Md Asaduz Zaman

Reporter at The Daily Star, covering economics, planning and agriculture sectors in Bangladesh.

Hunt for OMS food grows desperate

In the bustling area of Mirpur-10 in the capital, over 300 people gathered early Monday morning, hoping to buy subsidised essentialsthat serve as a lifeline for low-income families.

2d ago

Pran now making flour, semolina

Pran-RFL Group, one of the country’s leading conglomerates with diversified interests, including in food processing, has started producing both whole wheat and refined flour alongside semolina.

1w ago

Stocks jump as NBR cuts capital gains tax

Stocks soared yesterday as investors cheered the substantial cut in capital gains tax by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to encourage big local and foreign investors.

2w ago

The hidden cost of healthcare

Private facilities spring up around public hospitals as govt services fall short

3w ago

Interim govt to strengthen universal pension scheme

The interim government plans to strengthen the universal pension scheme (UPS) with the aim of bringing people from all walks of life under a sustainable social security framework.

3w ago

ADP spending in first quarter lowest in 15 years

Amid cautious spending by the interim government and disruptions due to political turmoil, the implementation rate of the annual development programme (ADP) in the current fiscal year’s first quarter hit the lowest in at least 15 years.

3w ago

Revenue receipts fall 6% in Jul-Sep

Revenue collection in the first quarter of the current fiscal year showed a 6 percent year-on-year decline, raising concerns that the interim government’s fiscal space may be squeezed further amid the contractionary monetary policy.

1m ago

Half of banks’ CSR spending went to disaster management

Of their total corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure, banks spent 45 percent on disaster management violating rules in the first half of 2024, with bankers saying it mainly went to various funds maintained by the Prime Minister’s Office before the political changeover on August 5.

1m ago

January 13, 2024

BSCIC seeks more time, funds for industrial printing park

Eight years have passed yet construction of an industrial park has barely seen any progress in Munshiganj

January 4, 2024

Small ETPs have high potential for reducing pollution

A few months ago, Hossain set up a small-scale effluent treatment plant (ETP) in his own yard to remove contaminants from the wastewater so that it can be reused.

January 1, 2024

Food wasn't in short supply. But many struggled to feed families

As dawn broke yesterday, Asia Begum prepared again for her daily battle to buy essential goods at subsidised prices in order to save a few bucks and bear other family expenses.

December 27, 2023

South Asian nations succeeded in taming inflation. Bangladesh, not so much

Most South Asian countries succeeded in reining inflation in 2023 in a major relief for their populations who struggled after prices spiralled owing to the shocks stemming from the lingering impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war

December 22, 2023