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.

1d 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
June 12, 2024
June 12, 2024

Gifts not sweet anymore as NBR mulls taxes

If someone receives a gift, they will have to show it in their income tax return at the end of the year. At the same time, the person who gives the present will also have to inform it in their income tax return.

June 11, 2024
June 11, 2024

Blow for private economic zones, hi-tech parks as tax benefits go

Currently, investors in the EZs and hi-tech parks qualify for a tax break for a decade starting from the first year of their operations. They are entitled to a full tax waiver in the first three years.

June 8, 2024
June 8, 2024

Tax exemption in FY25 rises to Tk 163,000cr

Tax exemptions provided by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) are estimated to rise to Tk 163,000 crore in fiscal 2024-25 as the tax administration looks to ease the pressure on individuals and facilitate higher economic growth.

June 7, 2024
June 7, 2024

Whitening Black Money: ‘Unethical, unjust and unacceptable’

Backtracking on its promise to eliminate black money, the government has once again made room to allow both individuals and companies to whiten money without facing scrutiny and by paying a 15 percent tax, a move that drew sharp criticism from economists and civil society.

June 6, 2024
June 6, 2024

How far have fiscal measures promoted industrialisation?

Experts and businesspeople also highlighted the challenges linked with the current tax and incentive system.

June 5, 2024
June 5, 2024

Duty benefit for washing machines, refrigerators likely to stay

For air conditioner and refrigerator manufacturing industries, the government plans to extend the existing facility to June 2026, according to the finance ministry.

June 4, 2024
June 4, 2024

Inflation hits seven-month high

Inflation, fuelled by higher food prices, climbed 15 basis points to 9.89 percent in May from 9.74 percent a month earlier, figures from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics showed yesterday.

June 2, 2024
June 2, 2024

Social spending gets less priority in lopsided budgets

In FY22, the spending on public services increased to 15 percent of the total actual expenditure, nearly double the rate in FY09. Similarly, spending on the transport and communication sector surged to 12 percent from 4.7 percent in FY09.

May 28, 2024
May 28, 2024

ADP implementation slows to three-year low

Government spending under the Annual Development Programme (ADP) slowed to a three-year low in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year (FY) of 2023-24, with the implementation rate dropping to 49.26 percent.

May 27, 2024
May 27, 2024

Tax receipts grow at healthy clip, still NBR likely to miss target

Although a large chunk of revenue is deposited in the state coffer towards the end of a fiscal year, there might be a big gap between the revised target and the actual collection.