5 Top Stories to Know Today
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HSC results to be published February 8
The results of HSC and equivalent exams 2022 are set to be published on February 8.
All the education boards' chairmen will hand over the copy of the results to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on that day, said Dhaka Education Board's Chairman Tapan Kumar Sarkar.
Higher input, dollar costs take gloss off paint industry
Like other sectors, the paint industry in Bangladesh is in troubled waters as the US dollar crunch has made it difficult for manufacturers to import raw materials in line with their demand.
Paint manufacturers had posted solid growth in the five to six years on the back of consumption in both urban and rural areas and rising per capita income, before the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war hurt sales, industry insiders say.
Currently, owing to the US dollar shortage, the opening of letters of credit (LCs) has fallen, as the Bangladesh Bank has tightened rules to discourage the imports of non-essential and luxury items in order to save the foreign currency reserves from fast depletion.
PM to detail plan for smart Bangladesh at Rajshahi rally
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will detail her vision of Smart Bangladesh and seek people's support from today's rally in Rajshahi.
"She (PM) will describe how she built digital Bangladesh. She has a new plan for building a smart Bangladesh within 2041. She will describe her plan from the rally and seek people's vote for the upcoming elections," he said.
Gas price hike to fuel costs for ceramics makers
Production costs in the ceramics industry of Bangladesh will rise by up to 15 per cent due to a recent hike in the price of gas, which adds to the list of crises threatening the sector's overall growth, according to manufacturers.
For large industries, the unit price of gas will increase nearly threefold from Tk 11.98 to Tk 30, as per a notification from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division effective from February 1.
41 killed in Pakistan bus crash
At least 41 people were killed after a passenger coach fell into a ravine at Lasbela district in Pakistan's Balochistan province this morning.
Lasbela Assistant Commissioner Hamza Anjum, while confirming the incident, said that three people, including a child and a woman, have been rescued alive. However, he feared that the number of casualties could increase.