Malik Mohammad appointed as COO of Square Toiletries

Driven by last year's high potato prices, Bangladeshi farmers have significantly expanded potato cultivation, with an increase of 64,000 hectares compared to 2024. However, there are concerns about whether they will achieve the expected prices. Early harvesting has already begun, leading to price declines, with potatoes currently selling for Tk40 per kg in Dhaka.

Despite the government's tax exemptions on rice imports and a recent harvest, rice prices in Bangladesh have risen by 7.14% over the past year, while international prices have dropped by 24.19%. A report by the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) reveals that the country's annual rice demand is between 35 and 38 million tons, with production at 40.695 million tons.

Pran, a leading agro-processing giant, is investing Tk 600 crore over the next two years to expand its poultry business in Bangladesh. The investment includes the establishment of four advanced egg farms in Noakhali, Shariatpur, Chittagong, and Mymensingh, with a combined daily production capacity of 20 lakh eggs.

The Bangladesh government approved proposals to procure one cargo of LNG and 50,000 tonnes of non-Basmati boiled rice during the 2nd meeting of the Advisers' Council Committee on Government Purchase.

The Bangladeshi government has banned the import of e-cigarettes and related products to safeguard public health. The commerce ministry issued a notification adding e-cigarettes to the banned items list under the Import Policy Order 2021-2024.

S Alam Group's nine factories in Chattogram have resumed operations today after a week-long closure. The decision to reopen came after the withdrawal of a previous closure notice issued on December 24. The initial closure was due to a shortage of raw materials, but management has since decided to restart production effective January 1.