By Chris Wellisz Washington DC, May 24 2019 (IPS) – As a child growing up in Communist Yugoslavia, Branko Milanovic witnessed the protests of 1968, when students occupied the campus of the University of Belgrade and hoisted banners reading “Down…
Category: Economy
Industrial policy: Is there a paradigm shift in Germany?
by Peter Bofinger A paper from the German economy minister on a national industrial policy has gone down like a lead balloon. Peter Bofinger argues it needs to be reflated—and coloured green—at a European level. Industrial policy has a notoriously…
Development not possible amid money laundering: Dr Kamal
Dhaka, May 27 (UNB) – Criticising the government for what he said not taking action against those who siphoned off money, Jatiya Oikyafront convener Dr Kamal Hossain on Monday alleged that the country’s real development is not possible if money…
BNP shrugs off 8.13pc GDP growth claim as mathematical hype
Dhaka, May 26 – BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that the government’s assertion o achieving 8.13 percent GDP growth in 2018-19 fiscal year is nothing but a trick of mathematics. “The government used to talk…
Dhaka to sign US$ 2.5bn ODA deal during PM’s Tokyo visit
Dhaka, May 26 (UNB) – Bangladesh and Japan will sign their 40th ODA deal involving US$ 2.5 billion during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Japan visit on May 28-30 for implementing five projects as her visit is expected to bolster ties…
Bangladesh’s next budget outlay to cross Taka 5 trillion: Hasina
Dhaka, May 25 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the next national budget will be placed in Parliament on June 13 and its size will be over Tk 5 lakh crore. “We placed a Tk 4.64 lakh…
Down by poverty, Narsingdi father kills two daughters
Narsingdi, May 25 (UNB) – A man reportedly has strangulated his two daughters to death at a launch terminal in the district town, apparently having failed to bear their living cost and meet various demands due to abject poverty. The…
Dhaka offering exclusive economic zone to Japanese investors
Dhaka, May 25 (UNB) – An exclusive economic zone for Japanese investors is going to be developed at Araihazar upazila in Nayaranganj alongside Dhaka-Syhet Highway. Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) will sign a joint venture agreement with Sumitomo Corporation of…
Govt working to improve living standard of people: PM
Dhaka, May 25 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the aim of her government is to improve the living standard of people and free the country from poverty. “We’re taking Bangladesh to the trajectory of development through…
The free market is not the answer
by Jochen Steinhilber Earlier this month, the leader of the youth section of the German SPD ruffled feathers with his call for an ‘attractive utopia’ as an alternative to capitalism. Finally, someone has pointed out the massive economic elephant loitering…
Labour disputes in Oman on fast-track resolution system
Muscat: In a first for Oman, expats can now take their labour grievances to a dedicated ‘Reconciliation Committee’, which has the legal power to enforce settlements. The Ministry of Manpower of Oman has announced the pilot scheme in Muscat in…
Pay RMG workers bonus by May 30, salary by June 2: Minister
Dhaka, May 23 (UNB) – State Minister for Labour and Employment Monnujan Sufian on Thursday urged the garment owners to pay Eid bonus of their workers by May 30 and salary of May by June 2. She made the call…
Welfare gap: Scraping together pennies for a loaf of bread
Welfare changes made by the UK government over the past decade have led to thousands of poor families in England not having enough food. Parents report skipping meals and living off tea so their children can eat, and teachers talk…
‘Gendering’ the EU budget
by Firat Cengiz There is a clear case for making gender equality a more visible part of the EU budgetary process. Budgets are not gender-neutral. Women and men have different needs and expectations from public services. These needs and expectations…
Global hunger threatening families because of climate change
By Siddharth Chatterjee Nairobi, Kenya, May 2019 (IPS) – There is barely a corner of human life that will not be affected by climate change, and some of its impacts are already being felt. Consider this, 821 million people are…
Regulatory duty increased to discourage rice import
Dhaka, May 22 (UNB) –The government has increased the regulatory duty on rice import to 25 percent from the existing 3 percent, aiming to discourage its import following a drastic fall in rice prices in the country. The National Board…
Public-private partnerships fad fails
By Jomo Kwame Sundaram After the failure and abuses of privatization became apparent, public-private partnerships have since been promoted ostensibly to mobilize private finance for the public purpose. In all too many cases, PPPs have socialized costs and losses while…
Next BD annual dev plan to prioritise transport sector
Dhaka, May 21 – The National Economic Council (NEC) in a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair on Tuesday approved a Taka 2,02,721 crore Annual Development Programme (ADP) outlay for the next fiscal giving highest priority to…
BD ministry disfavours cases against land acquisition notice
Dhaka, May 21, (UNB)- The Land Ministry on Tuesday issued a notice embargo on filing cases over land acquisition before seeking amends from the deputy commissioner. It says that there is no scope to receive any complaint after issuing four…
To the postcapitalist city … via Amsterdam circa 1619
What makes the 21st century city the harbinger of a postcapitalist world is that for the first time in modern history the network can transcend the market. Imagine yourself in Amsterdam exactly 400 years ago. What word would you use…
EED implements TK 22.59 billion uplift schemes in Rajshahi div
Education Engineering Department (EED) has implemented 5403 schemes involving around Taka 2259.12 crore in over last ten years in all eight districts under Rajshahi division. Implementation works of 503 other schemes are progressing with an estimated cost of around Taka…
UK welfare cuts mean families go hungry: HRW
Government Policy Failings Exacerbate Food Poverty, Violate Right to Food London – Government cuts to welfare over the past decade have resulted in tens of thousands of poor families in England left without enough food to eat, a clear breach…
Climate change is the battle of my life: UN chief
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres saw the frontline of “the battle against climate change” for himself on Thursday, by taking to the tropical waters of the South Pacific off the coast of Fiji, on a solar-powered boat. Mr. Guterres was…
Floating houses project of BD wins RISK Award for resilience
Dhaka, May 18 (UNB) – A project that pioneers floating houses in Bangladesh has won the prestigious RISK Award 2019. It has been designed in a way so that it can house a family of six, and they can survive…
A low-carbon Belt and Road
By Ma Jun and Simon Zadek Beijing – Discussions about climate action nowadays often focus on the largest past and current emitters. But, if one looks to the future, the biggest climate risks and opportunities lie in the more than…
A carbon dividend is better than a carbon tax
By Mark Paul and Anthony Underwood Sarasota – Climate change is the world’s most urgent problem, and in the United States, the left, at least, is taking it seriously. Earlier this year, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator…
Global convention on principles for building peace needed?
STOCKHOLM, May 17 2019 (IPS) – When the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) concluded a three-day forum on “Peace and Development” on May 16, the primary focus was the daunting challenges threatening global security, including growing military interventions, spreading humanitarian…
Ensure technologies not used to mislead public: UN chief
Dhaka, May 17 (UNB) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged everyone to work together to ensure that the digital economy delivers for all. “We must also recognise our shared responsibility to ensure that these technologies are not used…
Inclusive citizenship laws tend to foster economic growth
WASHINGTON DC, May 16 2019 (IPS) – The notion of citizenship has evolved over time. Historically, allegiance was typically to an ethnic group or a feudal lord. With the birth of the nation-state in the 19th century came the need to…
River as a companion: Titash ekti nadir naam – II
May 16, 2019 SANDRP Just as all festivities of a fisherfolk life are connected to the river, their dreams and nightmares are riverine too. “For several days I’ve been noticing something different in the river’s flow pattern-familiar calculation just don’t…