ISLAMABAD, Feb 25 2019 (IPS) – My generation grew up at a time when colonial hang up was at its peak. Our older generation had been slaves and had a huge inferiority complex of the British. The school I went to…
Category: Economy
Thawatchai Gapaha joins Amari Dhaka as Executive Chef
Dhaka, February 2019 – Famed Thai Chef Thawatchai Gapaha (Deaw) has now taken the role of Executive Chef at Amari Dhaka, working under the guidance of General Manager Kelly Lewis. A tremendous excitement surrounds his joining as he promises to…
Aid in reverse: How poor countries develop rich countries
By Jason Hickel We have long been told a compelling story about the relationship between rich countries and poor countries. The story holds that the rich nations of the OECD give generously of their wealth to the poorer nations of…
The impact of trade conflict on developing Asia
The 2018 trade conflict between the United States and the People’s Republic of China presents a stumbling block to the global manufacturing and international trade that has driven growth and prosperity in Asia. Findings suggest that if all documented threats…
Bangladesh needs to invest more to ensure quality education: WB
Dhaka, Feb 27 (UNB) – Bangladesh needs to invest more in education to improve its quality and do it more effectively to address its learning crisis, a World Bank report said on Wednesday. Despite Bangladesh’s remarkable success in bringing nearly…
NBR awards top 10 VAT payers at DITF
Dhaka, Feb 26 (UNB) – The National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Tuesday honoured 10 firms for depositing large amounts of value-added tax (VAT) from sales at this year’s Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) that wrapped up on February 9.…
Jobs for Chawkbazar victims, families mulled: Minister
Dhaka, Feb 26 (UNB) – The government is planning to provide jobs to survivors and family members of Chawkbazar fire victims, said Social Welfare Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed on Tuesday. “Chawkbazar fire is a tragic incident,” he said after visiting the…
PM urges expatriates to invest in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Feb 26 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said Bangladesh expatriates can come up with their investment in the country’s 100 economic zones alongside foreign investors. “We’re setting up 100 economic zones. Not only the foreigners, but…
The unbearable unrealism of the present
by Paul Mason on 25th February 2019 @paulmasonnews What characterises the present moment in history is a pervasive sense of unrealism among elites. Official discourses are no longer used as guides to action, laws are not applied and regulations are…
PM opens works on Karnaphuli tunnel, Ctg expressway
Chattogram, Feb 24 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday inaugurated the boring works on 3.4-km Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman Tunnel, the first in the country, under Karnaphuli River at Construction Yard of the Tunnel Project area at Patenga here.…
Reverse engineering for SDGs
ROME, Feb 20 2019 (IPS) – When young people from small towns and villages seek higher education they have to usually migrate to big cities leaving their local communities behind. On completion of their degree from the Universities, they generally prefer…
How development excludes adivasi peoples
ODISHA, India, Feb 21 2019 (IPS) – Failing to understand the Adivasi world view and imposing the dominant development paradigm on Adivasi peoples is affecting their identity and well-being. The mainstream development paradigm has aggravated discontent among Adivasi communities. The reasons…
World’s youth are being left behind
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 22 2019 (IPS) – Globally, youth are being left behind in education and employment, threatening the future vision of sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous societies. In a new report, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) highlight the need…
PM for support of all to remove Old Dhaka chemical godowns
Dhaka, Feb 23 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged all concerned to extend their all-out cooperation removing chemical godowns from Old Dhaka. “It’s regretful that still there are chemical godowns in Old Dhaka despite repeated drives against it,”…
Election commitments to youth should be realised
Dhaka, Feb 22 (UNB) – Speakers at a dialogue on Friday observed that it is high time for the policymakers to reflect the youth aspirations in the national agenda and implement the election commitments. Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh in…
The great tax debate—the world is turning
Policy proposals by lawmakers in the United States have spurred a hotly contested debate on taxation among economists in recent weeks. The Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued that the US needed to raise additional revenue by going back to marginal…
Agribusiness is the problem, not the solution
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb 19 2019 (IPS) – For two centuries, all too many discussions about hunger and resource scarcity has been haunted by the ghost of Parson Thomas Malthus. Malthus warned that rising populations would exhaust resources, especially those needed…
Poor quality employment a major challenge says ILO
Geneva (Kanaga Raja) – A majority of the 3.3 billion people employed globally in 2018 experienced a lack of material well-being, economic security, equal opportunities or scope for human development, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has found. In its latest…
It is time to restore the wage share
Old economic ‘truths’ are being re-evaluated by economists and international organisations. Obsolete thoughts—such as that an equal income distribution is a threat to growth—have been replaced by a growing concern about widening income gaps and their negative consequences for macroeconomic…
The hidden drama of domestic workers: Roma the movie
STOCKHOLM / ROME, Feb 18 2019 (IPS) – Roma, a 2018 Mexican film written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, is currently on a triumphal journey through the world. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the best director and best foreign language…
PDB implements Tk964.16 crore project in Rajshahi division
Power Development Board (PDB) has been implementing a mega project to ensure a safe and dependable power supply to meet increasing demand for electricity till 2025. PDB sources said the four and half-year project styled “Power Distribution Management Development, Rajshahi…
‘Nothing for us, without us’
By Justus Wanzala Makuleni, Kenya, Feb 18 2019 (IPS) – Julia Mutua is a resident of Kalawa ward in the semi-arid Makueni County in Eastern Kenya and a member of a women’s farmers group that runs a poultry project. “Women…
Saudi crown prince arrives in Pakistan for regional visit
Islamabad, Feb 18 (AP/UNB) — Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began his four-day regional visit on Sunday, arriving in Pakistan where Saudi officials signed agreements worth $20 billion to help the Islamic nation overcome its financial crisis.…
Plan taken up to preserve historic Suhrawardy Udyan
Dhaka, Feb 17 (UNB) – The government has taken a mega plan over Suhrawardy Udyan to help the posterity know all the historic moments that it witnessed, including the historic March 7, 1971 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu…
Enforcing labour standards via EU free-trade agreements
The European Union is an extremely active international actor in the area of trade, being widely involved in the negotiation and conclusion of free-trade agreements (FTAs) with partner countries. Many of them, such as the CETA with Canada, the now…
Bahrain authorities trying to solve Bramco wages problem
Bahrain authorities have stepped in to resolve an ongoing unpaid wages row in a company, with labour officials handing over scores of passports back to the employees in the past week. Officials from both the Labour and Social Development Ministry…
Social Leadership Challenge workshop held at EWU
Dhaka, Feb 17 (UNB) – With a view to engaging students in bringing out solutions for several socio-economic problems facing society, a workshop was held at city’s East West University (EWU) on Sunday. ‘Socio Leadership Challenge (SLC) season 2’ arranged…
Free-flowing rivers, the soul of South Asia
South Asia is a fascinating and important region for the world in numerous respects. Although the eight countries of South Asia form just 3.5 percent of the world’s surface area, the region is home to 1.89 billion people or 24…
The right investments to address the human capital crisis
By Kristalina Georgieva Washington, DC – For 75 years, the World Bank has been at the forefront of development, helping countries make smart investments to prepare their citizens for the future. It has been particularly focused on the poorest and…
A green new deal for Europe
By Massimiliano Santini and Fabrizio Tassinari Florence – Earlier last month, Jim Yong Kim abruptly resigned from his post as World Bank president, leaving a pillar of the international financial order without leadership or direction. Kim will join a private…