Ahsan Habib

Economy to see muted recovery in 2025

Will smaller rotis at roadside eateries return to their previous regular size next year? Will a Tk 500 note again fill up the shopping bag holding kitchen items? Or, will several lakh graduates, who have been poring over newspaper recruitment advertisements, finally get their jobs in 2025?

2w ago

Stock market lost steam in 2024

The year 2024 witnessed a lacklustre performance of the stock market as the benchmark index faced erosion, average daily turnover showcased no significant rise while no notable company entered the market.

2w ago

Sergel nearing Tk 1,000cr annual sales

Sergel is heading towards generating Tk 1,000 crore in annual sales as over Tk 900 crore worth of the gastrological medicine was sold in the first nine months of this year, according to information technology company IMS Health.

2w ago

Growth obsession deepened rich-poor divide

Income inequality in Bangladesh has seen a steep rise over the past 12 years till 2022, according to official data, as economists blame a singular focus on growth rather than sorting out income disparities.

3w ago

Has IMF experiment delivered?

Two years after Bangladesh turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $4.7 billion bailout to address its worsening macroeconomic pressures, the nation stands at a crossroads.

3w ago

Penalty less than illegal gains fuels stock manipulation

While fines are intended to deter future offences, questions remain over their effectiveness if the amount is lower than the illegal gain.

3w ago

Drug sales growth slows amid high inflation

Sales growth of drugs slowed down in fiscal year 2023-24 ending last June, which could be an effect of high inflationary pressure prevailing in the country over the last two years.

3w ago

Election to boost business confidence: entrepreneurs

Business leaders, economists and professionals have emphasised that an elected government is essential for restoring confidence in the business community, stabilising law and order, and revitalising the business and investment climate.

1m ago
December 6, 2024
December 6, 2024

Sonali to auction assets of Alltex Industries

Sonali Bank has decided to sell the assets of Alltex Industries through auction in a bid to recover unpaid loans of the listed textile producer.

December 3, 2024
December 3, 2024

Wealth inequality way worse than income disparity

Bangladesh ranks among the countries with the highest income disparities globally, but there is another problem way worse than that: wealth inequality, which means a minuscule portion of the population owns a disproportionate amount of wealth compared to the majority.

November 29, 2024
November 29, 2024

BB reverts to bank bailout despite inflation worries

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has backtracked on its decision to refrain from injecting fresh funds into crisis-hit banks in its efforts to curb persistent inflation.

November 22, 2024
November 22, 2024

Can Islami Bank raise Tk 20,000cr in this climate?

Ailing lender Islami Bank recently announced that it planned to raise a total of Tk 20,000 crore using two methods: Tk 10,000 crore would be realised by selling the stake that S Alam Group holds in the lender and the rest would be made up through the issuance of new shares.

November 22, 2024
November 22, 2024

Investors suffer as SEC halts trading at deficit-hit brokerages

Aminur Rahman was excited after hearing that the company he had invested in had recently been upgraded to A-category. Anticipating price gains, he rushed to his brokerage house, only to be met with disappointing news: he was unable to trade.

November 20, 2024
November 20, 2024

BSEC seeks info of 117 Beximco-linked BO accounts

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has sought detailed information, including portfolio statements, of 117 beneficiary owner (BO) accounts with which the owners of Beximco Ltd are allegedly involved.

November 18, 2024
November 18, 2024

Economic expectations: Did govt fall short?

When an interim government was sworn into office following the ouster of the Awami League regime just 100 days ago, there was an air of expectation that the Prof Muhammad Yunus-led administration would take steps to salvage a scam-ridden financial sector and rescue an ailing economy.

November 16, 2024
November 16, 2024

Why stock market is going nowhere

Designated as a basket case after gaining independence in 1971, Bangladesh silenced even its harshest critics as it transformed into one of the world’s foremost development cases.

November 10, 2024
November 10, 2024

Sukuk investors in trouble as Beximco’s rosy reports fade

Bad news for Beximco Sukuk investors: their gain from the Shariah-compliant bond-like instrument next month is set to drop to 9 percent -- below the 12.3 percent yield from five year-tenure treasury bonds and the 10.87 percent inflation rate in October.

November 4, 2024
November 4, 2024

IFIC Bank issues notice to Shakib for Tk 4.13cr loan repayment

IFIC Bank has served a legal notice to Shakib Al Hasan Agro Farm Ltd, an entity owned by its namesake and the former captain of the Bangladesh national cricket team, after a cheque issued by the company bounced.