Dhaka, April 14 – The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has proposed providing with Tk 8,000 per month for two months to each of 1.9 crore households, close to the lower poverty line, as COVID-19 pandemic put the poor people…
Category: Economy
Concern over pushback of ‘undocumented’ Bangladeshi migrants
The Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP) has expressed concerns at the decision by some labour receiving countries to send back so-called undocumented Bangladeshi migrant workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Bangladeshis employed in ME not to lose jobs for late return
Dhaka, April 11 – Bangladeshi nationals, employed in Middle Eastern (ME) countries and now on vacation at home, will not lose their jobs for late joining to their respective job stations under the current situation, says the government.
Alive Amidst the Mayhem of Covid-19 – A Sex Worker’s Story
By Fairuz Ahmed NEW YORK, Apr 9 2020 (IPS) – For a Bangladeshi woman, who has been a sex worker since childhood, her post-COVID-19 future looks hopeless. Shilpy, who works at Daulatdia, the largest brothel in the country, told IPS…
Africa Needs Debt Relief to Fight COVID-19
by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Brahima Coulibaly WASHINGTON, DC – After a slow start, COVID-19 has spread increasingly rapidly throughout Africa, with more than 7,000 confirmed cases and 294 deaths across 45 countries and two territories as of April 7. Unless the…
Covid-19 crisis makes clear a new concept of ‘worker’ is overdue
by Nicola Countouris, Valerio De Stefano, Keith Ewing and Mark Freedland on 9th April 2020 @valeriodeste The crisis has highlighted the vulnerability of those outside conventional employment. A broader concept of ‘worker’ is needed to protect them equally. The Covid-19…
Poor rickshaw-van puller’s suicide hits wife, 4 orphans hard
Failing to bear the agony of abject poverty amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, a man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at Dalbhanga village in Maheshpur upazila on Tuesday night.
Poor people demonstrate for food in Jashore
Benapole, Jessore, April 06 – Around 200 low-income and poor people demonstrated in front of Manirampur Upazila Parishad in Jashore demanding food aid as there is no income because of restrictions on movement to curb coronavirus transmission.
Dhaka faces burgeoning budget deficit in pandemic aftermath
Dhaka, April 05 – Amid a nosedive in revenue collection, export earnings and remittance inflow, economists fear a burgeoning budget deficit in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and the massive steps taken to tackle it. Due to halt in…
Tk 677 bn new stimulus packages to face corona economic shock
Dhaka, April 05 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday announced four new stimulus packages of Tk 67,750 crore (Tk 677 bn) to overcome the possible economic shock from the ongoing shutdown enforced due to the deadly COVID-19 outbreak. With…
PM to unveil work plan tomorrow to overcome Covid-19 impact
News Desk Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will unveil a work plan tomorrow to overcome the possible economic impact on the country due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
Socio-economic effects of coronavirus: UN Report
By Samira Sadeque UNITED NATIONS, Apr 3 2020 (IPS) – As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow, concerns are simultaneously growing about the current and long-term effects this will have on certain demographics — specifically, women, the youth,…
G20 finance ministers for roadmap in response to COVID-19
Riyadh, Xinhua/UNB, April 01 – The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors agreed Tuesday on delivering a roadmap in response to the novel coronavirus.
Sharp fall in its remittance inflow feared due to Copid-19
Amid slump in export earnings, experts say another big shock lies ahead for Bangladesh economy as its remittance inflow, the life line for many rural families, is likely to shrink significantly in the coming months as a coronavirus fallout. They…
UNCTAD for $2.5 tn assistance package for developing nations
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has called for a $2.5 trillion assistance package for developing countries, whose populations face unprecedented economic damage from the COVID-19 crisis.
PM seeks list of distressed people to provide govt assistance
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the officials concerned to prepare a list of distressed people for providing government assistance so that they could face the tough time evolved over coronavirus pandemic.
27th span of Padma Bridge visible
The 27th span of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge was installed at Zazira point in Shariatpur today, making 4.05 km out of the total 6.15 km bridge visible. “The 27th span of the bridge was installed on the pillar number 27…
Prudent economic recovery plan must after virus scare: Experts
Dhaka, March 26 – As coronavirus has started taking its toll on the country’s economy alongside the public health, economists think the government needs to immediately work out a well-thought-out recovery plan and action programmes to tackle the toxic impact…
Gather allies, partners to protect people, economy: DCCI
Dhaka, March 25 – The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has urged the government to bring together its global allies and partners in a coordinated endeavour in a bid to protect the people and economy from the adverse…
Time is running out fast, says Dr Yunus
I want to draw everyone’s attention to time. It is running out fast. With every passing moment, we are losing the opportunity we still have.
Fighting coronavirus: It’s time to invest in universal public health
By Isabel Ortiz and Thomas Stubbs NEW YORK and LONDON, Mar 23 2020 (IPS) – Austerity policies pushed by international financial institutions have weakened public health systems, despite current financial support packages, condemning many people to die. As health systems…
Coronavirus crisis: Now is the hour of Modern Monetary Theory
by Peter Bofinger on 23rd March 2020 @PeterBofinger Peter Bofinger argues MMT provides intellectual justification for a ‘whatever it takes’ fiscal response to potentially the biggest global postwar economic challenge.
Coronavirus: ADB announces $6.5 billion package
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday announced a $6.5 billion initial package to address the immediate needs of its developing member countries (DMCs) as they respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
RAKUB disburses Tk 1,613-cr agricultural loan
Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) has disbursed Taka 1,613.85 crore agricultural loans in the country’s northwest (NW) region during the last eight months of the current 2019-20 fiscal year up by Taka 27.53 crore than the corresponding period of the…
417 stranded Bangladeshis return from Saudi Arabia
A total of 417 stranded Bangladeshis, including eight infants, arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah by a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Tuesday afternoon.
Swift action can help limit economic harm of coronavirus
Ceyla Pazarbasioglu The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has already exacted a high cost in human life and has been recognized for what it is—a global health emergency. As the virus spreads around the globe, the question now is whether lives…
Whose is the European Green Deal?
Albena Azmanova The challenges of social and environmental injustice are as intense as ever. But which social forces can act as the agents of change?
Salman hints reducing tax rate in next national budget
DHAKA – Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman today hinted reducing the tax rate in the next national budget for 2020-2021 for expanding the trade and business across the country. “The government is thinking to expand…
Dhaka nods Tk 17,777-cr Matarbari Deep Sea Port Dev Project
It okays a total of nine projects Dhaka, March 11 – The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday cleared nine projects with an estimated total cost of Tk 24,113.27 crore, including Tk 17,777-crore Matarbari Port Development…
The economic effects of a pandemic
Simon Wren-Lewis The human effects of the coronavirus are paramount. But what will be its impact on a medium-sized economy such as that of the UK?