Bangladesh will benefit more than it would lose once the country graduates to a developing nation from the grouping of the least-developed countries, said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal yesterday.

Partex Star Group recently saw the appointment of a new deputy managing director.

Edible oil is likely to become costlier in the days ahead because of the upward price trend of soybean and palm oil worldwide as Bangladesh meets 90 per cent of its demand through imports, said processors yesterday.

The US Commerce Department on Tuesday issued final anti-dumping duties on common alloy aluminum sheet from 18 countries investigated, including up to 242.8 per cent on imports from Germany and 4.83 per cent on imports from Bahrain.

Earnings from exports declined 3.92 per cent year-on-year to $3.19 billion in February because of a fall in apparel shipment as the lingering coronavirus pandemic continues to hurt the country’s key markets.

Alibaba and Ant Group founder Jack Ma has lost the title of China’s richest man, a list published on Tuesday showed, as his peers prospered while his empire was put under heavy scrutiny by Chinese regulators.

Australia’s economy contracted 1.1 per cent in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, but saw a remarkable recovery late in the year as outbreaks were brought under control and restrictions lifted.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today said that there will be more benefits than losses if Bangladesh graduates to a developing country from a least developed one.

The government has taken the initiative to import 5.5 lakh tonnes of rice to increase stock.

The Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) yesterday called for a reduction in the corporate tax rate for the non-listed companies gradually to 25 per cent to encourage investment.

The revenue authority has relaxed the rules for businesses to help them adjust the VAT they paid in advance earlier as per the Value-Added Tax Act, 1991.

Stocks bounced back yesterday to go past 5,500-point mark after two weeks as investors are increasingly showing interest in the market after a recent fall made many shares lucrative.

As commodities start to be imported in increasing quantities ahead of Ramadan, containers have started piling up at the Chattogram port as traders are not promptly receiving consignments.

Internet banking transactions have surged in recent months as people increasingly embraced the digital mode while opting not to visit branches.

Dining out has become a rare exercise amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as many people prefer to stay at home in a bid to maintain social distancing and avoid infection.

India’s finance ministry is considering cutting excise duties on petrol and diesel to cushion the impact of record high domestic prices, three government officials close to the discussions said.

The rise in eurozone consumer prices steadied in February, official data showed on Tuesday, as the slump in energy prices sharply slowed despite the enduring pandemic.

Britain is expected to keep vast emergency financial support propping up the UK’s virus-battered economy when unveiling its annual budget Wednesday, but could also raise tax to fight surging debt. “The key thing is right now to keep supporting the economy... but also level with people,” finance minister Rishi Sunak said Sunday, as Britain from next week begins to exit its third Covid lockdown.

China, which last year overtook the United States as the world’s top filer of international patents, a key measure of technical innovation, increased its lead significantly in 2020, the UN said Tuesday.

Sri Lanka will offer a strategically located deep-sea port to India and Japan, an official said Tuesday, as the island seeks to balance traditional ties against China’s rising regional influence.