Iran war could shake Bangladesh economy 'like an earthquake'
10 March 2026, 00:00 AM
When tensions escalate among global and regional powers, the shockwaves ripple through oil markets, shipping lanes, labour migration routes, and financial systems, reaching economies thousands of kilometres away.
10 March 2026, 00:00 AM
Inflation hits 10-month high in February, crosses 9%
9 March 2026, 00:00 AM
Supply gaps, Ramadan demand and poll-related spending drove the spike, economists say
9 March 2026, 00:00 AM
Same fields, same labour, never the same pay
9 March 2026, 00:00 AM
Every day, life starts for Nurnahar Begum before sunrise in Rajosh village of Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha.
9 March 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh educates its women, but leaves many without jobs
8 March 2026, 12:00 PM
Bangladesh has made striking gains in educating its women. Universities and colleges now turn out more female graduates than ever before, nearly half of all students.
8 March 2026, 12:00 PM
NBR to verify import taxes through customs database
6 March 2026, 00:00 AM
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has ordered income tax officials to use import data directly when calculating tax liabilities, a move aimed at curbing evasion and easing the refund burden on businesses.
6 March 2026, 00:00 AM
BBS conducts country’s first labour demand survey
4 March 2026, 00:00 AM
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is conducting the country’s first Labour Demand Survey 2025 to generate demand-side labour data and guide employment, training and skills development policies. The data are now being processed, with findings expected by June.
4 March 2026, 00:00 AM
Economy logs slowest growth in three years
27 February 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh’s economy grew 3.49 percent in the fiscal year 2024-25 (FY25), the slowest expansion in at least three years, owing to weaker performances in the agriculture and services sectors.
27 February 2026, 00:00 AM
Ensure level playing field, policy support for local fashion brands
22 February 2026, 00:19 AM
Despite a growing consumer market, the country’s domestic fashion brands are struggling with structural and policy constraints that could hinder long-term growth.
22 February 2026, 00:19 AM
Consumption stays low for two straight years as inflation bites
According to a provisional estimate of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), consumption of goods and services grew 3.53 percent in 2023-24, up from 2.52 percent in the last fiscal year.
23 May 2024, 00:49 AM
Laptops may be cheaper in FY2025
The government is planning to reduce duties on imported laptops next fiscal year in order to make the devices more affordable and bring relief to freelancers and students.
22 May 2024, 01:00 AM
NBR plans self-assessment of tax liabilities for all firms
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is likely to introduce self-assessment for companies from 2024-25 to allow them to determine their own tax liabilities and cut reliance on taxmen.
20 May 2024, 18:30 PM
Investors in hi-tech parks, EZs may lose tax benefits
Investors in the economic zones and hi-tech parks in Bangladesh may see an end to the zero-duty benefit on imports of capital machinery, components and construction materials next fiscal year.
15 May 2024, 18:30 PM
From mobile users to metro commuters, Bangladeshis to face more tax
Mobile phone calls and metro rail commutes among other daily activities may cost more in the next fiscal year as the government looks to increase taxes to boost its revenue collections.
14 May 2024, 18:00 PM
MPs may lose duty waiver for car imports
The National Board of Revenue seeks to impose 25 percent import duty on cars for lawmakers, reversing a practice of tax exemptions that amounted to Tk 5,147 crore over the last 15 years.
13 May 2024, 18:00 PM
Industries created more jobs amid slowdown. Economists find it puzzling
However, the findings raised questions among economists, who were puzzled by the growth at a time when the economy had been facing a slowdown due to high inflation, a downtrend in export growth, and falling imports.
7 May 2024, 00:16 AM
The invisible ones
Of the over 7 crore people employed in Bangladesh, 85 percent (nearly 6 crore) are vulnerable as they work in the informal sector, which lacks basic social and legal protection, and employment benefits.
30 April 2024, 18:00 PM
IMF prescribes ending tax exemptions
It recommended the National Board of Revenue (NBR) discontinue the tax holiday for the information and communication technology industry and abolish the tax benefit for mining and petroleum extracting companies.
29 April 2024, 00:37 AM
ADP spending picks up in July-March
Development spending rose 42.30 percent in the first nine months of the current fiscal year (FY) thanks to a higher execution rate in March following the national election.
24 April 2024, 02:30 AM
Tax receipts rise 15% in July-March, close to IMF target
Bolstered by rising value-added tax (VAT) collection and increased income tax receipts, the tax administrator logged Tk 259,866 crore in total revenue in the July-March period of the current fiscal year, according to the NBR’s provisional estimates.
23 April 2024, 00:55 AM
Govt may lower corporate tax to encourage compliance
The National Board of Revenue will likely propose reducing the tax on corporate profits by 2.5 percentage points for both listed and non-listed companies.
22 April 2024, 00:47 AM
Migrant workers stare into uncertainty as global crises deepen
Moreover, further setbacks are posed by Malaysia's decision to freeze new foreign worker recruitment in March as well as Oman suspending the issuance of visas to Bangladeshi citizens at the end of 2023 due to an oversupply of workers from the South Asian nation.
21 April 2024, 00:52 AM
Traditional sweet-makers struggle to stay afloat
Almost 60 years ago, Kali Saha opened a small sweet shop in Savar’s Namabazar after gaining experience as an apprentice. Despite offering only roshgollas, curds, and chamchams, the name and fame of “Kali Saha Mistanno Bhandar’’ spread.
19 April 2024, 18:00 PM
Sweet Success
On a warm March morning in front of a state-of-the-art facility in Gazipur, employees were found to be lining up at a large gate, designated as the entry point.
19 April 2024, 18:00 PM
The cost-of-living crisis prolongs for wage workers
The cost-of-living crisis in Bangladesh appears to have caused more trouble for daily workers as their wage growth has been lower than the inflation rate for more than two years.
18 April 2024, 16:01 PM
Credit card use slightly down in Feb
Plastic money transactions fell 4.77% to Tk 3,057 crore
15 April 2024, 13:26 PM
Demographic dividend: How long can Bangladesh enjoy it?
The proportion of working-age people declined to 65.08 percent in 2023 from 66.58 percent in 2021, according to a survey of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). A year before, the proportion was 65.67 percent.
31 March 2024, 00:24 AM
Ageing in Bangladesh: Are we ready for more social spending?
The dependency ratio of the people who are over 65-plus years rose to 9.4 percent in 2023 from 8.6 percent in 2022.
26 March 2024, 00:52 AM
ADP spending in Jul-Feb 14-year low
Spending under the annual development programme (ADP) has been going slow in the current fiscal year (FY), with implementing agencies using just 31.17 percent of the total allocation till February this year, showed official figures.
21 March 2024, 00:55 AM