Three BNP polls pledges now under social safety net
8 May 2026, 00:00 AM
The Farmers’ Card, monthly honorariums for July victims, and allowances for mosque and other religious institution workers will be part of social safety net programmes from next fiscal year, as the BNP-led government forges ahead with its election pledges despite a tight fiscal space.
8 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Family Card to cost Tk 1,34,000cr over four years
7 May 2026, 00:00 AM
The social welfare ministry has drawn up an ambitious plan to implement the Family Card programme, a major electoral pledge of the new government, involving an outlay of Tk 1,34,000 crore over four years.
7 May 2026, 00:00 AM
20 percent higher revenue target for next year
6 May 2026, 00:00 AM
NBR will have to collect Tk 6,04,000cr
6 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt’s debt burden crosses Tk 22 lakh crore
5 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Tk 3 lakh crore borrowed during the interim government
5 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Next fiscal year’s budget: Tk 35,000cr likely to be set aside for new pay scale
4 May 2026, 00:00 AM
About Tk 35,000 crore is likely to be allocated in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget for the partial implementation of the new pay scale for government officials, pensioners and MPO-listed teachers and staff.
4 May 2026, 00:00 AM
$3b expected by June from development partners
3 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh is expecting $3 billion in budget support by the middle of June from five multilateral and bilateral lenders, including the World Bank, in what would provide a sigh of relief to the government from the financial pressure triggered by the Middle East war.
3 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Teknaf to Tentulia economic corridor on the horizon
29 April 2026, 00:00 AM
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has proposed a 20-year development plan involving about $79 billion to build a major economic corridor from Teknaf to Tentulia with the view to decongesting Dhaka and Chattogram, in line with the BNP’s election manifesto.
29 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Anomalies found in Family Card pilot
28 April 2026, 00:00 AM
The finance ministry has found a host of anomalies in the pilot of the Family Card programme, as the government seeks to iron out irregularities and ensure the BNP’s flagship social welfare initiative can withstand the scrutiny of development partners.
28 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Cost of customs upgrade project set for 40% hike
Three years after launch and with 99 percent of its budget unspent, a nearly Tk 1,700 crore customs modernisation project is set to be presented to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) today with a proposal to extend its deadline and raise costs by nearly 40 percent.
26 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt to establish 170 urban health centres in Dhaka, Ctg
The government plans to set up at least one Urban Primary Health and Nutrition Centre in every ward of Dhaka North, Dhaka South, and Chattogram city corporations for residents deprived of care due to fragmented delivery of services.
25 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt eyeing $2b in emergency aid from IMF
Bangladesh is eyeing $2 billion in emergency aid from the IMF’s Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) window to cushion the economic shock stemming from the Middle East war.
23 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt, IMF at odds over spending on polls pledges
Bangladesh and the International Monetary Fund are locked in new disagreements over the country’s economic programme, with tensions centring on social spending, revenue mobilisation, exchange rate policy, and the pace of financial sector reforms.
19 April 2026, 00:00 AM
IMF, WB assure Dhaka of funds to absorb war shocks
Officials in the 11-member delegation said Bangladesh pressed for additional funds to cover the shortfall caused by the energy crisis, beyond regular budget support
18 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Planning commission: Advisory panel outlines overhaul of governance
A high-level advisory committee, formed by the Planning Commission to develop a sustainable development strategy, plans to recommend the government introduce a bicameral parliament, reinstate the caretaker government system, and ensure media freedom.
16 April 2026, 03:29 AM
Fuel, fertiliser imports: Govt needs $2.61b extra until June
Bangladesh will need an additional $2.61 billion in foreign exchange to pay the surging energy and fertiliser import bills for March-June period.
16 April 2026, 03:09 AM
IMF holds Bangladesh’s GDP growth projection steady
While the World Bank and Asian Development Bank had lowered Bangladesh’s GDP growth forecast due to the Persian Gulf crisis and domestic vulnerabilities, the International Monetary Fund has kept its earlier projection unchanged.
16 April 2026, 00:00 AM
IMF holds Bangladesh’s GDP growth projection steady
WB, ADB cut GDP growth forecast amid Persian Gulf crisis
14 April 2026, 22:57 PM
Bangladesh to receive $2bn assistance from IMF, WB amid Middle East crisis
Finance minister optimistic about receiving assistance by June after Washington meetings
14 April 2026, 15:02 PM
Dovish budget in the works
The government is preparing a Tk 927,000 crore budget for fiscal 2026-27, up about 18 percent from this year, as it looks to implement its electoral pledges, partially roll out the Pay Commission recommendations, and shield the economy from the fallout of the ongoing Middle East conflict.
12 April 2026, 03:39 AM
Regulatory ‘time tax’ holding back investment, says World Bank
The World Bank (WB) has described regulatory burdens in Bangladesh as a tax on time and investment, saying they are holding back investment compared with peer economies.
12 April 2026, 00:00 AM
ADB flags growing debt risks
Bangladesh has so far avoided a public debt default, but clear warning signs demand immediate and strategic action to safeguard the country’s fiscal sustainability, according to the latest outlook by the Asian Development Bank.
11 April 2026, 01:47 AM
Next year’s budget may cross Tk 9,00,000cr
The budget for 2026-27 fiscal year is likely to exceed the Tk 9,00,000 crore mark, as the government moves to fulfil its electoral pledges, partially implement recommendations to raise salaries of its employees, and shield the economy from the fallout of the ongoing Middle East conflict.
10 April 2026, 00:22 AM
War fallout to slow growth, deepen poverty: WB
The US-Israel war on Iran is casting a long shadow over Bangladesh’s economy, threatening to slow growth, stoke inflation, deepen poverty, cut jobs, and raise debt burdens, according to the World Bank’s latest Bangladesh Development Update.
9 April 2026, 00:30 AM
LDC graduation delay: Tarique seeks UN chief’s support
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has sought the backing of UN Secretary-General António Guterres for a deferral of Bangladesh’s graduation from the least-developed country (LDC) category, as the issue moves through the multilateral system.
8 April 2026, 00:36 AM
Ecnec scraps one project, sends back another
The new Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, yesterday scrapped one development project and sent back another, which is located in the PM’s home district of Bogura, for cost review.
7 April 2026, 00:00 AM
GDP growth slows to 3% as industrial output shrinks
The country’s economic growth slowed in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025-26 as a sharp fall in industrial activity dragged down overall output, according to provisional data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
7 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Top 20 loan defaulters: 1% of Tk 92,627 crore recovered from six state banks
The top 20 loan defaulters account for 63 percent of the defaulted loans in six state-owned banks, prompting the government to order specific roadmaps for recovery.
5 April 2026, 03:43 AM
Tk 14,179cr sought for Family Card rollout, slum housing
The social welfare ministry has sought Tk 14,179 crore in the next budget to implement five programmes outlined in the BNP’s electoral manifesto, including an expansion of the Family Card scheme and housing for floating and displaced people living in Dhaka’s slums.
3 April 2026, 04:49 AM