Rezaul Karim Journalist Profile

Articles

Govt to curtail bonds to cure securities market

2 months ago | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

Seemingly like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, government authorities move to cut the number treasury bonds to help cure the bearish securities market, subject to bond-investors' responses, sources said. The interim government, which is pursuing a course of wide-scale reforms, prepares to cut the quantity of such bonds from the next financial year (2025-26). With the assistance of Bangladesh Bank (BB), finance division is supposed to start liability-management activities in this connection.
Refiners press for edible oil price hike despite global fall

Jan 17, 2025 | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

Local refiners pressed the government twice this month to raise edible-oil prices despite a falling trend in prices in the global market in recent weeks, sources say. This came after the government on December 9 last year raised bottled soybean oil prices by Tk 8.0 a litre to Tk 175 amid a sudden crisis.
Govt plans to impose duty on onion import

Jan 15, 2025 | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

The government plans to impose tariff on onion import with an eye to protecting the interest of domestic farmers, sources said. To this end, the agriculture ministry has written to the commerce ministry recently, suggesting taking further measures on the issue. The commerce ministry is currently working on the issue. It is likely to ask the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission for providing opinions, including suggestions.
BPDB seeks Tk 80b urgent subsidy payment from government

Jan 14, 2025 | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has sought a Tk 80 billion urgent fund from the government to maintain uninterrupted power supply across the country. The government owes BPDB around Tk 265 billion in subsidy payments. It will pay the subsidy to fill the gap created by BPDB's sale of electricity to bulk consumers at lower-than-production rates. Of the total amount, BPDB recently sought Tk 80 billion and requested the government to take steps in this regard by January 20.
Surge in fertiliser subsidies feared

Jan 8, 2025 | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) fears the government's fertiliser-import subsidy burden will get heavier as the state-run banks are compelled to clear bills at higher dollar rates, sources say. It has requested the industries ministry to take steps in this regard. The state-owned banks are supposed to pay urea import bills as per the Bangladesh Bank's bill collection (BC) rate. While opening letters of credit, they are supposed to buy per dollar at Tk 120, which is the BC rate.
Prediction of undernutrition and identification of its influencing predictors among under-five children in Bangladesh using explainable machine learning algorithms

Dec 6, 2024 | journals.plos.org | Merajul Islam |Sujit Kumar |Dulal Chandra Roy |Rezaul Karim

Loading metrics Open Access Peer-reviewedResearch Article Citation: Islam MM, Kibria NMSJ, Kumar S, Roy DC, Karim MR (2024) Prediction of undernutrition and identification of its influencing predictors among under-five children in Bangladesh using explainable machine learning algorithms. PLoS ONE 19(12): e0315393.
Foreign mission employees' children's edn and MoFA's capricious demand

Dec 5, 2024 | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

Bangladesh's foreign mission officials are entitled to a maximum annual education allowance of US$20,000 for two children studying abroad. Now, they are seeking similar facilities, equivalent to local currency of around Tk 2.4 million, so that their children can pursue study at the institutions in Bangladesh. If their children study in Bangladesh, they are not entitled to such allowance at present.
Refiners keep pushing for edible oil price hike

Dec 4, 2024 | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

Local refiners in recent months have pressed the government several times to increase edible-oil prices in the light of the substantial price rise in the international market, industry insiders say. The Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners' and Vanaspati Manufacturers' Association (BVORVMA) urged the commerce ministry in June and November this year, and also in between, to adjust soybean and palm oil prices, but got no response.
Cold storage owners for storing 1m tonne potato annually

Nov 29, 2024 | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

Cold storage owners have suggested the government procure and preserve one million tonnes of potatoes annually to control artificial price hikes of the widely-consumed item, sources say. Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA) recently sent the proposal and requested necessary action be taken in this regard. Stored potato prices have further increased to Tk 80 a kg. The all-time high price had already put consumers in a fix, said insiders.
Sonali Bank urges govt to issue TK 60b bonds

Nov 27, 2024 | thefinancialexpress.com.bd | Rezaul Karim

Sonali Bank PLC has requested the government to issue bonds worth Tk 60 billion to settle outstanding loans of the sugar mills and Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) with the proceeds, officials said. They said the state-owned bank has to make a hefty amount of provision against the loans due to expiry of the repayment tenure, leaving it with a severe capital shortfall and a negative impact on profitability.