By Dr. Hanif Hassan Al Qassim Geneva, Switzerland, Jul 11 (IPS) – The world population has witnessed a remarkable growth during the recent decades. In 1965, it stood at 3.3 billion people. In 2017 –52 years later– the global population…
Category: Economy
Indigenous reps at HLPF stress on land rights to achieve SDGs
New York – Fifteen indigenous peoples’ representatives from various Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Malaysia are participating in the HLPF this year taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York from 10 to 19 July under the…
GCF Board grapples with Fund’s resources as US withdraws
New Delhi, 11 July (Indrajit Bose)- The actual status of the resources committed to the UNFCCC’s Green Climate Fund (GCF) became an issue at the 17th Board meeting which was held on 5-6 July in Songdo, South Korea.
1997 Asian Crisis lessons lost
By Jomo Kwame Sundaram Kuala Lumpur (IPS) – After months of withstanding speculative attacks on its national currency, the Thai central bank let it ‘float’ on 2 July 1997, allowing its exchange rate to drop suddenly. Soon, currencies and stock…
BAU approves Tk 282.42 cr annual budget
Mymensingh – The Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Syndicate on Monday approved the annual budget for the fiscal year 2017-18 with a small allocation for academic purpose.
Export growth 15 years’ low
Bangladesh exports have grown by a meagre 1.69 percent in the year to June, with its slowest pace in 15 years.Exports fell 15.27 percent year-on-year to $3.04 billion in June, the last month of the fiscal year, according to the…
List of 100 top loan defaulters placed in Parliament
Placing a list of the country’s top 100 loan defaulters in Parliament, Finance Minister AMA Muhtih on Monday said the amount of the classified loan now stands at Tk 111,347 crore.“As per the data of the Credit Information Bureau (CIB)…
Dhaka dwellers burn Taka 580m worth of gas a day to boil water
After preparing breakfast for her eight-member family, Suraya Akhter Chisty Rima, a resident of Old Dhaka, boils two pitchers of water every day for meeting their safe drinking water demand as the water supplied by Dhaka Wasa cannot be taken…
Stock prices mark rise
The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed upward trends in the early hours of trading on Monday.DSEX, the benchmark index of DSE, rose over 38.80 points or 0.67percent to stand at 5,813.10 at 12:38 pm.The DSE…
DSEX crosses 5800-point for first time
The boarder price index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) crossed 5,800-point mark for the first time, with the daily trade volume rising over three months high after March 22. DSEX finished the day with 52.89 points up at 5,827.19…
Green Climate Fund Board adopts decisions on project approval
Delhi, 10 July (Indrajit Bose)- The Board of the UNFCCC’s Green Climate Fund (GCF) adopted a host of important decisions at its 17th meeting held in Songdo, South Korea, from 6-7 July. Of crucial importance were decisions related to policy…
RMCCI leaders for promoting industrialisation in Rangpur
Leaders of Rangpur Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RMCCI) have laid emphasis on establishing a special economic zone here to promote industrialisation for accelerating economic development in the area. They made the view in a meeting held at RMCCI…
G20 or G19+1: Trump hails talks as ‘success’ despite divisions
President Donald Trump has declared the G20 summit in Germany a “wonderful success”, despite the US’s isolated position on climate change.
BD’s agri produces have greater export prospect: Amu
Dhaka – Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu on Saturday said Bangladesh’s agricultural produces, such as vegetables, spices and fruits have huge untapped potential and could potentially be exported to other countries, including India, as they expand operations. -UNB
How citizens are shaping budget priorities in a Kenyan County
Milka Losia knew it was the river’s fault that her brother died. The culprit was the dirty brown water they had no choice but to drink. ‘Our village needs a hospital, people are dying,” said Benson Naitalima, a farmer.
Supporting development for peace to make a difference
by Franck Bousquet I had the opportunity recently to participate in the Third Edition of the World Reconstruction Conference, where I was reminded once again of a sobering reality – that we live in an increasingly interconnected world where multiple…
G20’s record does not inspire hope
By Anis Chowdhury and Jomo Kwame Sundaram Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, Jul 7 (IPS) – The G20 leaders meeting in Hamburg, Germany, on 7-8 July comes almost a decade after the grouping’s elevation to meeting at the heads of state/government…
Govt to import 5 lakh mts crude salt
Dhaka – The government will import some 5 lakh metric tonnes of crude salt to meet the domestic demand, keep its price and supply stable in the market as its local production has marked a fall. -UNB
Top 300 cooperatives generate $2.5 trillion annually
By IPS World Desk Rome, Jul 3 (IPS) – The top 300 cooperatives alone generate 2.5 trillion dollars in annual turnover, more than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of France, according to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs…
Is religion new colonial frontier in int’l dev?
By Azza Karam UN, Jul 4 (IPS) – A decade ago, it was difficult to get Western policy makers in governments to be interested in the role of religious organizations in human development. The secular mind-set was such that religion…
Funding climate resilience benefits all nations
By Kenton X. Chance Kingstown, St. Vincent, Jul 4 (IPS) – A leading climate change mitigation and adaptation activist and former climate negotiator in the Caribbean says that the United States could protect its economic and political interest by helping…
Boost productivity, improve quality, PM to workers
Dhaka – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged workers to boost productivity and improve the quality of both the products and the standard of their works to keep pace with the competitive world. –UNB
Rapid macroeconomic success empowering rural women
The rapid macroeconomic success accelerates empowerment of rural women in the district when the nation has engaged in all-out efforts to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs). “As a result of self-reliance achieved by thousands of rural women through income…
Ending child marriage could add trillions to world economy
By Roshni Majumdar UN (IPS) – The benefits of ending child marriage are many—boosting a young girl’s morale and increasing her chances of education and work, and by that virtue, curbing high population rates in developing economies and boosting growth.
Khaleda’s sons laundered money, not AL men: Quader
Dhaka, Jul 2 – Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said it has been proved in courts of different countries, including the USA and Singapore, that BNP Chairperson’s sons Tarique Rahman and late Arafat Rahman Koko have money…
Europe is the new hunting ground for US investors
After buying big American brands like Apple, Pepsi and Yahoo!, activist shareholders – investors in search of big dividends – now are setting their sights on European companies like Nestle. “No company is really immune from activism except perhaps for…
Expose those having money with Swiss banks: Khaleda
Dhaka, July 1 – Accusing the ruling party men of siphoning off their ill-gotten huge money, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday night demanded the government disclose the names of those Bangladeshis deposited money with Swiss banks.
BD achieves revenue collection target for 2016-17
Dhaka, July 1 – The National Board of Revenue (NBR) exceeded the revenue collection target for the outgoing fiscal year 2016-17 as it collected Taka 1,08,571 crore, up Taka 71 crore from the revised target of Taka 1,85,000 crore.
Global stocks pressured by tough central banker talk
US stocks finished mostly higher Friday, bucking the trend in most global equity markets as worries about tightening monetary policy pressured sentiment. The Dow and S&P 500 ended modestly higher, but the Nasdaq faded into negative territory at the end…
Swiss banks no longer have Swiss confidentiality?
Dhaka – The Swiss National Bank launched a series of annual reports titled ‘Banks in Switzerland 2016’ on Thursday revealing that deposits by Bangladeshis in Switzerland’s different banks rose rose by about 20 percent year-on-year in 2016.