Qatar Petroleum (QP) has hired international banks for a multi-billion dollar debut public bond sale by the end of June, two sources said, as lower oil and gas prices prompt Gulf energy firms to raise cash.

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.

US-Bangla Airlines and Novoair will resume flights on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route today after suspension of operations for around two months following the outbreak of the second wave of Covid-19.

The global economic outlook is improving as vaccine rollouts allow businesses to resume operations and as the United States pumps trillions of dollars into the world’s largest economy, the OECD said on Monday, nudging its forecasts higher.

Cryptocurrency Ethereum extended gains to rise more than 8 per cent on Monday to $2,587 but remained 40 per cent below a record high of above $4,300 hit earlier this month.

Intel Corp’s CEO said on Monday it could take several years for a global shortage of semiconductors to be resolved, a problem that has shuttered some auto production lines and is also being felt in other areas, including consumer electronics.

About 20 Japanese companies, including electronic component maker Ibiden Co, will work with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to develop chip manufacturing technology in Japan, the Nikkei newspaper reported.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has raised concern over the institutional weaknesses and the country’s inability to implement reform agenda at present.

The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange fell today after experiencing ups and downs the whole day.

A full recovery in garment export may take place by October this year, said Faruque Hassan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

The energy regulator today cut the retail price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) of private companies by over 7 per cent to Tk 842 for every 12kg cylinder.

Dhaka stocks yesterday crossed 6,000 points for the first time in more than three years thanks to increased participation of buoyant investors going after banking stocks.

Pran Agro has issued a non-convertible and redeemable bond worth Tk 210 crore, or equivalent of $25 million, with 100 per cent credit guarantee from a global company, a first of its kind in the country.

Britain is to build a new flagship to promote its business and trade interests around the world, the government said on Saturday, in a move it said would also boost the ailing shipbuilding industry.

Just Tk 282 crore was whitened by means of investments in the stock market in fiscal 2020-21 despite a government provision stipulating that no authority would be able to question the source.

An Egyptian court on Saturday postponed a hearing in a compensation case filed by the Suez Canal authority against the owners of a container ship that blocked the canal for six days in March, giving the sides more time to negotiate, legal sources said.

Bangladesh’s largest industrial enclave, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) in Mirsarai, Chattogram, is scheduled to witness the inauguration of its very first factory on June 10, likely through a virtual platform, by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Two recent decisions by Canada’s telecom regulator are freezing out competition in the country’s highly concentrated industry, critics argue, making it even harder to bring down prices for mobile and internet service.

The health, education, safety net, and agriculture sectors should be on top of the priority list in the next national budget to protect the people and revive the economy from the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, said the South Asian Network for Economic Modeling (Sanem) yesterday.

The government should work more for the development of the country’s young people and increase the allocation for them in the upcoming national budget, said economists, policymakers, civil society and NGO representatives.