Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The BBN (Bangladesh Business News) has prepared the morning news highlights compiling reports, published by different newspapers and news portals in Bangladesh.
Biman back on profit track
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd is set to turn into a profitable entity from the current fiscal year (FY) 2014-15 after a recess in the last five years following efforts on modernisation, automation and revenue integration. The national flag carrier already posted a net profit of Tk 2.71 billion (271 crore) in the first seven months of the current FY until January last against a net loss of Tk 1.48 billion during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, a senior Biman official told the FE. It has been making a net profit every consecutive month since August last year, a rare phenomenon in the past.
Bangladesh forex reserve crosses $23bn-mark
Bangladesh’s foreign exchange (forex) reserve crossed the US$23 billion-mark for the first time on Thursday due to lower import payment pressures, officials said. The reserve rose to $23.03 billion on the day, setting a new record, from $22.90 billion of the previous working day. It was $22.05 billion on August 7, 2014. "Our forex reserve has crossed the $23 billion-mark due to steady growth of both export earnings and inward remittance despite the political turmoil,” Kazi Sayedur Rahman, general manager of the Forex Reserve and Treasury Management Department of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) told BBN in Dhaka.
Environment surcharge imposed on 757 polluting industries
The National Board of Revenue has finally selected 757 environment polluting industries for imposition of environment surcharge after eight months of the introduction of the tax, officials said. The revenue board on Sunday issued a gazette notification containing the names of the polluting industries for imposition of the surcharge also known as green tax at the rate of 1 per cent, they said. Surcharge will be collected at the rate of 1 per cent on the price of goods produced in the polluting factories.
Blogger Avijit Roy hacked to death
Unidentified assailants killed writer and blogger Avijit Roy and badly wounded his wife Rafida Ahmed Banna on Dhaka University campus last night after the couple came out of the Ekushey Boi Mela. The incident happened around 8:45pm on the footpath along Suhrawardy Udyan near TSC. Two attackers hit Avijit, 42, with machetes from behind, making gaping holes in his head. They also hacked his wife when she tried to save him. Banna, 40, suffered injuries in the head and lost a finger, said Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station.
Weekly Review: Bangladesh stocks end lower for 2nd week
Bangladesh’s stock market passed yet another lackluster week as investors worried over prolonged political turmoil that cast negative impact on selling spree, despite some better-than-expected positive earnings results. The week featured five trading sessions as usual. Of these, two sessions saw sharp decline while three managed to close at marginal gains. Week-on-week, DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), went down by 25.01 points or 0.52 percent to close at 4,763.22 points.
Square Pharma dominates week’s top turnover chart
Square Pharma dominated the week’s top turnover chart on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) last week that ended Thursday. A total of 2.59 million shares worth BDT 684.66 million were changed hands last week. Daily average turnover for the company was BDT 136.93 million. The week’s closing price of each Square Pharma share was BDT 263.8, registering an increase of 1.66 percent over the previous week.
Banks' Jan excess liquidity falls
The overall excess liquidity with commercial banks fell slightly in January last because of the downtrend of bank deposits, officials said. The excess liquidity dropped by more than 5.0 per cent to Tk 1.08 trillion as of January 29 last from Tk 1.14 trillion in December last. On November 27 last the excess liquidity stood at Tk 1.09 trillion. "Most of the excess liquidity funds have been invested in government securities as the risk-free investments," a senior official of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) told the FE.
BBN/SSR/AD-27Feb15-10:35 am (BST)