NO FRILLS
Dhaka-Chattogram Highway: Why no feasibility study?
When policy planners undertake a major connectivity project like the Dhaka-Chattogram highway expansion, which serves as a lifeline for our exports, one would expect that they would do what reasonably well-informed policymakers in other countries do, i.e. conduct
Aramco attacks: Fuelling the fire
Fingers are being pointed at Iran for the drone attack on two major Saudi Arabian oil facilities set ablaze on September 14. While the sabre rattling picks up the tempo, and despite reassurances by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that strategic oil reserves will be deployed to stabilise the market, price of oil has shot up in the global markets.
Making the most of BRI
A daylong dialogue organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) on September 8 brought together participants from Bangladesh and some South Asian countries, as well as from China. Among them were high-level policymakers, political leaders, academics and
Donors’ interest in Rohingya crisis waning?
By all indications, yes, it is waning. Not from ours, but from the perspective of the international donor community that has been providing humanitarian support to the million or so Rohingyas stranded on Bangladeshi soil for two years now. The data speaks for itself.
Getting a rotten deal on rawhide
The recent debacle over the purchase of rawhides after Eid-ul-Azha raises some important concerns. The government had fixed the prices of rawhides of cows and buffaloes at Tk 45-50 per square foot in the capital city of Dhaka and Tk 35-40 elsewhere. The price of the rawhide of castrated goats was fixed at Tk 18-20 per square foot, while it was Tk 13-15 for that of non-castrated goats. This year, some 1 crore animals were sacrificed across the country. Forty-five percent of these animals were cows, bulls and buffaloes, according to rawhide traders.
Socio-economic impacts of the Rohingya influx
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in association with the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) and the local administration of Cox’s Bazar, unveiled the findings of a joint impact assessment study on July 25, 2019. The report titled “Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities” looks at the impact of the massive influx of Rohingyas on the host communities and how it has affected the long-term development needs of Bangladeshis living in the affected areas.
Foreign assistance boosts infrastructure development
During the five-day state visit by PM Sheikh Hasina to China on July 2-6, Bangladesh and China inked some important deals—five agreements including three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and other agreements that included investment in the power
Bringing more people under the tax net
The finance minister recently stated that it is the government’s intention to bring 10 million people under the tax net.
Can we live up to that ranking?
According to a new analysis published by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR), a UK-based Research firm, the country is set to become the 24th largest economy over the next 15 years.
Transhipment via India: What has changed?
As per a report published in this paper on January 7, Bangladeshi RMG shipment to Europe will be expedited with the “introduction of transhipment facility from Kolkata's Netaji International Airport on a pilot basis.”
RMG in 2018 and what lies ahead
According to a research study published by Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), the ready-made garments (RMG) sector has the potential to earn Bangladesh an additional USD 17.4 billion using its existing export capacity.
It was long overdue
Improving workers' health in the biggest sector of the economy, i.e. readymade garments (RMG) has been on the cards for some time now.
China's march towards electric vehicles
The world is still playing catch up with China when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs). According to the Forbes magazine, Chinese manufacturers produced and sold 770,000 EVs in 2017, which is a jump of about 53 percent over 2016.
We have wind for power
The American National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has found that we have potential pockets of wind that can be used to make energy.
Will the Iran sanctions work?
Last month, a flotilla of ships carrying more than 20 million barrels of Iranian oil headed off to China's north-eastern Dalian port in a bid to stave off the impending US sanctions that just came into effect on November 4.
Death by water
Four-year-old Sohel (not his real name) used to live in a small village in Sherpur. A bundle of energy, he was the apple of everyone's eyes in his family.
Moving away from coal isn't easy
Environm-entalists will disagree, but dependence on coal for energy is increasing, not decreasing in Asia. Back in the late '40s, climate change hadn't set in and economic realities dictated establishment of an industrial base at the cost of the environment in countries like China and India—major consumers of coal for energy.
How safe is the water we drink?
Seventy-five million Bangladeshis are at risk of contracting the most serious diseases because they are drinking unsafe water, where 13 percent of the populace is exposed to arsenic-poisoning.