The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and four local banks-The City Bank, Mutual Trust Bank, Pubali Bank, and Southeast Bank—yesterday signed trade finance programme agreements involving $40 million. “Under these agreements, ADB and our Bangladesh bank partners will provide loans and guarantees…

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu yesterday said Bangladesh will become a middle-come country before 2021, reports BSS. "Not a middle-income country, Bangladesh will be one of the rich countries, if it can make proper use of its marine resources," he said speaking as the chief guest at…

The 3-day Dhaka motor, bike and auto parts show began at the Bashundhara Convention City in the capital yesterday. Road Transport and Bridges Minister…

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday urged the Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar to take necessary initiatives and measures for providing assistance to the salt farmers to help them produce more salts to meet the consumers’ demand in the country, reports BSS. “The government is…

AFP, ISTANBUL: Turkey’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.0 per cent in 2015, data showed Thursday, with the economy defying a series of domestic…

AFP, HONG KONG: Asian stock markets ended a volatile first quarter on a cautious note yesterday, as upbeat sentiment fuelled by the prospect of lower…

AFP, SAN FRANCISCO: Apple celebrates its 40th anniversary this week at the top of its game, as the Silicon Valley legend that sprang out of Steve Jobs’…

AFP, WASHINGTON: The US treasury secretary seems to be laying the groundwork to let Iran begin trading in dollars, after a landmark accord with the West last year saw the country limit its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Jack Lew said in Washington Wednesday that US sanctions…

Stock market closed week up through maintaining steady recovery for the third consecutive session yesterday, with gradual improvement in transactions in terms of both value and volume, reports BSS. DSEX of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) finished the week at 4357.53, which was 22.24 points up over the previous…

AFP, COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is seeking foreign assistance to rescue its loss-making national carrier, a minister said yesterday, after the government announced the airline was unable to pay back nearly $1 billion in debt. The country cannot afford to bear SriLankan Airlines’ losses of 128 billion…

The government has launched a project to set up seed production farm in country’s southern coastal region aiming to produce high tolerance seeds for sustainable food production, reports BSS. “We are going to establish the seed farm in Barisal sadar and Dashmina upazila under Patuakhali district…

AFP, HONG KONG: China’s richest man billionaire Wang Jianlin is considering buying back the Hong Kong-listed shares of a subsidiary of his Dalian Wanda empire, having seen its value plunge a little more than a year after listing. Shares in Wanda Com-mercial—one of the world’s largest…

BTCL will replace about ten thousand numbers under Ramna Telephone Exchange in order to provide enhanced facilities of NGN technology to the customers, says a press release. About ten thousand numbers under Ramna Telephone Exchange starting with ‘711’ and ’712’ will be replaced…

AFP, BRUSSELS: Eurozone consumer prices continued to fall in March at only a slightly slower pace than in February, data showed yesterday, despite the European Central Bank boosting its already massive stimulus programme to beat deflation. Economists fear falling prices because if consumers delay purchases…

MA Sabur has been elected chairman of United Commercial Bank Limited, the bank said in a statement. The decision was made in a board meeting of the bank…

Dhaka WASA signed a contract with Mott Macdonald Ltd, UK and Associates at a hotel in the capital on Wednesday, says a press release.   The contract aims for Management Design Super-vision Consultant (MDSC) of Gandharbpur Water Treatment Plant, funded by Government of Bangladesh, DWASA, ADB, EIB…

AFP, LONDON: Britain's economy last year grew slightly faster than thought after a better-than-expected final quarter, official data showed yesterday. Gross domestic product -- the total value of all goods and services produced by a country -- expanded by 2.3 per cent in 2015, the Office for National…