Sukanta Halder

Sukanta Halder is a staff reporter of The Daily Star, covering insurance, commodity markets, private sector and consumers.

Potato cultivation expands as prices rise

Potato cultivation has increased across Bangladesh as farmers have been getting higher prices year-round amid elevated inflation in the country.

1d ago

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.

1w ago

277 firms allowed to import 14.81 lakh tonnes of rice

The interim government of Bangladesh has allowed 277 private entities to import 14.81 lakh tonnes of rice as it looks to contain domestic prices of the staple grain by increasing stocks..Of the total, 10.65 lakh tonnes will be boiled rice while the rest will be sunned rice, according to do

1w ago

SMEs bear the full brunt of financial hardship

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh are struggling due to political uncertainty, high inflation and rising interest rates on bank loans, according to entrepreneurs.

1w ago

Food prices stubbornly high despite govt measures

When prices of widely consumed staples like potatoes, edible oil, sugar or onions spike and remain inflated for extended periods, it understandably hits the poor and low-income people where it hurts the most: in their wallet.

2w ago

Competitive prices lift tea exports to seven-year high

Bangladesh’s tea exports have hit the highest mark in the last seven years as competitive pricing provided an edge over major exporters like India and Sri Lanka.

2w ago

Life insurers mired in irregularities

One-fourth of the life insurance firms in the country are plagued with financial irregularities and mismanagement that have put the entire industry in danger.

2w ago

Potato prices jump as supplies shrink

Consumers in Bangladesh have been paying more for potatoes over the past week, with supplies of the tuber harvested in the previous season running low as the new season approaches..Additionally, the high profiteering tendency among a section of people in the supply chain is dealing a furth

3w ago
March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

Fabric sales still slow ahead of Eid

Textile makers in Bangladesh are witnessing slow sales ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr due to factors including a drop in demand for women's salwar-kameez amidst a high living cost and a lack of interest among the affluent class to donate clothes as Zakat to avoid hassle.

March 16, 2024
March 16, 2024

Does SO system impact prices of essentials?

Some think that the existing supply order (SO) system is one of the reasons for the spike in the prices of essential goods such as sugar and edible oil simply because prices increase each time the document changes hands.

March 16, 2024
March 16, 2024

Secrets of an informal commodity exchange

The narrow streets of Old Dhaka’s Moulvibazar hum with activity: commodity trading. On mobile phones, wholesalers fervently follow prices on trading floors in Chicago and London to bet on the local prices of sugar and edible oil. In and around tea stalls in this gloomy corner of Dhaka, even idle chats are centred around the price movement on the London Commodity Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade, and the Bursa Malaysia.

March 14, 2024
March 14, 2024

The life insurance products that are most popular in Bangladesh

Endowment is the most popular life insurance plan in Bangladesh as it offers a life cover and fixed returns

March 12, 2024
March 12, 2024

End extortion to curb Ramadan price hikes

Traders have urged the government to put an end to extortion during the transportation and sales of essential goods for the greater interest of consumers during Ramadan.

March 10, 2024
March 10, 2024

26 lakh insurance policies discontinued in 14 years

More than 26 lakh insurance policies have lapsed in Bangladesh in the last 14 years owing to a raft of factors including the worsening of financial health of clients, a lack of awareness among them, and agents’ tendency not to explain product features properly while selling them.

March 7, 2024
March 7, 2024

Sugar prices edge up as traders tighten supply

Sugar prices have gone up at both the wholesale and retail levels amid hoarding by traders on speculation of reduced supply after the fire incident at S Alam Refinery, one of the largest raw sugar importers and refiners in Bangladesh.

March 6, 2024
March 6, 2024

Bailey Road fire ruins appetite for dining out

The Mughal Empire restaurant in Mohammadpur of Dhaka wore a quiet look at 7:30pm Monday, normally a peak time. With only four people at one corner eating biryani, it is a stark contrast to the usual gathering of 25-30 people.

March 3, 2024
March 3, 2024

Insurance claim settlement rises in 2023

The claim settlement rate in the insurance sector of Bangladesh has risen by more than four percentage points within the span of a single year although the ratio has remained far below the global average.

March 1, 2024
March 1, 2024

Insurance premium growth slows

Insurance premium growth decelerated in 2023 as people’s purchasing power eroded amid higher inflationary pressure, despite the sector’s immense potential in a country that has one of the lowest penetration rates in the world.