Industrial stagnation and shrinking private investment have caused 1.4 million (14 lakh) people to lose jobs, leaving them “wandering on the streets without employment,” Ha-Meem Group Managing Director and former FBCCI president A.K. Azad said on Saturday. Speaking at the opening sessi
The slump in demand for key building materials, including MS rod and cement, continues due to a sluggish economy, investment slowdown, and limited implementation of public-sector development projects, sector insiders say. They say the demand for construction materials remains almost half compared
The outstanding consumer loans and advances in the country's banking sector maintained an upward trend over the last two quarters of 2025, according to Bangladesh Bank (BB) data. The volume of aggregate consumer credit exceeded Tk 1.50 trillion at the end of third quarter (July-September) of 2025,
Bangladesh is inching towards a 'high debt-burden nation' as the country's interest payment has entered into "highest expenditure club" over the last few years posting 17 per cent increase in revenue budget allocation year-on-year in the last fiscal, official data showed. The expenditure has cross
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has managed to utilise only Tk 102.32 million--a mere 0.61 per cent of the total Tk 16.86 billion allocation--for a flagship project designed to modernise the country's customs system and cut international trade processing time by 25 per cent. As a result, the I
An equity-backed public limited company with an initial paid-up capital of Tk 4.25 billion has been formed to finance startups and facilitate promising economic ventures in the country, sources said. Under the guidance of the Bangladesh Bank (BB), the company -- Bangladesh Start-up Investment Comp
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has called for sustainable poverty reduction through the development of rural entrepreneurship, stressing that creating jobs outside cities is essential to narrow the growing gap between urban and rural areas. While acknowledging the need for projects to address
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is in a dilemma over offering a fresh tax benefit on import of edible oils considering revenue impact. A proposal from the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) to consider tax benefits on the essential commodity for Ramadan is under review in the tax authority now. A sen
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has noted with concern that VAT paid by the public often fails to reach the government treasury. He has described this as "unfortunate" and stressed the need to simplify procedures to ensure that VAT is properly deposited. "VAT is a modern and powerful mechan
Bangladesh's economy will post a 5.0-percent growth in 2026 with easing inflation and remittance inflows helping households despite ongoing structural challenges, global agency Mastercard forecasts. South Asia as a region continued to show solid momentum, says the Mastercard Economics Institute
The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) hosted a focus group discussion titled "Powering Bangladesh Toward Energy Security" on Tuesday at the Sheraton Dhaka Hotel, according to a press release. The event was supported by Chevron Bangladesh, an industry leader whose 30-year partners
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has underscored the urgent need to curb VAT leakage, widen both VAT and income tax coverage, and modernise Bangladesh’s tax administration. “Bangladesh’s economic progress depends fundamentally on its ability to mobilise domestic resources rath
National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan on Tuesday said the revenue authority is developing an automated system that will integrate taxpayers’ annual return submission with banks. It will ease eliminate the need for individuals to collect multiple bank certificates from
