After failing to hold the election within the stipulated 120 days, government-appointed administrator to the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), Muhammad Mehedi Hasan, resigned on Sunday, leaving basic services such as issuing membership certificates by the association in limbo.

The government should build small-scale storage facilities in places where cropping is concentrated to enhance food safety and supplies, address crises, reduce post-harvest losses and ensure better prices for farmers, said a top official of a food processor yesterday.

The interim government (IG) is set to present its FY26 budget on June 2. The anticipation is that their budget will depart from the past.

Falling food prices over recent months have helped cool inflation further in April, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), with economists attributing the easing of price pressures to post-festival effects.

Bangladesh recorded the lowest level of exports so far this fiscal year, both in terms of value and growth, in April as the production of apparel, the main export item, suffered in many areas amid an energy crisis.

Once approved, the policy will apply to Sonali, Rupali, Janata, Agrani, BASIC and BDBL

It came down to 9.17% in April from March’s 9.35%

Exports stood at $3.01 billion in April

The interim government, unburdened by political motivations, has no need to seek popular acclaim

Key index gains 8.41 points to close at 4,964.67

The move aims to support the bank’s Basel-III regulatory capital requirements

The DSEX gained 7.98 points to stand at 4,964.24 as of 11:16 am

State-owned, Islamic Shariah-based, and specialised banks have seen deeper deterioration in their financial positions, whereas private commercial banks and foreign banks remain on firmer ground.

The government and the International Monetary Fund are set to meet again today for another round of negotiations over the release of the fourth and fifth tranches of a $4.7 billion loan programme.

The number of policyholders failing to pay their insurance premiums on time declined in 2024 from the previous year, but the rate of discontinued policies remains high -- reflecting fragile customer confidence in the local insurance sector.

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has applied to the finance ministry seeking a one-month extension after a majority of banks, including listed lenders, failed to finalise their annual financial statements by the April 30 deadline.

Business leaders and policy experts in Bangladesh have urged the interim government to adopt predictable tax policies and accelerate digitalisation of the tax system in order to foster investor confidence and drive sustainable economic growth.

The country’s flagship textiles and readymade garments (RMG) industries are reeling from a crippling gas crisis, threatening an estimated $70 billion in investments amid mounting global trade uncertainty over new US tariffs.

A recent piece in The Daily Star on rising food prices, especially vegetables, once again highlights a stubborn and preventable problem. During a visit to Karwan Bazar, vendors pointed to recent heavy rains that damaged crops and pushed prices up. But this is merely the latest episode in a recurring cycle.

Gold is having a golden moment as investors fret about runaway prices and the stability of the US dollar. Adjusted for inflation, gold has risen above its previous peak in early 1980, after which its value declined in nominal terms for nearly two decades.