Budget lacks dedicated plan for LDC graduation
12 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Although the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-27 offers some measures that are aligned with the government’s Smooth Transition Strategy (STS) for LDC graduation, it lacks a dedicated framework with preparations for this watershed moment, which is due in November, experts said.
12 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt reduces source tax on import of 60 essential commodities
11 June 2026, 22:26 PM
The government has proposed withdrawing source tax on the import of 60 essential commodities, aiming to improve the standard of living of every individual and family in the country
11 June 2026, 22:26 PM
Govt to withdraw import duty on 51 active pharmaceutical ingredients
11 June 2026, 21:33 PM
The government has proposed the complete withdrawal of import duty on 51 new raw materials used in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to make medicines more affordable for consumers in the domestic marke
11 June 2026, 21:33 PM
Govt eyes air cargo hubs to boost trade
11 June 2026, 20:13 PM
Once implemented, the international airports in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet will gradually be upgraded into full-fledged logistics hubs, which will significantly expand the e-commerce sector
11 June 2026, 20:13 PM
Govt looks beyond traditional labour markets
11 June 2026, 18:13 PM
After a long period of closure, the government has also restarted the process of reopening labour markets in Malaysia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, the finance minister said during his budget speech today
11 June 2026, 18:13 PM
Exporters beyond RMG get bond facility
11 June 2026, 17:50 PM
The government also proposed exempting 100 percent export-oriented compliant garment factories from mandatory annual bond audits
11 June 2026, 17:50 PM
Japanese buyers seek more apparel sourcing under EPA
9 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Japan is looking to increase imports of garment products from Bangladesh, with Japanese companies seeking local business partners to strengthen sourcing under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed between the two countries.
9 June 2026, 00:00 AM
BGMEA calls emergency meeting on export slump
8 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will hold an emergency board meeting today to review the persistent decline in garment exports.
8 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Covid poses challenges for LDC graduation
Bangladesh is set to graduate from the group of the least-developed countries but will face some challenges during the transition period because of the devastating impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, said a United Nations agency.
26 December 2020, 18:00 PM
A visionary who blazed trails for many
MA Hashem, a business tycoon, started as a humble tobacco trader in the early 1960s before becoming one of the leading entrepreneurs and industrialists in Bangladesh.
24 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Changing demands prove a boon for Lotto
The ongoing pandemic has been a blessing for Lotto Sport Italia as it enjoyed increased sales in Bangladesh for the past several months following a boom in the demand for low-cost, non-leather footwear products.
20 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Covid restrictions in Europe add to woes of garment suppliers
Lockdowns and tightening of coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas in several European countries to tackle the second wave of infections have started adding to the woes of garment exporters in Bangladesh.
16 December 2020, 18:00 PM
From RMG worker to valedictorian
Five years ago, Sadeka Begum had reached a crossroads. Looking to avoid early marriage, she left her remote village and came to Dhaka, and took up work at at an RMG factory as a floor worker.
16 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Women garment workers on the decline
Rapid automation, wage hikes and complex production process in the garment sector and marriages have narrowed the female workers’ participation in the apparel industry in Bangladesh, according to a survey.
14 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Garment exporters face storm as new orders drop
Apparel makers are once again facing trying times.
13 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Negotiations for FTA with Asean underway
Bangladesh has formally initiated negotiations with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) to sign a free trade agreement to enjoy greater market access in the bloc after graduating from the least developed country grouping.
13 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Garment sector to lose $4b in EU if duty-free benefit ends
Bangladesh’s garment exporters will lose $4 billion if the duty-free trade benefit for the country comes to an end in the European Union following its graduation to a developing nation, according to a new study.
6 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh signs trade deal with Bhutan today
Bangladesh will ink its maiden preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bhutan as the country looks to retain duty benefits following its graduation to a developing country from the least developed nation category.
5 December 2020, 18:00 PM
High-end products still a long way off
Bangladesh’s apparel industry is struggling to graduate to a producer of high-end items despite being in the business for four decades and one of the top suppliers globally, missing out on the opportunity to receive premium prices from international retailers and brands.
5 December 2020, 18:00 PM
November export receipts highest in four months
Merchandise exports bounced back in November, rising 0.76 per cent year-on-year to $3.07 billion helped by garment, home textile and jute goods shipment, official data showed yesterday.
3 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh’s real wage suffers steepest plunge in Asia: ILO
Workers in Bangladesh witnessed the sharpest fall in their real wages among their peers in Asia and the Pacific in the last decade despite higher productivity gains, according to a new report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
2 December 2020, 18:00 PM
I see no change in US-Bangla ties
US engagement with Bangladesh on trade, economic and defence fronts has increased in recent months. In September, the countries signed an open sky deal and held comprehensive economic partnership dialogues.
1 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Workers continue demos for dues
Nearly 400 workers of an Italian-owned factory shuttered by the pandemic yesterday attempted to lay siege to the labour and employment ministry at the Secretariat demanding dues.
1 December 2020, 18:00 PM
‘Our engagement will grow across the board’
The US is optimistic about deepening ties with Bangladesh as the country’s exports to American markets have maintained a robust growth while investors are looking to widen their footprint in the South Asian nation, US Ambassador Earl R Miller said.
1 December 2020, 18:00 PM
Trade fair hangs in balance for pandemic
Traffic movement through the capital’s Agargaon area will be a lot smoother than usual from next January as the government has decided to relocate the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to Purbachal.
28 November 2020, 18:00 PM
Govt likely to ease rules on duty-free fabric use to export high-end apparels
The government may ease the rules on the use of fabric imported duty-free to help local manufacturers shift to high-end apparels and boost export earnings as firms generate more waste while producing fancy items for international markets.
28 November 2020, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh pays industrial victims way less than ILO standard
The amount of compensation legally payable to victims of industrial incidents in Bangladesh is far below than the provisions of the ILO Convention 121, said Tuomo Poutiainen, country director of the International Labour Organisation.
24 November 2020, 18:00 PM
Task now to take forward safety progresses
Bangladesh should continue to take forward the progress achieved in ensuring workplace safety following the two deadliest back-to-back industrial incidents to prevent a recurrence and save the lives of workers.
23 November 2020, 18:00 PM