The country’s agro-processors yesterday urged the government to allow their factories to remain open during the 14-day countrywide lockdown starting from July 23.

Sales and profits of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh jumped in the second quarter of 2021 (April to June) thanks to a newly launched business of aggregate and the inclusion of new products in its portfolio.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is likely to launch its new online tax return filing system in September this year, said officials yesterday.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) yesterday gave the go-ahead to Oryza Agro Industries and Master Feed Agrotec to raise funds of Tk 10 crore each from the stock market through its SME board.

CDC Group, the development finance institution and impact investor of the United Kingdom, has extended a trade finance loan of $30 million to City Bank.

Loans written off by banks declined sharply in the first quarter of this year as the lenders’ capacity to keep 100 per cent provisioning against their delinquent assets has decreased because of the slowdown in their business.

The blue-chip index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange is lagging behind the broader index as most investors prefer to bet on low-priced securities and are driven by rumours instead of making investment decisions by examining the fundamentals of companies.

Bangladesh can save $19.32 billion over the next five years, or about $4 billion annually, if it can eliminate errors and leakages in the social safety net programmes and cut administrative and transaction costs, according to Asian Development Bank.

Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh has recently been recognised as the “Best International Bank” at Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2021. 

Chinese banks are facing the threat of rising bad loans in the future as the current economic recovery is unbalanced and lacks a solid foundation, the country’s top banking and insurance watchdog said on Wednesday.

Britain’s fisheries have been sold out by the post-Brexit trade deal agreed with the European Union, the head of an industry body said on Wednesday, urging the government to do more for the sector when a so-called adjustment period ends in 2026.

The dollar hit three-month highs against the euro and world stocks slipped on Wednesday after a jump in US inflation fuelled expectations of a quicker end to Federal Reserve stimulus, while a drop in China’s crude imports dampened oil.

Finland’s Nokia said on Tuesday it planned to raise its full-year outlook as business picked up pace in the second quarter, sending the telecom equipment maker’s shares up more than 6 per cent.

Financial firms may need to bolster their defences in the face of rocketing cyber-attacks after employees began working from home, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) said on Tuesday. 

China’s exports grew much faster than expected in June, as solid global demand led by easing lockdown measures and vaccination drives worldwide eclipsed virus outbreaks and port delays.

The prime index of the stock market jumped to a three-and-a-half-year high yesterday thanks to increased participation from investors.

Jobike has been left crippled by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as the on-demand bicycle rental service provider had to shutter a majority of its operations in the country.

Bangladesh Bank yesterday said that clients would enjoy regular banking hours before the start of the Eid-ul-Azha vacation so that they can celebrate the religious festival with joy.

The government is planning to form inspection and remediation platforms like Accord and Alliance to strengthen workplace safety in industrial units which produce goods for the domestic markets, said Salman F Rahman, adviser to the prime minister on private industries and investment.

The Customs House, Chattogram (CHC) clocked 23.23 per cent higher year-on-year revenue growth in the just-concluded fiscal year, fetching home Tk 51,577 crore.