The import of rice increased by 295 per cent to $63.59 million in November this year from $16.07 million in the same month a year ago, although the government has started to export rice to Sri Lanka for the first time. According to Bangladesh Bank data released on Monday apart from the huge import rice of November, letters of credit worth $59.81 million were opened in the month for import of the food grain. The government on Saturday shipped 12,500 tonnes of rice to Colombo in Sri Lanka as the first c...

A garment factory’s closed-circuit camera captured some unusual activity: Out front a female union leader was swarmed by people, pushed to the ground and assaulted while a male union activist was chased away and punched. Another female union leader entered the factory door and seconds later was pushed outside, and then shoved out of camera range. [caption id="attachment_1499" align="alignleft" width="300"] A file photo showing female workers in a Dhaka Garments factory[/caption] Two investigations of ...

The Eighth Pay and Service Commission recommended doubling the salary for civil servants on the average in its report submitted to the finance minister today. Minimum basic wage Tk 8,200, maximum basic pay Tk 80,000 Government’s total expenditure may increase by up to 63% if implemented Suggestion to lower budget for expense in payment of civil servants Number of grades lowered to 16 from the existing 20 BCS cadres to get the highest of raise Proposal to lower forced retirement ceiling to 20 years of service Commission Chairman Mohammad Farashuddin, a former Bangladesh Bank governor, handed the report to Minister AMA Muhith at his office at 9:00am.