Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has said necessary steps would be taken to make additional budgetary allocation for the disadvantaged street children for their mainstreaming. “Street children are no longer burden of our society.I will request the Finance Minister to make additional budgetary allocation for the disadvantaged street children,” Inu told the concluding
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Form powerful authority to keep rivers alive: BAPA
Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) on Friday urged the government to form a powerful and effective ‘National River Protection Authority’ to keep alive the moribund rivers in the country. It also stressed the need for a ‘national river policy’ to protect the rivers from unauthorised occupiers. The green organisation also placed eight-point demand in this regard ... Read more
IOJ terms next budget ‘ambitious, unrealistic’
Terming the proposed budget for fiscal 2013-14 as highly ambitious, unrealistic and pro-election, Islami Oikya Jote chairman Abdul Latif Nezami said it has given emphasis on party politics and next parliamentary polls, which make people frustrated. In his reaction on Friday, he said despite the failure in increasing revenue collection in the current fiscal (2012-1)
UK firm offers help for Savar victims
Four thousand victims of the Rana Plaza building collapse, who got themselves registered at Savar Cantonment School on Friday, will get Tk 15,000 each, equivalent to their three months’ salary, as compensation. UK firm Primark, which got its apparels from one of the five garment factories located at the Rana Plaza building that collapsed on ... Read more
All options about GSP under consideration
The United States administration will announce its decision on GSP benefits for Bangladeshi products by the end of this month and all options are under consideration, including possible suspension, limitation, or withdrawal of the facilities. “The Administration will announce a decision on the petition by the end of June; and all options remain under consideration,
Muhith budget tows populist line in poll year
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, on Thursday, unveiled a Tk. 222,491 crore populist budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year, in Jatiya Sangsad, by avoiding imposition of any significant tax burden and by expanding social safety net programmes. The budget, having a deficit of 4.6 per cent, eyes 7.2 per cent GDP growth for the next fiscal ... Read more
Budget in the eyes of leading economists
Prominent economist Mirza Azizul Islam has described the prevailing political uncertainty in Bangladesh as the main hurdle in achieving the goals prescribed in the budget proposals placed before Parliament on Thursday. “If the present political uncertainty is not resolved, most of the goals prescribed in the budget proposals are not likely to be achieved. We ... Read more
Govt will not take any decision on coal policy, says Muhith
Finance minister AMA Muhith in his budget speech on Thursday announced that the present government will not take any decision on the coal policy, although it has chalked out plans to produce around 7,000 MW of electricity from coal-based power plants. “We have prepared a report on the coal policy. However, we would like to ... Read more
FBCCI calls budget ‘growth-oriented’
Terming the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2013-14 as growth-oriented, investment and business-friendly, Bangladesh’s apex trade body, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), said that the implementation of the budget would largely depend on the country’s political stability. Finance minister AMA Muhith presented the
People’s aspirations, hopes not reflected in budget: BNP
Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has said the hopes and aspirations of the people have not been reflected in the proposed budget for fiscal 2013-14. Giving an instant reaction to reporters at the media centre at Parliament soon after the placement of the national budget for fiscal 2013-14, BNP leader MK Anwar said the prices of ... Read more
Muhith skirts Padma Bridge issue
Finance minister AMA Muhith, in his budgetary speech, has not said anything about implementation of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) project. He, however, said: “I’m confident that we’ll be able to start construction of the main bridge, as well as river training-related work pertaining to the project during
Dipu Moni shares recent domestic issues with envoys
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni has discussed with the ambassadors and heads of missions from South Asian and ASEAN countries the issue of dialogue amongst all political parties regarding the modalities of an interim government leading up to the upcoming general elections. While briefing 20 diplomats on recent developments in the country at the ministry ... Read more
Tax system simplified for housing sector
With the aim of providing housing facilities to every citizen, the government has simplified the tax system relating to investments in the country’s housing sector. This new system, the finance minister explained, would inject more dynamism into the stagnant housing sector. Under the new system, investors will have to pay
Pay more for smoking: Bidi tax up, cigarette costlier
After four years, the government has decided to increase tax on biri. Cigarette price has also been increased in the current budget. Rate of supplementary duty (excise tax) on biri has been increased from 20% to 30%. Moreover, the ‘tariff value’ (used as the base price for taxation) has been hiked from Tk. 3.16 to ... Read more
Six Bangladeshis killed in UAE fire identified
The Foreign Ministry on Thursday revealed the identities of six Bangladeshis who died in a chemical factory fire in Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. All the six victims were from Shariatpur district, said a press release, issued by the ministry. The deceased have been identified as Md Alamin Mollik, Ali Akbar,
Permanent pay commission for govt employees
In the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2013-14, the grand alliance government has decided to form a permanent pay and service commission for the government employees. In the budget speech, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said, “We significantly enhanced the pay and allowances of the government employees with effect from 2009 following the recommendations
Budget portrays a rosy picture of economy
The hopes and aspirations as reflected in the budget of the upcoming year must be assessed in the light of the prevailing hard economic and political realities of Bangladesh. The global economic environment is also pertinent in this context. Like any other annual budget of the country, the proposed one also portrays a rosy picture ... Read more
Newspaper industry to face severe blow
Owners and editors on Thursday expressed concern over the budgetary proposal to withdraw the concessional facility to import newsprint, saying that it would deal a severe blow to the newspaper industry. They expressed the concern after Finance Minister
RMG workers, cops clash injuring 100 in Savar, Tejgaon
At least 100 people were injured and 50 vehicles vandalised as police charged batons and fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters on protesting workers in Savar on Wednesday. The workers put blockade on Dhaka-Aricha Highway, in front of the collapsed Rana Plaza, suspending all kinds of vehicular movements for about three hours
Muhith aims at populist budget to support poll plank
Finance minister AMA Muhith is going to roll out a populist budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year, on Thursday, apparently in a bid to provide sops for the electorate, ahead of the next general elections in March next year. The Tk. 222,499 crore budget, will be almost twice as large as Muhith’s first budget (Tk. ... Read more