Sukanta Halder

Shatranji, a traditional fabric of Rangpur, has been recognised as a Geographical Indication (GI) product of Bangladesh.

Recruiting agencies will have to pay higher advance income tax (AIT) on service charges or fees they earn from migrant workers going abroad, according to tax measures proposed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for the next fiscal year of 2021-22.

A total of 549 plots in various industrial estates of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) are lying unused as the owners did not set up plants within the deadline.

The national budget for 2021-22 is being proposed today all the while the country’s economy faces some tough realities stemming from the pandemic’s second wave.

The price of computers and IT accessories has shot up 20 per cent in the last 14 months as pandemic-induced restrictions prompted educational institutions and businesses to heighten focus on home-based schooling and work.

Nazmul Ahsan, 36, works at a bank in Dhaka as the head of the treasury. He took up health insurance at the age of 29 as a part of his financial planning.

The amusement park industry is on the brink of collapse as owners are struggling to pay salaries, bank loans and hefty maintenance costs amid an ongoing closure that began in April due to the recent resurgence of Covid-19.

Creative book publishers have been fighting an uphill battle to survive for over a year as their sales have nosedived for the pandemic that depressed demand for fiction and non-fiction among consumers.

Brisk business during the just concluded Eid shopping season helped traders breathe a sigh of relief amid the ongoing nationwide lockdown and other measures in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.

A once vibrant musical instruments business has slowly lost its lustre, according to traders, musicians and market analysts.

People’s desperation to visit their permanent residences for Eid celebrations brings cheers to vehicle rental services providers amidst the gloom of the pandemic.

The government has formed a 22-member committee to address the challenges that Bangladesh will face as a result of its transition from a least developed country (LDCs) into a developing one.

With Eid less than a week away, smiles have returned to the face of retailers after sales picked up as customers thronged shopping centres, defying the risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus.

Sales of pulse oximeter, face mask, glove and sanitiser have risen manifold, taking advantage of which some traders have increased the prices of the health and hygiene safety products.

In order to promote all kinds of local products, Sabera Anwar, a fashion entrepreneur and owner of Panache Hub and Events, has opened up a group on Facebook named “GoDeshi-Made in Bangladesh”.

Sales of mobile handsets have dropped more than 40 per cent in April compared to the January level after consumers tightened their belt as they see no immediate end to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite last year’s flying start with the production of hand sanitisers, state-owned Carew & Co is now struggling to find customers for 60,000 bottles of disinfectant it has in its store.

Anyone visiting Dhaka’s Bangshal road, known for spare parts of bikes and bicycles, would see a different scene.

Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla new year, has once again brought no cheer to clothing and sweets retailers as the coronavirus pandemic has kept a majority of customers at bay for the second year in a row.

Walton is set to market the ventilators it has produced with the help of world-renowned medical equipment manufacturer Medtronic, a development that would help critical coronavirus patients to receive proper treatment.