Reserves on rise despite fuel, fertiliser shock
4 HOUR(s)
When war in the Middle East sent fuel prices climbing, Bangladesh looked like an obvious casualty. An import-dependent economy with a thin reserve cushion and a recent history of dollar shortages had every reason to buckle. It has not.
4 HOUR(s)
Energy: Govt okays 18 LNG cargoes from Total Energies
10 September 2026
After approving a long-term deal to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a US-based firm, the government yesterday decided to import at least 18 LNG cargoes from France’s TotalEnergies over the next nine months under a direct purchase arrangement.
10 September 2026
Another metro getting on track
7 September 2026
The MRT-5 southern route is finally getting a move on, with the project set to be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) next week for approval.
7 September 2026
Where access to freshwater is a daily struggle
5 September 2026
Sharmin Begum, who lives in Barguna’s Patharghata upazila, may have done little to contribute to global warming, but she is suffering severely from its adverse impacts.
5 September 2026
LNG bill to triple as war drags on
4 September 2026
The escalating conflict in the Middle East threatens to nearly triple Bangladesh’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) subsidy bill to Tk 40,000 crore ($3.3 billion) this fiscal year, forcing the government to turn to multilateral lenders for additional assistance.
4 September 2026
Bangladesh paying near-peak prices for LNG
3 September 2026
Bangladesh is paying its highest spot price for liquefied natural gas (LNG) since the onset of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, approving a cargo at over $28 per unit as geopolitical supply shocks and domestic infrastructure failures converge to create a severe energy crisis.
3 September 2026
National pay scale: Hurrah for government employees
1 September 2026
The government yesterday approved the largest pay hike for civil service since independence, doubling the basic salary of top officials and raising the lowest pay by a record 142 percent.
1 September 2026
Fertiliser shock raises poverty risk
31 August 2026
US war on Iran could cause a 30% price hike this year
31 August 2026
Record LGD spending in July ahead of polls
July’s development spending was the highest in four years on the back of enthusiastic fund utilisation by the local government division -- whose expenditure hit a record high for the first month of a fiscal year.
22 August 2023
Rooppur will be ready on time
The much-awaited Rooppur nuclear power plant is coming along at more or less the expected pace but the country has to wait longer to enjoy the benefits as the power evacuation facility from the plant would not be ready on time.
20 August 2023
Universal Pension Scheme: 31-40 age group showing most interest
People belonging to the 31-40 age group have so far enroled the most for the newly-launched universal pension scheme.
20 August 2023
Universal Pension Scheme: 6,100 sign up within 6 hours of launch
At least 6,100 people signed up for the universal pension scheme as of 5:00pm yesterday, the first day.
17 August 2023
Budget Deficit Financing: Govt cuts BB borrowing to tame inflation
The government has started the fiscal year with the resolve to borrow less from the central bank to fund its budget deficit as it looks to rein in the runaway inflation to a tolerable level ahead of the polls.
16 August 2023
Govt frames maiden tariff policy
Bangladesh has formulated its maiden tariff policy to improve the competitiveness of local companies in the international market as they brace for an increased competition after the country becomes a developing nation in 2026.
15 August 2023
Universal Pension Scheme: Private sector employers to contribute 50pc
Private sector employers have to contribute 50 percent of their employees’ monthly instalments under the universal pension scheme, said a gazette from the finance ministry yesterday.
14 August 2023
Banking Sector: Risky loans stand at Tk 377,922cr
The banking sector’s total risky loans amounted to Tk 377,922 crore at the end of last year, in a development that makes for a sobering reading of the actual health of this vital sector of the economy.
13 August 2023
Austerity Measures: Govt misses the mark
Saved Tk 15,000cr against target of at least Tk 23,000cr last fiscal year
12 August 2023
IMF’s $4.7b loan: Two of 6 major conditions missed
Bangladesh has failed to meet two of the six quantitative targets set for the first half of 2023 by the International Monetary Fund for the $4.7 billion loan, with one of them being a mandatory condition.
8 August 2023
No respite from high inflation
Inflation slowed down slightly in July but not enough to bring any relief to the urban poor and the lower middle-class in Dhaka and Chattogram, who have been battling a cost of living crisis for a good year now.
6 August 2023
Dhaka Central Jail: Tk 37.5cr mishandled in just one year
In fiscal 2019-20, the Dhaka Central Jail authorities forked out Tk 9.11 crore to procure rice for inmates. That rice turned out to be unfit for consumption.
5 August 2023
Power Sector Subsidy: Low revenue collection limits disbursement
Though the government has allocated a large amount of subsidy to the power sector, it is unable to disburse the amount as per demand due to narrow fiscal space.
4 August 2023
Private sector’s foreign borrowing falls in June
Short-term foreign debt in the private sector fell to $13.66 billion in June, down 3 percent from $14.08 billion in May, as repayments outpaced new loans during the period, according to Bangladesh Bank.
1 August 2023
Offshore Gas Exploration: Cabinet committee approves new guidelines
The cabinet committee on economic affairs yesterday approved the draft of the production sharing contract (PSC) for offshore gas exploration that Petrobangla insists ensures a fair deal for both the government and the international oil companies (IOCs).
26 July 2023
Now S&P goes negative on Bangladesh economy
Global rating agency Standard and Poor’s yesterday downgraded Bangladesh’s long-term rating outlook from stable to negative on the back of a continued decline in foreign exchange reserves despite an ongoing IMF programme and lower import bills.
25 July 2023
Banks’ risky loans thrice as large
After the sudden drop in Bangladesh’s official foreign exchange reserves on July 13, another rude shock awaits: as per IMF conditions, the banking sector’s distressed assets will be published, in what would make for a grim reading about the industry’s health.
23 July 2023
Pvt sector’s foreign borrowing: Waning appetite to put pressure on reserves
The private sector’s shrinking appetite for foreign loans is likely to put further pressure on the country’s strained dollar stockpile, according to bankers and experts.
20 July 2023
Bringing urban facilities to the rural areas
The government is going to undertake a project under which modern urban facilities will reach 15 villages under 15 upazilas of as many districts.
17 July 2023
Financial irregularities cost Sadharan Bima Tk 210cr
CAG audit finds
13 July 2023