The authorities of state-owned banks misappropriate a large portion of the funds they are given by the government to recover from losses, said Bangladesh Bank’s former deputy governor Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled. “Such funds thus play no role in eradicating the country’s poverty,” he said while addressing a seminar on the national budget’s role in eradicating poverty at the National Press Club yesterday. The seminar was organised by Unnayan Shamannay. Khaled said the government should directly allocate funds for pover...

With the handover of land not being resolved as yet, fears have cropped up over the future of Yongone Group’s KEPZ in Anwara, Chittagong. Uncertainty over KEPZ will give out the wrong message to investors. South Korean ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Yun Young thinks that the answer to the problem lies in the agreement signed by the two countries for the expansion and maintenance of bilateral investment. Speaking to Prothom Alo in an exclusive interview at his residence on Saturday afternoon, Lee Yun Young expressed his opinion that, for the sake of friendship between the two countries, the decision to set up Bangladesh’s first private EPZ should be implemented speedily. Prothom Alo: At a recent meeting chaired by the prime minister, a decision was made to take back KEPZ land. When did ...

Bill Gates is still best known as the co-founder of Microsoft, but, since 2000, when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was launched, the American software billionaire has devoted much of his energy to global development philanthropy. Gates was in Ottawa last week to discuss overseas aid with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the opposition party leaders, and others. He spoke with Maclean’s just before appearing on stage with Harper—largely to highlight aid to improve the health of mothers and children in poor countries—at an eve...