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
May 23, 2024
May 23, 2024

Govt likely to announce tax rates in advance

In the coming year, the NBR may announce tax rates that will not only be applicable for the outgoing income year 2023-24 but also for the next income year 2024-25.

May 23, 2024
May 23, 2024

Consumption stays low for two straight years as inflation bites

According to a provisional estimate of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), consumption of goods and services grew 3.53 percent in 2023-24, up from 2.52 percent in the last fiscal year.

May 22, 2024
May 22, 2024

Laptops may be cheaper in FY2025

The government is planning to reduce duties on imported laptops next fiscal year in order to make the devices more affordable and bring relief to freelancers and students.

May 21, 2024
May 21, 2024

NBR plans self-assessment of tax liabilities for all firms

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is likely to introduce self-assessment for companies from 2024-25 to allow them to determine their own tax liabilities and cut reliance on taxmen.

May 16, 2024
May 16, 2024

Investors in hi-tech parks, EZs may lose tax benefits

Investors in the economic zones and hi-tech parks in Bangladesh may see an end to the zero-duty benefit on imports of capital machinery, components and construction materials next fiscal year.

May 15, 2024
May 15, 2024

From mobile users to metro commuters, Bangladeshis to face more tax

Mobile phone calls and metro rail commutes among other daily activities may cost more in the next fiscal year as the government looks to increase taxes to boost its revenue collections.

May 14, 2024
May 14, 2024

MPs may lose duty waiver for car imports

The National Board of Revenue seeks to impose 25 percent import duty on cars for lawmakers, reversing a practice of tax exemptions that amounted to Tk 5,147 crore over the last 15 years.

May 7, 2024
May 7, 2024

Industries created more jobs amid slowdown. Economists find it puzzling

However, the findings raised questions among economists, who were puzzled by the growth at a time when the economy had been facing a slowdown due to high inflation, a downtrend in export growth, and falling imports.

May 1, 2024
May 1, 2024

The invisible ones

Of the over 7 crore people employed in Bangladesh, 85 percent (nearly 6 crore) are vulnerable as they work in the informal sector, which lacks basic social and legal protection, and employment benefits.

April 29, 2024
April 29, 2024

IMF prescribes ending tax exemptions

It recommended the National Board of Revenue (NBR) discontinue the tax holiday for the information and communication technology industry and abolish the tax benefit for mining and petroleum extracting companies.