IMF Loan: Bangladesh may get next tranche in June
7 hour(s) ago
Bangladesh could receive a $1.3 billion tranche from its loan programme with the International Monetary Fund by June if the new government moves ahead with reforms to make the dollar exchange rate more market-based, strengthen revenue collection, reduce subsidies, and address weaknesses in the banking sector.
7 hour(s) ago
US-Israel war on Iran: Seven-minister committee to shield shocks
11 March 2026, 02:24 AM
The government has formed a high-powered cabinet committee to draw up a crisis management plan, aiming to safeguard economic stability amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.
11 March 2026, 02:24 AM
Family Card pilot to cover 40,000 households
8 March 2026, 03:04 AM
Some Tk 39 crore has been set aside from the block allocation from this fiscal year’s revised budget, a finance ministry official told The Daily Star.
8 March 2026, 03:04 AM
Govt aims to gradually issue 2cr family cards
25 February 2026, 02:36 AM
The government is set to launch the pilot phase of its family card programme on March 10 with the ultimate aim of gradually bringing two crore families under monthly cash support.
25 February 2026, 02:36 AM
Govt faces $30b debt servicing bill
23 February 2026, 02:04 AM
Bangladesh is set to spend over $30 billion this fiscal year to service its debts, covering both principal repayments and interest on domestic and foreign loans, according to projections by the International Monetary Fund.
23 February 2026, 02:04 AM
Salehuddin leaves office outlining 20 priority tasks for Khosru
22 February 2026, 00:00 AM
The list includes managing high inflation, weak tax collection, rising debt
22 February 2026, 00:00 AM
LDC graduation: Government asks UN for three-year deferment
20 February 2026, 02:36 AM
The government, on its first full day in office, formally sought a three-year deferral of Bangladesh’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.
20 February 2026, 02:36 AM
New govt faces 5 early economic tests
19 February 2026, 02:35 AM
The new finance minister, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, may have arrived in office with a long list of priorities -- fiscal reform, banking stability, and negotiations with international lenders.
19 February 2026, 02:35 AM
No more austerity
The government has officially abandoned the austerity stance it took on at the beginning of the fiscal year as it deems the economy is nearing good health.
2 March 2023, 01:10 AM
Moody’s sounds alarm bells on banking sector
Major global rating agency Moody’s yesterday downgraded its outlook of Bangladesh’s banking system from stable to negative -- a crushing development that is set to make foreign transactions trickier and costlier for businesses and banks.
2 March 2023, 01:00 AM
ADP execution rate in Jul-Jan lowest in 3 years
The first seven months of the current fiscal year of 2022-23 saw the lowest implementation rate of the annual development programme (ADP) in the last three years, with only 28.16 per cent of the total outlay being spent till January.
28 February 2023, 02:30 AM
Health, edn to get chop in ADP
Health and education are set to get the biggest chop in the revised development budget for this fiscal year, when the International Monetary Fund has stipulated more spending in the two sectors as part of its $4.7 billion loan programme.
28 February 2023, 01:10 AM
Dollar crunch raises spectre of load-shedding
Private power plants that use furnace oil risk facing severe shortage of fuel and this may result in power cuts during the hottest months of this year.
26 February 2023, 01:00 AM
Address out-of-pocket spending on healthcare
Bangladesh could explore health financing reforms that increase public financing for the health sector to reduce out-of-pocket spending, which is threatening to undermine national poverty reduction efforts, said the World Bank in a recent study.
25 February 2023, 01:50 AM
The devil is in implementation
Bangladesh’s economic crisis will not go away if the government does not strictly adhere to the conditions tagged with the International Monetary Fund’s 42-month loan programme, said the lender’s top official.
24 February 2023, 01:40 AM
Spike in funding costs to hurt banks’ profitability
Weak banks in Bangladesh with small holdings of government securities, which are used to mobilise funds either from the central bank or peers, may become more vulnerable in the days to come, Moody’s Investors Service warned yesterday.
23 February 2023, 02:00 AM
IMF getting BB ready for post-LDC world
Bangladesh’s preparation for LDC graduation would start in earnest with the International Monetary Fund’s 42-month loan programme, where one of the objectives is to overhaul the monetary and exchange rate policies to meet the needs of an open economy.
20 February 2023, 01:00 AM
IMF watching economy like a hawk
The International Monetary Fund would be watching the Bangladesh economy like a hawk, stipulating an extensive list of data reporting regularly as part of the conditions agreed upon for the $4.7 billion loan programme.
19 February 2023, 01:00 AM
Public Procurement: Focus to shift from lowest offer in tender
The government is poised to adopt a set of guidelines that will fundamentally change the way 40 percent of the annual budget is spent, focusing on the whole life cycle cost of goods and services rather than the lowest tender offer in public procurement.
18 February 2023, 01:00 AM
LNG Spot Purchase: Another cargo on way at lesser price
Bangladesh has ramped up its activity in the international spot market for liquefied natural gas after the recess of seven months, purchasing yet another cargo in a space of two weeks as the government looks to ensure adequate supply ahead of Ramadan and the summer months.
13 February 2023, 18:00 PM
Per capita external debt doubles in 7 years
The country’s per capita external debt currently stands at more than double from what was seven years ago as both public and private sector foreign loans have seen an increase by this time.
13 February 2023, 02:30 AM
Private sector’s foreign debt down by over $1b
The private sector’s foreign debt decreased by 4.3 per cent, or more than $1 billion, in the second quarter of the current fiscal year following Bangladesh Bank’s strict measures to control imports.
13 February 2023, 02:00 AM
Record subsidy allocation not enough
The record subsidy allocation of Tk 82,745 crore is set to be topped up with another Tk 27,360 crore in the revised budget in the face of demands from ministries even after the notable price hike of gas, electricity and fuel.
9 February 2023, 01:00 AM
No chance of debt distress
Bangladesh has a low risk of external and overall debt distress despite higher external borrowing in recent terms, said the International Monetary Fund.
6 February 2023, 01:20 AM
Weak banking sector, Achilles’ heel of economy
The International Monetary Fund has identified the problems in the banking system, including the high volume of defaulted loans, as one of the three domestic risks that derail the economy in the short- to medium-term.
5 February 2023, 01:00 AM
$6b more to come from dev partners
Bangladesh is expected to get about $6 billion over the next four years from development partners other than the International Monetary Fund to meet the development financing needs, particularly to address climate change challenges.
4 February 2023, 01:00 AM
Govt commits to 20 IMF conditions
The International Monetary Fund has laid out 20 conditions for Bangladesh for its $4.7 billion loan programme aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability, accelerating overdue macroeconomic reforms and tackling climate change challenges.
2 February 2023, 18:00 PM
IMF $4.7B Loan: Programme to nurse economy to health
The International Monetary Fund’s $4.7 billion loan programme won’t be a miracle worker for the Bangladesh economy.
1 February 2023, 01:30 AM