Rejaul Karim Byron

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi once said that growth that is not inclusive is not meaningful but just economic figures. And this proclamation seems to be gradually becoming relevant for Bangladesh.

The Daily Star was in Nadi, Fiji for the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank’s Board of Governors at the invitation of the Manila-based multilateral lender. During the five-day event, the newspaper’s senior reporter Rejaul Karim Byron sat down with Hun Kim, ADB’s director general for South Asian operations, for an interview. Kim is sanguine about Bangladesh’s future and affirmed the ADB’s continued support upon the country’s graduation to the middle-income bracket.

The government is set to fix the size of the development budget at Tk 202,721 crore for 2019-20, up 21.39 percent from the current fiscal year, as it looks to mobilise a higher amount of foreign aid piled up in the pipeline.

Bangladesh was the third highest recipient of loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) last year, in further testament to the

Asian Development Bank in developing its untapped sectors as it strives to become a developed nation by 2041.

Asian Development Bank’s strategy going forward will be to respond to the changing needs of the Asia and the Pacific region, says its President Takehiko Nakao.

In a word to the wise, ADB President Takehiko Nakao yesterday advised countries to scrupulously evaluate the merits of a project before approaching China for funding under its flagship Belt and Road Initiative.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) launches the Action Plan for Healthy Oceans and Sustainable Blue Economies for the Asia and Pacific region.

The Asian Development Bank is considering to provide a grant of US$ 100 million to Bangladesh specially for the Rohingya refugees, ADB President Takehiko Nakao says.

Bangladesh’s capacity to implement large volumes of infrastructure projects will be the main stumbling block to realising the country’s growth ambitions, says a top official of the Asian Development Bank.

Bangladesh is among the three fastest growing economies in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) -- in yet

The government's decision to have multiple rates under the new VAT law poses significant risks of revenue leakages, said the

Due to delays in procurement, firemen are yet to get the modern equipment they need for faster response to fires, fight blazes with efficiency, and reduce risks.

Fiscal 2019-20's budget is set to cross the landmark of Tk 5 lakh crore as the Awami League-led government, fresh from being

Bangladesh economy is going to cross a record 8 percent growth mark in the current fiscal year, powered by high performance in manufacturing and service sectors, the finance minister has claimed.

The finance division is facing a difficult situation in fixing the size of the revised budget as many ministries and divisions are

After an inferno had claimed 124 lives in Old Dhaka's Nimtoli in 2010, the government took up four projects to relocate four types of industries -- chemical, plastic, printing and light electronics -- from this part of the capital.

Projects under the three Indian Lines of Credit worth around $7.5 billion are facing delays mainly due to technical and bureaucratic reasons, and both sides are responsible for this, officials said.

Saudi Arabia plans to invest several billion dollars in more than 30 projects in Bangladesh, including setting up an aircraft repair and maintenance facility in Lalmonirhat.

In a departure from previous years, the development budget for the current fiscal year is likely to be revised upwards -- by about 11 percent -- to meet the government's ambitious plans.