The second batch of Bangladeshi workers comprising 128 left Dhaka for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last night by two flights under Government to Government (G2G) Plus agreement signed between the two countries. With this, a total of 226 workers have so far gone to Malaysia in two batches under the G2G Plus…

Terming the SME sector as the driving force of the country’s economic growth, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu yesterday said SME is playing a vital role to accelerate the export growth, diversification of products, employment generation and poverty alleviation of the country. The minister…

Stocks maintained upward trend yesterday as major indices of both Dhaka and Chittagong Stock Exchanges were found finishing upward trend with higher transactions of some large-cap securities, reports BSS. Among the rising major sectors were cement, textile and financial institutions. Bank and insurance…

Online VAT registration under the new Value Added Tax (VAT) law has begun and businesspeople will be able to take electronic business identification number (e-BIN) online up to June 30, reports BSS. "Online VAT registration began after 12 O'clock Tuesday night. The online VAT registration software…

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said the government would take initiative to thwart any digital fraudulence as part of its effort to ensure consumer rights, reports BSS. "Following the growing popularity of e-commerce, there would be digital fraudulence .So, the government would form a…

AFP, BERLIN:  Finance ministers from the world’s top nations gather in Germany Friday as fears grow that US President Donald Trump could upend…

AFP, HONG KONG:  Most stock markets retreated in Asian trade yesterday following losses on Wall Street and in Europe as nervous investors await the end of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, while oil prices bounced back from the previous day’s sharp losses. The US central bank is…

AFP, HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s troubled flagship airline Cathay Pacific yesterday posted its first annual loss since the height of the financial crisis as it was hit by “intense competition” and a drop in demand from business travellers. The firm is struggling despite an expansion of…

The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) experts have recommended budgetary support to create jobs in the formal sector, as recent trends show declining formal sector employment generation compared to the informal sector. Senior visiting fellow of the Centre for Development and Employment…

AFP, LONDON: Britain’s unemployment rate has struck the lowest level for more than 41 years, official data showed yesterday as the country prepares to trigger its exit from the EU. However a drop in the jobless rate comes alongside news of slowing wages growth. Unemployment for the quarter ending…

AFP, MUMBAI: Buyouts, mergers and quick exits -- as India's richest man shakes up the country's ultra-competitive mobile market, telecommunications companies are scrambling to either consolidate or cut their losses and run. Norwegian multinational Telenor recently became the latest to quit India…

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said yesterday that China-Russia trade relations have turned the corner and achieved strong growth, reports Xinhua. The outcome should be attributed to the joint efforts from both sides, he said while addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the annual session…

 South Korea’s economy posted a trade surplus for 61 months through February due to robust export growth, customs data showed yesterday, reports Xinhua. Revised figure for the February trade surplus reached 7.1 billion dollars, staying in the black since February 2012, according to the Korea…

AFP, WASHINGTON: IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Tuesday warned the world's largest economies to avoid damaging the incipient global recovery with policies that would derail trade and immigration. In a message to the Group of 20 finance ministers ahead of their meeting this week, Lagarde said the…

AFP, BERLIN: German energy giant EON said yesterday that it booked a record loss of 8.45 billion euros ($9.0 billion) in 2016 after massively overvaluing its fossil fuels division which was spun off late last year. The previous year, EON had already run up a bottom-line loss of almost seven billion…