budget for 2022-23 to roll out a universal pension scheme, said an economist.

3d ago

Assess gravity of current problems first

The government is yet to take any comprehensive corrective measures to tackle macroeconomic challenges as it has not properly assessed the gravity of the situation in the current fiscal year, an economist said.

6d ago

Govt plans Tk 303cr livestock, poultry project

The government is planning to undertake a Tk 303-crore project to increase milk, meat and egg production in char areas under Dhaka division by at least 15 per cent to 20 per cent and subsequently improve living standards.

1w ago

Major targets of current budget still unmet

The government is far away from achieving the major targets set for the current fiscal year when the national budget was unveiled in June last year, owing to its failures to assess the global scenario before fixing the goals, experts said.

1w ago

Govt plans smaller rise in next ADP

The government plans to increase its development spending slightly in the upcoming fiscal year due to the narrow fiscal space, the dollar crisis, the conditions attached to the IMF’s loan programme, and higher expenses on subsidies and interest payments.

3w ago

Inflation falls but still at an elevated level

Inflation in Bangladesh fell slightly to 9.24 per cent in April, driven by a decline in food prices, although it still remains at an elevated level compared to historic trends, official figures showed yesterday.

3w ago

BSCIC Barishal project in the slow lane

A project of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) aimed at developing its industrial estate in Barishal and improving infrastructure there has again missed the deadline for completion owing to sluggish implementation, official documents showed.

4w ago

Project for expanding artificial insemination of livestock delayed again

A project for expanding artificial reproduction and implementing embryo transfer technology in livestock farming has been delayed once again due to slow implementation.

4w ago

‘Compensation for workers’ deaths below per capita income’

The compensation for worker deaths due to factory accidents in Bangladesh is still lower than the per capita income of its nationals, according to the leader of a workers’ rights body.

4w ago

NBFIs can’t get more than one director from a single firm

A single company can’t have more than one representative director in the board of a non-bank financial institution (NBFI), said the Bangladesh Bank yesterday.

Rural Bangladesh: Women labour force on the rise

Female labour force participation in rural areas has increased significantly in Bangladesh thanks to women’s growing involvement in the agriculture sector and urban-rural migration brought on by the global coronavirus pandemic.

ADP spending in July-March lowest in a decade

The first nine months of the current fiscal year of 2022-23 saw the lowest implementation rate of the annual development programme (ADP) in at least the last 10 years, with only 41.65 per cent of the total outlay being spent till March, showed official figures.

Digital payments for fast and secure transactions this Eid

With Eid-ul-Fitr just around the corner, streets all over Bangladesh are bustling with people who are either out shopping for gifts or groceries as well as those travelling home for the holiday.

Sales at neighbouring clothes hubs take a hit

Yesterday’s blaze at Dhaka New Super Market has severely affected trade of nearby markets, that too with just a week to go before Eid-ul-Fitr.

Average loans by households nearly double in 6 years: BBS

An increasing number of families are becoming connected with the formal financial system by depositing and borrowing money, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Household income, expenditure nearly triple in 12 years

Monthly average household income and expenditure in Bangladesh doubled in the last six years and nearly tripled in 12 years, official figures showed yesterday.

Poverty rate declines to 18.7%: BBS

The poverty rate in Bangladesh has declined to 18.7 per cent and the extreme poverty rate stood at 5.6 per cent, according to the latest data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Govt takes up Tk 2,995cr project

The government plans to take up a Tk 2,995-crore project for enhancing its technical and administrative capacity to manage the environment in a sustainable manner across the country.

BCIC warehouse project to seek more time, fund

A project of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to build 34 buffer warehouses has once again failed to meet its deadline and become costlier due to slow implementation.

Export competitiveness project still in slow lane after 6 years

The commerce ministry’s Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) project, which aims to expand Bangladesh’s export basket, has once again failed to meet its deadline and become costlier due to slow implementation.

Wage growth below inflation for 14th month

Although wage growth in Bangladesh has been slowly climbing since July last year, it has still remained below inflation for the 14th month consecutively, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

Inflation jumps to 7-month high in March

Inflation in Bangladesh jumped to a seven-month high of 9.33 per cent in March as food prices rose and the adjustment of oil, gas, and electricity prices took hold, highlighting the pains low-income households are going through.

5-year project now to take 10 years to complete

Although the government has from time-to-time laid emphasis on the timely completion of projects, the agriculture ministry will seek a third extension for one on fruit production, taking the completion time to 10 years from an initial five years.

Unemployment rate keeps raising eyebrows

Masudur Rahman completed his post-graduation in economics from Sirajganj Government College last year.

Agri ministry takes Tk 7,214cr project

The agriculture ministry is planning to take up a Tk 7,214 crore project to promote crop diversification and ensure food safety, aiming to gradually reduce the country’s dependency on imports.

Monthly food expense rises 51% in four years: CPD

The average monthly food expense for a four-member household in Dhaka has increased by up to 51 per cent over the past four years due to persisting high inflation, according to a study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

Food import cost ballooning owing to scanty local output

Although Bangladesh has almost achieved self-sufficiency in rice production, its dependence on the international market remains high for food items with import cost rising two and a half times to Tk 80,800 crore from a decade ago.

‘Affordable’ prices still out of reach for many

The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries yesterday started selling milk, eggs and meat at “affordable prices” across 20 locations inside Dhaka in a bid to stabilise the market during Ramadan.

‘Digitalisation key to smooth business’

Ensuring infrastructure facilities and logistics support in Bangladesh are the main challenges for the country to flourish in global trade, according to a top official of a global logistics company.

Pulse import cost rising amid scanty local production

The import cost of pulses in Bangladesh is on the rise due to increased consumption, inadequate domestic production and higher prices in the international markets.

Educated youths becoming successful livestock entrepreneurs

It was once seen that only low-income and uneducated groups of people were involved with agro-farming in Bangladesh but now, the situation has changed radically.

BBS finally releases Boro output data, nearly to no avail

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) last week finally made public its estimate of the amount of Boro season paddy produced in the country last year, which sadly will come to little effect as farmers will be harvesting this year’s crops within a month or so.

Consumers feel the heat of war everywhere

Nearly a year ago when President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many had thought that the war would end soon

Foreign aid disbursement, commitment decline

Commitments and disbursements of foreign assistance for development projects in Bangladesh fell in the July-January period of the current fiscal year, which may deepen the pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

Poor disbursement of stimulus fund for retrenched workers

More than two and a half years ago, the government took a Tk 1,500 crore safety net programme for the workers who lost their jobs owing to the devastating impact of Covid-19.

No respite from jute export slump

Earnings from jute exports from Bangladesh slumped for the second consecutive year in July-January, raising concerns for the promising industry, one of the few sectors for which raw materials are locally available.

DITF participants see lower sales for second year running

The 27th edition of the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF), which ends today at its new venue in Dhaka’s Purbachal, may have seen a higher turnout but overall sales were lower compared to when the monthlong event was held in Agargaon, according to participants.

Universal pension scheme: What it is and how it will work

Bangladesh made a major step towards a universal pension scheme when parliament passed the Universal Pension Management Bill-2022 on January 24 with a view to bringing the country’s growing elderly population under a social security system.

Use of foreign fund in ADP far below target

Apart from export and remittance earnings, the government has placed importance on securing more foreign funding in the current fiscal year to shield the country’s foreign currency reserves from depletion.

Food distribution for poor: When more is needed, govt doing less

Scaling up public food distribution programmes for the poor and the vulnerable is the need of the hour -- given the cost of living crisis. But the government seems to be shying away from stepping up to this task.

To revolutionise sanitation in towns

The government plans to take up a large-scale sanitation and waste-management project, which will focus on 25 municipalities to ensure a safe, sustainable, and inclusive sanitation system.

Matarbari plant link road: Cost to spiral for poor feasibility studies

Although the overall length of a road linking the Matarbari coal-based power plant in Maheshkhali upazila to Cox’s Bazar town has reduced, the construction cost is set to increase by more 70 per cent from the initial estimate owing to poor feasibility studies.

15.31Km Elevated Road In Haor: Govt may embark on Tk 5,651cr project

The government has a plan to undertake a Tk 5,651-crore project to construct a 15.31km elevated road in the haor region of Kishoreganj to establish the district’s direct road links with Dhaka, Sylhet and other districts.

Worker outflow hits record high but remittance falls

Bangladesh sent the highest number of migrant workers in its history in 2022 thanks to a surge in demand for labourers in the Middle Eastern countries but remittance receipts did not go up proportionately.

Karnaphuli tunnel may again incur time and cost overruns

Constructing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli river in Chattogram is set to turn costlier apparently for poor feasibility studies as the need for new components have arisen alongside adjustments to the rise in the price of the US dollar.

Balance of payments under stress

The financial account of the balance of payments (BoP) turned negative in the first five months of the current fiscal year, highlighting the challenges Bangladesh is facing in protecting its foreign currency reserves from depletion as funds outflows exceeded inflows.