UKEF's £2 billion kitty to finance Bangladeshi projects procuring from Britain

UK Export Finance (UKEF) has offered financing support of up to £2 billion for eligible Bangladeshi buyers to undertake projects involving British goods and services in key development sectors.The UK government’s export credit agency is engaging with government officials, financial institutions and business leaders in Bangladesh to explore financing opportunities and identify potential projects where British expertise, technology and financing can contribute to the country’s development ambitions.With available country capacity of between £1 billion and £2 billion, UKEF can help eligible Bangladeshi buyers access competitive financing for projects in transport, agriculture, healthcare, airports, manufacturing, renewable energy and infrastructure.A UKEF delegation held a meeting with International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh (ICCB) President Mahbubur Rahman and members of its Executive Board at the ICCB Secretariat on Thursday to discuss potential areas ...

Bangladesh Travel Mart-26 kicks off to boost tourism and intl partnerships

Ahammad Parvej KhanThe three-day international tourism extravaganza, "Bangladesh Travel Mart (BTM) 2026," officially began today at Hotel InterContinental in the capital.Organized by the Bangladesh Outbound Tour Operators Association (BOTOA), the event will run through September 5, bringing together domestic and international tourism leaders to expand market networks.The mart features participation from tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, destination management companies (DMCs),...

Govt signs $1bn IsDB loan for Eastern Refinery expansion

The government on Thursday signed a US$1 billion loan agreement with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for the Modernisation and Expansion of the Eastern Refinery Project.The agreement was signed at the Cabinet Divisio...

438 held across the capital in 24hrs, 86 cases filed

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 438 people in the past 24 hours during regular anti-crime operations across the capital and filed 86 cases.The arrests were made by different units of the DMP, said a DMP press release.The Ramna Division arrested 33 people, Lalbagh 30, Wari 65, Motijheel 43, Tejgaon 78, Mirpur 116, Gulshan 37 and Uttara 31.In addition, one person was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) and four by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit.During the operations, police recovered 1,055 yaba tablets, 14 packets of cannabis, 26 packets of heroin, nine mobile phones, a knife, a cutter, Tk 111,589 in cash and a fake student identity card.According to the DMP, the suspects were arrested from different parts of the capital following raids targeting various...

No more Aynaghar, perpetrators to face justice: Fakhrul

BCB doubles domestic cricket match fees

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has doubled match fees across domestic cricket fulfilling its commitment to improve players' earnings amid the cancellation ofthe Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).BCB President Tamim Iqbal announced the decision at a press conference at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur today.The match fee for first class cricket has been raised to Tk 1.5 lakh from Tk 75,000. The fee had previously been increased to Tk 1 lakh in May after Tamim took charge of the board's ad hoc committee.Match fees for one-day competitions, including the National Cricket League (NCL) and Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), have been doubled to Tk 1 lakh from Tk 50,000.The fee for T20 matches has also doubled to Tk 80,000 from Tk 40,000. The move comes as the BCB's decision not to hold the BPL is expected to reduce players' earning opportunities. The board has sought to offset part of the potential loss through higher match fees in domestic competitions.BCB President Tamim Iqbal said a cricketer could earn around Tk 30-35 lakh a year through domestic cricket following the increase, depending on the number of matches played.He, however, said the higher financial benefits would come with greater expectations of professionalism from players.Tamim stressed that players would have to meet fitness requirements and indicated there would be no exemptions for those who fail fitness tests.The BCB president also left the door open for further increases, saying the board could review the fees again after two years if its financial position and income imp...

Make law and order the government’s top priority

The brutal killing of four members of a family in Rangpur, allegedly after they objected to two young men consuming Yaba on the rooftop of their home, is yet another chilling reminder of the country&r...

Kolkata hotel fire: Bangladesh must demand answers and stronger safety measures

The tragic hotel fire in Kolkata that claimed the lives of nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals, is deeply shocking and demands the urgent attention of both Bangladesh and India. The loss of an entire Bangladeshi family, including a thre...

KFC's 'Eidi for Angels' Spreads Eid Joy to Underprivileged Kids

To stem the scourge of smoking, follow the science, not the dogma

Benefits of Having an Oven in Your Kitchen