Dhaka stocks soared yesterday, rallying for a second day on rebounding from a falling trend for a month spurred by apprehensions centring the Omicron variant of coronavirus and discords between Bangladesh Bank and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC).

The year 2021 started with a hope to overcome the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and rebuild the industry. With many momentous changes that happened throughout the year, it was a year of challenges and turnaround, yet a significant moment to transit to the next phase of development.

Remittance slightly increased in the just concluded year after experiencing a falling trend in the last couple of months.

Export earnings made another record as it grew 48.27 per cent year-on-year to hit $4.90 billion in December 2021 thanks to a strong rebound in apparel shipment.

Business leaders today sought the prime minister’s attention to save the ailing non-textile factories, which are struggling to stay afloat owing to the ongoing financial crisis.

The government should ensure proper implementation of the national chemical guideline for the local textile and garment industry to boost exports, experts said today.

The HSBC has been recognised as the ‘best cash management bank’ at the CorporateTreasurer Awards 2021.

Dhaka stocks jumped on the first working day of the week in the hope of increasing institutional participation.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said that the government is working on a “National Smooth Transition Strategy” -- aimed at Bangladesh’s transition from the least developed country (LDC) status to that of a developing country.

The stocks maintained an upward trend in the first two hours of trading today.

The month-long 26th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) opened to visitors on its new premises at Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre in Purbachal yesterday showcasing goods from around the world.

Banks clocked higher operating profit in 2021 mainly due to the Bangladesh Bank’s relaxed policy that allowed them to count income from unrealised instalments of loans.

The government yesterday increased the cash incentive for sending remittance through the official channel to 2.5 percent from 2 percent as it looks to stem the tide of sliding inflows.

The government will organise a programme today to celebrate Bangladesh’s achievement of qualifying for graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.

Bangladesh’s premier seaport in Chattogram handled record number of containers in 2021 and also posted over 13 per cent year-on-year growth in container handling.

Manufacturing activity in China edged up in December, official data showed Friday, beating expectations as the price of commodities eased and despite sporadic closures due to Covid outbreaks.

Chinese telecom giant Huawei said on Friday its annual revenue had fallen by nearly a third from the previous year, as it continued to be weighed down by US sanctions that have hit its smartphone sales.

Today is the last day for submission of tax returns although the deadline was two days back on Friday, December 31, 2020, which being a weekend had prompted the National Board of Revenue to shift the cut-off day to a workday.

Businesses in Bangladesh hope that 2022 would be better than the previous two years as their optimism grew thanks to the ongoing strong recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. 

Kabir Ahmed has been re-elected as the president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA) for two years until 2023.