Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Bangladesh now runs as many as 80 social safety net programs, but many of them are missing the targets they have been designed for. For instance, the poorest 40 percent of the population, who are supposed to receive 100 percent primary school stipend from the government, get only 55 percent and the rest goes to the relatively richer 60 percent.
The signing of TICFA with Washington now awaits approval of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid strong discord between Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Ministry of Commerce (MoC) over the labour issues included in the draft agreement.
The 2nd edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 Cricket begins in the capital Dhaka on Thursday without Pakistani cricketers. The opening ceremony of the seven-franchise BPL T20 will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur, and the matches will start from Friday.
The World Bank has revised down its GDP growth forecast for Bangladesh to 5.8 percent due to slow exports and low investment. The global lender earlier projected the country’s GDP (gross domestic product) growth at around 6 percent, while the last year’s growth was 6.3 percent.
The World Bank would help set up 15 to 20 new private economic zones in Bangladesh with a total capacity to accommodate 500-700 new companies or expanded units of existing companies by 2021, said the Washington-based lender’s outgoing Country Director here Ellen Goldstein.
The parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry on Wednesday blasted the ministry for failure in achieving export targets by commercial wings at Bangladesh missions abroad and asked the ministry to submit report detailing reasons for the failure. The ministry informed the 42nd meeting of the committee that 10 of the 19 commercial wings at the missions abroad failed to achieve the export targets.
Dhaka stocks and Chittagong stocks edged higheron Wednesday, breaking three sessions’ losing streak with slightly improved turnover value. DGEN, the benchmark general index of Dhaka Stock Exchange ended at 4,132.68 points, adding 19.51 points or 47 per cent.
BBN/SSR/AD-17Jan13-9:02 am (BST)
