Md Mehedi Hasan

Bangladesh’s economy is facing renewed pressure from global geopolitical tensions and commodity market disruptions, with risks of elevated inflation, slower growth and mounting fiscal strain, according to Eric Robertsen, global head of research and chief strategist at Standard Chartered.

A new law allows the architects of Bangladesh’s banking crisis to buy their way back in

The newly enacted Bank Resolution Act, 2026, paves the way for former owners to regain control of merging banks under relatively easy terms, a move seen as a reversal of the interim government’s banking reform.

AB Bank has made a decisive strategic shift toward micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), moving away from its earlier concentration in large corporate lending, said Reazul Islam, acting managing director and CEO.

Bangladesh’s petroleum import bill soared 52 percent year on year in the July-February period of the current fiscal year, even before the war in the Middle East broke out, raising fears of a heavier eco-nomic impact ahead.

An audit has found that Tk 3,088 crore was misappropriated from Premier Bank between 2018 and September 2025 through inflated office rent, misuse of CSR allocations, manipulation of general ledger entries, abuse of procurement processes, and false renovation claims.

The top 20 loan defaulters whose names were disclosed yesterday in parliament owe more than Tk 35,000 crore, with the majority of the companies belonging to the controversial S Alam Group.

Government bank borrowing has risen sharply this fiscal year, a trend that began under the interim administration and has continued under the BNP government amid the US-Israel war on Iran, raising fresh concerns about inflation and fiscal pressures.