Who pays the price for chronic budget underspending?
5 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Since fiscal year 2009-2010, Bangladesh’s budget has grown almost every year, with planned spending rising sevenfold to Tk 7.97 lakh crore in FY25. Yet not a single budget announced over the past 16 years has been fully implemented.
5 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Star Interview / Bangladesh has potential to be connectivity hub
26 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh has “great potential” to become a regional hub for transportation, logistics, energy and digital connectivity because of its strategic location between South and Southeast Asia, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda has said.
26 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh has ‘great potential’ to become regional hub: ADB president
25 May 2026, 19:54 PM
On a two-day visit to Dhaka from May 24, the ADB chief met with the prime minister and finance minister
25 May 2026, 19:54 PM
Budget to include support for every group
20 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Finance minister says
20 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Budget to include support for every group
19 May 2026, 21:05 PM
Finance minister says
19 May 2026, 21:05 PM
Bangladesh should move up the global value chain: ADB
7 May 2026, 00:00 AM
The study on GVCs, growth, and inequality was released yesterday
7 May 2026, 00:00 AM
ADB forecasts oil prices to be $96 this year
6 May 2026, 17:29 PM
The Manila-based lender downgrades growth projection for Asia and Pacific, including South Asia
6 May 2026, 17:29 PM
Forget cost, safe food must
Goodness has a value and a cost and consumers should understand this and be willing to pay extra because companies have to spend more when they follow good practices with a view to ensuring safety in the value chain of foods.
21 August 2019, 18:00 PM
Factories employing robots to boost output
Local firms are increasingly embracing robots to increase productivity and competitiveness -- a development that is poised to displace workers in the labour-abundant country.
19 August 2019, 18:00 PM
Vegetable exports rebound after four years
Fresh fruits and vegetables export bounced back in fiscal 2018-19, ending four straight years of slump, thanks to higher demand and efforts to improve farming and packaging practices in order to produce and ship disease-free crops.
18 August 2019, 18:00 PM
Entry of Indian cattle drops to a four-year low
Informal entry of cattle, mainly from India, has dropped significantly in the face of strict vigil by law enforcement agencies of the neighbouring country along the border with Bangladesh and rising domestic farming, according to traders and customs data.
10 August 2019, 18:00 PM
Economic zone tax breaks create disparity
The tax exemption benefit given to industrial units inside the economic zones has created disparity between factories outside the
5 August 2019, 18:00 PM
A front-runner in bike industry
If you travel to the old part of Dhaka in winter, you may see colourful kites flying on top of the densely seated buildings. Even if you miss the colours in the air, you may notice ‘Kite’ moving through the congested streets of the city.
29 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Powdered milk imports soar on rising demand
Powdered milk imports are spiralling on the back of increased demand from a section of consumers on health concerns related to locally produced liquid milk and higher use by sweetmeat, confectionery and ice cream makers, said industry operators yesterday.
29 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Demand for mosquito repellents hits the roof
Demand for mosquito repellents, particularly for personal use, is spiralling as panic-stricken people rush to buy protectors from Aedes mosquito, which has bitten the highest number of people in 18 years thus far.
28 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Wheat import falls for first time in seven years
Bangladesh’s wheat imports in fiscal 2018-19 declined for the first time in seven years for the higher carry-over stock in the hands of private traders and low prices of the grain’s substitute, rice.
25 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Tax measures anti-savings
Interest income of savers is not taxed everywhere in the world. Vietnam, a Southeast Asian country, does not slap taxes on interest income from bank deposits, life insurance and government bonds.
23 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Floods wreak havoc on croplands
The ongoing flood has submerged 60,000 hectares of paddy and vegetable fields, mainly in the northern districts, affecting both farmers and consumers, as crop loss has sent the vegetable prices soaring for reduced supply in the market.
20 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Harmful Substances in Milk: Producers in a fix
Milk producers find themselves in a tight spot as the processing companies have slashed purchase due to a slump in demand over health concerns, say farmers and processors.
19 July 2019, 18:00 PM
NBR to buy e-fiscal devices of Tk 317cr
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) will soon place its order for 100,000 electronic sales register machines for about Tk 317 crore as
13 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Very few take up offer to whiten money
A trivial number of people showed their undisclosed incomes voluntarily and paid penalty and regular tax to legalise the sums,
9 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Aus cultivation unlikely to expand
Low prices of paddy and inadequate rainfall are set to affect the expansion of aus paddy cultivation, frustrating the government’s efforts to popularise the farming of the staple this season through incentives to growers.
6 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Trade with China trebles in a decade
Bilateral trade between Bangladesh and China trebled to nearly $12 billion in the past decade thanks to the soaring imports by
1 July 2019, 18:00 PM
Agriculture remains in neglect
The government’s expenditure on the agriculture sector is shrinking consistently as percentage of total budget although the sector
29 June 2019, 18:00 PM
Trade licence renewal tax to shoot up six times
The tax on trade licence renewal is set to increase six times from next fiscal year, raising concerns of soaring operational costs for
24 June 2019, 18:00 PM
Tax benefits for car assemblers
The National Board of Revenue has exempted value-added tax and supplementary duty on import of raw materials and components to make cars as the government looks to encourage development of an automobile industry in Bangladesh.
20 June 2019, 18:00 PM
New VAT system to bring in Tk 11,000cr more
The National Board of Revenue expects to collect about Tk 11,000 crore more for imposition of VAT on various goods and services and increasing rates on many others, said its officials.
19 June 2019, 18:00 PM