ERF urges BB to ensure free entry of reporters into central bank

The Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) on Thursday urged Bangladesh Bank (BB) to ensure the free entry of reporters into the central bank for collecting necessary information for reporting purposes.In a statement, the organisation mentioned that reporters have been enjoying free access to BB officials concerned for collecting information for the past 53 years and they did not face this kind of restriction. The sudden restriction is likely to increase the risk of wrong reporting on the banking sector, which is not desired by any party, ERF pointed out.Recently, the central bank imposed a strict restriction on journalists' access to the central bank.From now on, BB Spokesperson Mezbaul Haque said, journalists will only be able to visit his office using a specific permit issued by the central bank.However, he said, journalists will be able to visit other officials of the bank if the officials issue them a permit. Journalists will no longer be able to freely enter any department of th...

Weak yen pressures Bank of Japan interest rate decision

The weak yen is putting pressure on the Bank of Japan to tighten monetary policy, analysts say, although it is not expected to hike its main interest rate when it wraps up a two-day meeting on Friday.With the yen at three-decade lows, speculation has grown that Japan's government could intervene in forex markets to prop up the currency for the first time since 2022.Early Friday, one dollar bought 155.58 yen, compared with 155.74 the previous day -- a level not seen since 1990. A lower yen pu...

Al-Arafah Islami Bank recommends 15pc dividend

The Board of Directors of Al-Arafah Islami Bank PLC. has recommended 15% dividend for its shareholders for the year ended on December 31, 2023. The dividend distribution will be 10% cash and 5% stock. The decision was ta...

‘Govt working to eliminate gender discrimination’

The government is constantly working to bring equality between men and women, establish women's rights and eliminate discrimination against women, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Simeen Hussain (Rimi) said on Friday.The government is also working on including women's domestic work in the GDP as recognition of economic activities along with determining the specific value of it, she said. She was speaking at the National Assembly Meeting-2024 organized by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad at Chittagong Hill Tracts Complex on Friday as the chief guest.The state minister said, the position of women now we are currently seeing was not like this before.Women's empowerment in Bangladesh has been ensured through the adoption of women-friendly policies under the leadership o...

BNP’s Jahidur Rahman takes oath

Bangladesh, India Women’s T20 series starts from tomorrow

After a bitter experience of previous tour, the Indian women's cricket team will begin their five-match T20 series against Bangladesh from tomorrow at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.Their previous visit to Bangladesh in July 2023 ended on a bitter note with the visitors’ captain Harmanpreet questioning the umpiring standards of the hosts.Three matches of five-match series will be day-night affairs and will take place at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium while rest of the two matches will be held at the outer stadium, was completed recently. The night games will start at 6.30pm when the day games will kick off at 2pm. Meanwhile, both the touring sides, Indian women team and the hosts Bangladesh will play the series as a part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup, 2024.  It is the third tour of India and the second tour in two years in Bangladesh when in 2023 they played three T20 and as many ODIs. The touring sides won the T20 series by 2-1, while the ODI series was tied 1-1.  After last match, which was tied off three-match ODI, the India captain Harmanpreet Kaur criticised the umpires following the series was locked 1-1. Harmanpreet, after being given out caught behind, unexpectedly smashed the stumps with her bat, and called the umpiring “pathetic” at the post-match press meet.  “The next time whenever we are coming to Bangladesh, we'll have to make sure we have to deal with this kind of umpiring and accordingly, we'll have to prepare ourselves," she said. For her outburst, she was ba...

Heatwave taking toll on day labourers

Low-income people, particularly day labourers, transport and construction workers, rickshaw pullers and farmers, are suffering terribly due to the ongoing scorching heatwave. Bangladesh is currently e...

Death of two Cuet students in road crash

A large number of students died and many others sustained severe injuries in separate road accidents in the country in recent years. The country witnessed a sharp rise in road crashes and especially death of students.According to media reports, commu...

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