Extortion continues to be a widespread problem for businesses across the country although eight months have passed since the fall of the previous authoritarian regime, business leaders said yesterday.

Bangladesh has signed a $241.3 million financing agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to construct five climate-resilient bridges in the Mymensingh division.

The board of directors of Islami Bank has removed its managing director, Muhammad Monirul Moula, due to his alleged involvement in loan irregularities and mismanagement unearthed by an external audit.

The crisis at the National Board of Revenue is deepening as disgruntled employees have launched a fresh five-day protest, demanding the chairman’s removal and the repeal of a new ordinance that splits the tax authority. The protest threatens to disrupt tax collection, delay trade and further strain the country’s revenue targets.

A tiny fraction of account holders and just two districts -- Dhaka and Chattogram -- dominate banking deposits and loans, exposing deep inequalities in access to financial services in Bangladesh, according to a new study by the Policy Research Institute (PRI).

Over the past decade, the mobile phone industry has been a driving force in Bangladesh’s economic and digital transformation.

Companies importing goods into the United States from China are rushing to convert warehouses into facilities that are exempt from President Donald Trump’s tariffs until they are ready to sell the merchandise.

Using low-cost, locally sourced materials, the authorities began the construction of 300 model onion storage sheds in November last year in five major onion-producing districts. The target was to complete the sheds by March, enabling farmers to preserve their harvest for months and reduce post-harvest losses.

The internet regulator has reduced broadband internet prices at the consumer level by up to 20 percent in a bid to make internet access more affordable across the country.

Labour and Employment Adviser to the caretaker government Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain yesterday said that garment factory owners must clear outstanding wages of their workers by May 28 ahead of Eid-ul-Azha or risk imprisonment.

Separation of policy from implementation has been a crucial and long-overdue item in the reform agenda of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

Separating tax policy from tax collection has long been recommended. This idea was strongly proposed in a recent white paper on the economy. About four months ago, the National Board of Revenue’s (NBR) Advisory Committee, which is working on broader reforms for the NBR, submitted an interim report.

The association urges the interim government to send a letter to India seeking the opportunity

Edible oil will be Tk 135 a litre, lentil Tk 80 a kg, and sugar Tk 85 a kg

The DSEX rose 6.27 points to close at 4,801.32

This indicates a sharp concentration of wealth among a small portion of the population

Such a tax would directly eat into the amount that families receive back home, discouraging many from sending remittances via official banking channels

The DSEX gained 15.68 points to 4,810.73 as of 11:34 am

The institutional capacity of various organisations in Bangladesh has been systematically weakened over the past 15 years, both in the public and private sectors, said Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin.

The government will duly consider demands from protesting officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), who have been observing a pen-down strike since the interim government passed an ordinance aimed at dissolving the revenue board on May 12.