Bangladesh's export competitiveness is coming under increasing pressure ahead of its graduation from the least- developed country (LDC) status due to uncertainty over post-graduation market access, tougher compliance requirements, and new free-trade agreements (FTAs) signed by competing exporting c
Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury expressed confidence that the revenue growth target for the 2026–27 fiscal year will be achieved. He said this while talking to the reporters on Thursday after a meeting with senior officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and business le
Non-performing loans (NPLs) in banks with significantly higher trade-finance exposure range between 40 per cent and 50 per cent, according to a study of the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM). And the rate exceeds 80 per cent in banks having both high overall NPLs and substantial
Bangladesh's merchandise trade deficit widened sharply in the first 11 months of the 2025-26 fiscal year as export earnings declined while imports increased, according to the latest balance of payments data released by the Bangladesh Bank. The central bank's figures, published on Wednesday, show t
Bangladesh's current- account deficit (CAD) narrowed sharply in the first 11 months of the fiscal year 2025-26, helped by record remittance inflows and slower import growth, according to the Bangladesh Bank data released Wednesday. The deficit narrowed to $301 million during the July-May per
Consumer lending in the country's banking sector continued its upward trajectory in the January-March quarter of FY26, with outstanding loans surpassing Tk 1.58 trillion despite elevated lending rates and persistent inflation. The steady increase indicates that households are increasingly re
A high-level Bangladeshi delegation will travel to the United States next week to lobby 54 member-states of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for support to the country's request to defer its graduation from least- developed country (LDC) status by three years. The team, led by Commerce
Procurement of all types of vehicles is suspended, foreign tours using public funds barred and spending on new building construction restricted during this fiscal year under a fresh government austerity course. Finance Division issued Wednesday a notification to this effect, stating that the
Experts at a discussion today (Wednesday) called for urgent reforms to the global multilateral development finance system, warning that declining aid, geopolitical fragmentation and shrinking concessional resources pose significant challenges for South Asian countries, including Bangladesh. The ob
The ambition to elevate Bangladesh into a trillion-dollar economy by 2034 fundamentally demands sweeping institutional reforms, as structural overhauls and good governance are indispensable for sustainable qualitative development, said eminent economist Biru Paksha Paul. "Without ensuring the pr
Foreign exchange reserves remained above the US$36.5 billion mark after the country settled $1.48 billion in import payments to Asian Clearing Union (ACU) member countries. Robust remittance inflows, lower import demand and Bangladesh Bank's dollar purchases from commercial banks helped keep the r
The private sector continued to expand in June, albeit at a slower pace, as manufacturing and construction slipped back into contraction, highlighting mounting pressure from higher production costs, weaker demand and seasonal disruptions. Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell by 9.9 points in June
Bangladesh netted a phenomenally higher annual foreign direct investment worth US$1.78 billion in 2025 as the global flow of FDI marked resurgence last year after two barren years. The global and local FDI rises are quantified in the World Investment Report (WIR) 2026 just released in Geneva
