Refayet Ullah Mirdha

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.

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

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

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

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

The government also proposed exempting 100 percent export-oriented compliant garment factories from mandatory annual bond audits

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.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will hold an emergency board meeting today to review the persistent decline in garment exports.