State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat has directed the authorities concerned to take necessary preparatory measures for the revival of the Dhaka-Narita air route, as part of broader efforts to strengthen Bangladesh’s international aviation connectivity.

The instruction came during a high-level review meeting held this morning in the conference room of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism at the Bangladesh Secretariat, reads a press release.

The meeting primarily discussed the strategic roadmap for expanding the fleet of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and enhancing its operational capacity in the coming years.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines announced temporary suspension of its direct flights on the Dhaka-Narita-Dhaka route, effective from 1 July last year.

The national flag carrier has taken the decision due to operational constraints stemming from ongoing Hajj operations, aircraft shortages, and prevailing commercial considerations, said a Biman press release on 18 May 2025.

On 1 September 2023 Biman resumed its Dhaka-Narita flight with an aim to make the Bangladesh-Japan direct air connectivity a profitable route.

Biman had suspended its Dhaka-Tokyo route in 2006 as at that time it was not commercially viable, and there was a lack of sufficient aircraft, said aviation stakeholders.

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) has proposed the introduction of an e-corporate tax return system and a mobile app to streamline VAT collection across the country. 

The proposals were presented at a pre-budget discussion for the 2026-27 fiscal year held at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) headquarters in Agargaon today (22 April).

Speaking on behalf of DCCI, Acting Secretary General Dr AKM Asaduzzaman Patwari outlined key recommendations aimed at simplifying tax compliance and enhancing revenue collection.

The chamber proposed raising the tax-free income threshold for individuals to Tk5 lakh, gradually phasing out surcharge, and reducing tax deducted at source (TDS) on deposit interest.

It also recommended lowering the corporate tax rate for non-listed companies from 27.5% to 25%, particularly for firms complying with banking and digital transaction requirements. For listed securities, DCCI proposed maintaining the TDS rate at 5%.

According to the proposal, the e-corporate tax system would allow businesses to file returns online through a fully integrated digital platform, reducing paperwork, time and costs. It would also include automated processes for appeals and tax refunds through bank transfers.

DCCI further suggested allowing taxpayers to carry forward excess TDS to the next fiscal year or claim refunds within 90 days.

The chamber said such measures would improve transparency, reduce errors, and encourage more companies to get listed on the stock market.

However, National Board of Revenue Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan said, “We have to increase revenue collection, not reduce taxes. To do that, we have to expand the tax net.”

He added that while reducing corporate tax and TDS rates is not possible, the revenue authority is working to strengthen the refund management system.

He also said instructions have been given to ensure proper tax compliance by building owners during plan approvals.

He advised former Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry president Mir Nasir to pay 15% VAT and claim input VAT refunds, noting that the effective rate would not exceed around 3% after considering value addition.

He also identified truncated VAT rates as a key reason behind difficulties faced by many businesses.

Mir Nasir, however, said construction firms and government contractors often lack the scope to claim refunds due to value addition constraints.

“I am not getting the benefits of being a listed company, as TDS realised taxes exceed 15% of our profit margin,” he said, adding that the provision to carry forward advance TDS offers little practical relief.

Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) President Anwar Ul Alam Parvez urged reducing TDS on exports to 0.5% from 1%, citing mounting challenges for exporters.

He also called for removing the provision of a 1% turnover tax as a minimum tax, describing it as a major barrier for SMEs, and sought clarification of Sections 147, 212 and 127 to prevent taxpayer harassment.

He further proposed introducing a fixed tax amount for small enterprises.

A framemaker is, in many ways, the unsung hero of the art world. A good frame acts as a silent mediator, creating the boundary between the artwork and the environment it inhabits. Done well, it adds depth to the viewing experience. Done poorly, it can choke the life out of a painting, undoing months of an artist’s effort with a single badly-angled cut. Jahangir understood this better than most.

He began his journey in 1989 as an apprentice to his uncle, eventually striking out on his own in 1993. Over the years, his shop in Gausul Azam market became a hub for Dhaka’s artist community. He was not simply selling wood and glass; he was building connections.

“We used to frame everything for our exhibitions with Jahangir because he understood exactly what we wanted,” says Tirtho Saha from the Brihatta Foundation. “There was a level of trust there. The way he handled the art pieces, his dedication it was something the entire artist community appreciated. He’d even work at lower rates for regular customers like us. Since he went missing about a year ago, we’ve been a bit lost. We go to other shops in Katabon now, and they do the work well if we explain it carefully, but they lack his years of experience. And honestly, they’re a bit more expensive.”

The collapse, when it came, was total. In 2025, a fire tore through Jahangir’s warehouse in Hazaribagh. It was not a small blaze; the machinery and equipment lost were reportedly worth nearly Tk1.5 crore. Twenty-three years of professional momentum were reduced to ash in a matter of hours. 

The catastrophe came on the heels of the pandemic, which had already left him drowning in nearly Tk65 lakh of debt. For a man whose livelihood relied on the steady, rhythmic output of his craftsmen, the fire was the final, unrecoverable blow. He tried to turn it around. The weight was too much. He simply disappeared.

The story of Jahangir is a painful entry point into the wider world of Dhaka’s framing trade, one that is changing in ways that go beyond the fate of a single man. There are at least 15 shops clustered in the Katabon and Gausul Azam area, each a small universe of sawdust and glass. 

But for most of them, the assured craftsmanship with which Jahangir once operated is becoming a luxury they can no longer afford. The business of framing art is increasingly a business of survival, the craft of the mitre joint pushed aside by the more reliable, if less poetic, trade of making corporate crests.

Photo: Mehedi Hasan

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Photo: Mehedi Hasan