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
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
Bangladesh is borrowing US$1.0-billion hard-term loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for much-needed upgrading of Eastern Refinery's oil-refining capacity by 3.0 million tonnes a year, officials say. The government's Standing Committee on Non-Concessional Loans, headed by Finance and Pla
Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday directed officials to modernise the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to strengthen the country's statistical system and support evidence-based policymaking. He instructed overhauling the national statistical organisation by
Ensuring proper valuation of imports at ports, mainly at premier seaport Chattogram, could significantly boost government revenues and help achieve an ambitious Tk 6.0-trillion revenue target for this fiscal year. Newly appointed National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Ahsan Habib has made such o
