BRI to enhance trade, beef up infrastructure

The Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] by China provides opportunity for Bangladesh to improve its infrastructure, increase investment, trade and enhance connectivity with countries in South Asia, but it also raises concerns of debt trap and environmental damage, according to Experts. To reap benefits from the BRI, Bangladesh should engage in conversations with China to negotiate terms of loans and other issues, fix priority in selection of projects, ensure transparency and accountability as well as focus on ensuring governance related to the BRI schemes. an international conference on the BRI and interests of Bangladesh organized by the Centre for Policy Dialogue [CPD] at Gardenia Grand Hall in Dhaka, which was attended by current and former diplomats, economists and experts from China, India and Nepal. For Bangladesh, BRI provides an opportunity to seize benefits, particularly in areas of trade, investment, connectivity, education and tourism, through strong ties with countries particularly in the Southern Asia region, more specially, with China and India. The BRI spans across the territories of 72 countries, which covered 66.09 percent of world population and 33.65 percent of global GDP as of 2018. The initiative has generated a lot of discussion and speculation across the world and China has established a Silk Road Fund with $40 billion.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/bri-enhance-trade-beef-infrastructure-1797631

Bangladeshi Goods will reach highest Global Standards soon

Bangladeshi goods will reach highest global standards in the near future thanks to the increased efforts of the local manufacturers to improve quality, according to US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Robert Miller. Bangladesh’s ranking in the ease of doing business index, transparency in business practices and workers’ rights will also improve. Incredible progress has been made in workplace safety in Bangladesh. All workers have the rights to dignity and justice in the workplace, a fair wage, grievance system, safety protection and right to organize themselves. The ambassador said he believes that ‘Made in Bangladesh’ products will soon reach ‘global gold standards’. Bangladesh is rising rapidly to achieve the middle-income status. The bilateral trade hit $8.2 billion last year, which has more than doubled in the last 10 years, and around 95 percent of the workers the US firms have in Bangladesh are local.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/bangladeshi-goods-will-reach-highest-global-standards-soon-1797598

Stocks edge higher as GP keeps gaining

Stocks posted a moderate gain on Sunday as some investors continued to show their appetite on selective large-cap shares. DSEX, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange [DSE], went up by 20.78 points or 0.41 per cent over the previous session to close at 5,033. The investors were active from the beginning of the session and had buying appetite throughout the session amid modest volatility in the mid-session. Market analysts said that the recent price correction tempted the bargain hunters to take position on the lucrative price level in large-cap stocks, particularly on telecom, Banking and financial institutions. Five most contributors are Grameenphone, Renata, Bangladesh Submarine Cable, Shahjalal Bank and GlaxoSmithKline, jointly contributed 14 points gain in index. Some institutional investors were also active in the market as the securities regulator informally requested them to support the market. Two other indices also edged higher. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, advanced 8.55 points to finish at 1,766 and the DSE Shariah Index rose 4.41 points to close at Tk 1,171.

Source: http://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/stock-corporate/stocks-edge-higher-as-gp-keeps-gaining-1567957071