The death of Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday, December 30, is an irreparable loss to the nation at a moment when it is at a critical juncture. In fact, this is no eulogy to her memory to say that Khaleda Zia was the first elected female prime minister of the country or that she was elected prime minist
As part of river and canal restoration in and around the capital city, a programme is on the move with the World Bank (WB) committing a loan to the tune of $370 million. A report carried in this newspaper on Sunday claims that the fund may be approved by the WB Board within this month. The interim
As the government seeks to reform the microfinance sector, which has long been plagued by irregularities and high interest rates, a crucial question has emerged: should lending rates of microfinance banks be capped? The newly promulgated Microfinance Bank Ordinance proposes transforming eligible mi
Tax policy in Bangladesh has long been driven by what is easiest to collect rather than what is fair or efficient. High trade taxes and transaction-based levies have filled revenue gaps left by weak income assessment and limited information. This has created a system where compliance is often more
The country's poultry industry, despite being a leading agro-industrial sector--- which meets the entire domestic demand for poultry meat and eggs, draws a large amount of investment (to the tune of Tk 400 billion) and employs a huge workforce--- is yet to gain a foothold in the international poult
The ongoing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) crisis in the country appears to be less of a problem of supply and more of a consequence of weak regulatory oversight, which has allowed market distortion through cartelisation. Despite imports exceeding domestic consumption needs during the July-December
The liquidity crisis in banks stemming mainly from non-performing loans (NPLs) has long stoked the compulsion of exploring alternative sources of sustainable fund. Since foreign investment is hard to come by, the search for such alternative sources has become even more compelling. Now the Banglades
The National Review Committee formed by the interim government to look into the suspected anomalies in the power purchase agreements (PPAs) struck with the Indian Adani Power Ltd and some local independent power generation companies during the Awami League-led autocratic regime has come up with evi
Only days before did the Ministry of Law (MoL) reject the draft of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain (Money Loan Court Act), suggesting amendment to the existing laws instead of getting ready a whole new Act. Now the council of advisers of the interim government has approved a similar but stringent law, the
Strange are the ways of the world and of some world bodies. During the last Ramadan, standing beside UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a refugee camp, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed his hope that the Rohingya community would be able to offer their next Eid prayers in their
