Sukanta Halder

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

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.

3d 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

3d 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.

6d 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.

1w 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

2w ago

AL govt put finance adviser, BB governor in legal trouble

The immediate past Awami League government’s failure to settle an international arbitration claim has left Bangladesh in a legal tangle in the US, leading to a surprise judicial order against two top officials of the interim government during their official visit to Washington last week.

3w ago
October 3, 2024
October 3, 2024

Fashion brands see higher customer footfall ahead of Durga Puja

Fashion brands and retailers are witnessing increased customer footfall ahead of Durga Puja, the biggest annual festival for Hindu community, despite rising prices and political uncertainty.

September 29, 2024
September 29, 2024

434 units at BSCIC estates are either sick or closed

A total of 434 industrial units under the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) are either suffering over financial issues or have already closed down due to various reasons..As such, some of these units are not operating at full capacity while others are not generati

September 27, 2024
September 27, 2024

Tourism in turmoil

The tourism sector of Bangladesh has been hit hard by the 2024 national elections, unfavourable weather, recurring floods and anti-discrimination movement in the current year compared to last year, as people are unwilling to travel for fear of violence.

September 27, 2024
September 27, 2024

Six in ten low-income households struggle to meet nutritional needs

Around 38 percent of low-income households in Bangladesh were food insecure in August as essential commodity prices only dropped slightly after the interim government took office on August 8, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).

September 22, 2024
September 22, 2024

Political favouritism eroded confidence in insurance sector

More than two-thirds of the insurance companies registered in Bangladesh since 1990 were approved during the regimes of the Awami League government led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

September 18, 2024
September 18, 2024

Chicken, egg traders defy govt-fixed prices

Eggs and broiler chickens -- a key source of protein for the poor -- are not being sold anywhere in Dhaka at rates set by the government on Sunday this week.

September 16, 2024
September 16, 2024

Plastic rules amid lax compliance with 14-yr old jute packaging law

Mandatory jute packaging for nearly two dozen of food stuff now falls almost flat thanks to slack implementation of the law. 

September 15, 2024
September 15, 2024

Onion turns Tk 5 cheaper here as India relaxes export rules

Prices of Indian onion are dropping in Bangladesh, as the neighbouring country on Friday withdrew the restriction of “minimum export price” at $550 per tonne and slashed export duty to 20 percent from 40 percent.

September 12, 2024
September 12, 2024

Asia Insurance fined for embezzling Tk 2.27cr

The misappropriation by the non-life insurer involved TVS Auto Bangladesh Limited, which collected initial insurance policy papers for opening over two dozen letters of credit (LCs) in 2021 and 2022 to import goods.

September 10, 2024
September 10, 2024

Edible oil prices rise on global hike: traders

Loose and bottled soybean oil have become costlier in Bangladesh due to price hikes in the global market amid a supply shortage of the key cooking ingredient, according to traders.