Sukanta Halder

Tax exemptions provided by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) are estimated to rise to Tk 163,000 crore in fiscal 2024-25 as the tax administration looks to ease the pressure on individuals and facilitate higher economic growth.

The prices of broiler chicken and eggs, staple food sources for protein for many middle and low-income groups, have increased in the country's markets over the past week due to shortages in supply and an increase in production costs.

Businesspeople in Bangladesh have called for improving the ease of doing business and reducing the cost of production to establish a conducive trade and investment ecosystem.

Foreign direct investments to Bangladesh snapped its rising trend in 2023, highlighting the nervousness outside investors face in pumping money into a country whose foreign exchange regime is experiencing one of its worst periods in recent times

Policymakers must work together in harmony and place a special focus on SMEs, which accounted for almost 25 percent of Bangladesh's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, according to a Planning Division report.

Ashit Chowdhury, managing director of AAPON, a manufacturer of shataranji and various jute home decor products, applied for a loan of Tk 30 lakh from a private commercial bank.

Imagine walking into a shop and finding products that are identical to those at branded outlets but are being sold for only a fraction of the price levied by the well-known companies.

According to a provisional estimate of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), consumption of goods and services grew 3.53 percent in 2023-24, up from 2.52 percent in the last fiscal year.

Twenty-one life insurance companies in Bangladesh have failed to comply with the rule that makes it mandatory for them to invest 30 percent of their assets in government securities, the regulator has found.

The Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) has appointed Sk Md Rezaul Islam, former additional secretary of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, as administrator of Swadesh Islami Life Insurance Company with immediate effect.

Sk Md Rezaul Islam, former additional secretary, will be the new administrator with immediate effect

The Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) has fined Eastern Insurance Company Tk 5 lakh for not having the minimum investment required in government securities as per the Insurance Act 2010.

Steel consumption in Bangladesh is projected to rise by 25 percent to around 1.06 crore tonnes in 2027 from 85 lakh tonnes in 2024 thanks to growing infrastructure development projects and individual consumption, according to Bigmint.

The consumer market in Uttara, a planned suburb in Dhaka city, has witnessed steady growth over the years, prompting many retailers and brands to expand their operations in the area.

Before the 90s, Uttara offered little aside from open fields of green and waterlogged land.

Insurance companies in Bangladesh will no longer be able to charge policyholders for commissions or service fees while settling claims, according to the “Insurance Claims Management Guideline 2024”.

At present, there are 36 life and 46 non-life insurance companies in Bangladesh, which stands in stark contrast to just 24 life insurance companies in India, 10 in Pakistan, and 16 in Sri Lanka.

India yesterday removed the ban on onion exports subject to a minimum export price of $550 per tonne, a decision that can help boost the income of a large section of farmers and comes amidst Lok Sabha polls in key producing regions, including the state of Maharashtra.

Ferdous Hasan, who lives in the Motijheel area of Dhaka, recently purchased an air conditioner (AC) in a bid to find some respite from the ongoing heatwave sweeping across Bangladesh. However, he has been left frustrated by a prolonged delay in installation.

Potatoes are at least 50 percent costlier than a year ago owing to lower production, tight supply, and the profiteering tendency among a section of people in the supply chain, dealing a blow to the consumers already reeling under higher inflation.