Mahmudul Hasan

Laptop users in Bangladesh are set for a bigger hit as the imposition of a 15 per cent value-added tax at the import stage of the essential digital device would lift the prices further. 

Panic and uncertainty have gripped the relatives of people living in flood-hit Sylhet and Sunamganj as they are unable to communicate with their loved ones due to an electricity blackout that has put about half of the local mobile network towers out of commission.

Funds deposited by Bangladeshi citizens and banks with different Swiss banks witnessed a massive rise of 55 percent to 871 million Swiss francs (CHF), about Tk 8,266 crore, in 2021 compared to the previous year.

Seven years past its formation, the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) is on way to let its 795 voters elect its executive council for the first time.  

The telecom regulator has recently fined four mobile network operators Tk 7.65 crore as their SIMs were found with equipment confiscated for the use of illegal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

The Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) fined state-run Teletalk Tk 5 crore, Robi Axiata Tk 2 crore, Grameenphone Tk 50 lakh and Banglalink Tk 15 lakh.

With prices of mobile phones and broadband internet set to go up in the next fiscal year, the proposed budget would not be favourable to further development of the ICT sector, experts have said.

Tech giants such as Google or Meta (Facebook) will have to submit income tax returns from next fiscal year.

The government today proposed cutting the turnover tax for start-ups to 0.1 per cent from the current 0.6 per cent in the next fiscal year.

The price of the handsets will go up as the government today proposed 5 percent value-added tax on mobile handset sales.

People often get confused about how they will design their homes to embody an aesthetically pleasing environment and where they will find items of brands they desire.

The government is likely to hike value-added tax (VAT) on broadband internet and impose a 5 per cent VAT on handsets manufacturing in the upcoming budget, which will increase handset and internet prices from next fiscal year. 

Mercantile Bank Ltd has targeted sustainable long-term business growth as part of its plans to become the top financial institution in Bangladesh in terms of sustainability, said its top executive.

The number of mobile network subscribers in Bangladesh rose for three consecutive months to reach an all-time high in April while internet usage slipped that same month.

Bangladesh’s recent austerity and regulatory measures aimed at curbing non-essential imports, suspending the implementation of projects with high import components and cancelling the foreign tours of officials will send a positive signal to the market and the economy, according to economists.

Smartphone penetration in Bangladesh is fast approaching 50 per cent as the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies to work, study and find entertainment using smart devices.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit Bangladesh in 2020, food delivery platform foodpanda accelerated its expansion to establish its footprint across the country as demand rose.

Online job postings have continued to be made in large numbers in the past eight months since September last year, sometimes even surpassing pre-pandemic levels, seeking manpower in garments, marketing, IT and logistics as fears over the virus subsided.

Private companies in Bangladesh are set to get licences to establish, maintain and operate submarine cables, in a shift that will break the state monopoly and pave the way for a smooth supply of bandwidth amid a surge in internet use.

The number of internet users in Bangladesh rose in March thanks to increased usage of both mobile data and broadband services for educational, entertainment and professional purposes amid the improving Covid-19 situation.