Inflation
Political shifts occur, but market syndicates persist
It has been less than two and a half months since the interim government took charge, making it premature to conduct an in-depth analysis of its successes or failures. This government assumed responsibility amid complex challenges in both the political and economic realms. Its primary duty is to enact effective reforms in political and economic sectors to facilitate broad-based, participatory national elections that are considered credible both nationally and internationally. With this objective, the government has embarked on various reform initiatives, forming several committees to propose recommendations, which are expected within the next three months.
Effective taxation is necessary to restrain cigarette consumption
Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide. In Bangladesh, every year, about 161,000 people die due to the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products. It affects people regardless of age, especially lower-income people, as one-fifth of their income is spent on buying tobacco products. Apart from this, a large sum of money is spent on the treatment of diseases caused by tobacco use. The total loss we incur from cigarettes is many times greater than the revenue from cigarettes. According to statistics, in the fiscal year 2017-18, BDT 22,810 crore was received from taxation of selling tobacco products, but in the same year, the healthcare cost due to tobacco-related illness was BDT 30,560 crore.
Lawmakers urge to impose effective tax on cigarettes in budget
To realise the goal of making 'Tobacco-free Bangladesh' by 2040, the availability of cigarettes in the country should be reduced.
Nearly 500,000 Bangladeshis to become extremely poor: WB
Around 500,000 people in Bangladesh likely fell into extreme poverty between the fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-2024 due to inflation, says World Bank.
February inflation rate eases to 9.67pc
The point-to-point inflation declined slightly to 9.67 per cent in February in Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) provisional data.
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