Reserves on rise despite fuel, fertiliser shock
10 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.
10 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
$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
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
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
Come June, reserves will hit $37.7b
The government is expecting the shrinking foreign currency reserves will buck the trend and hit $37.7 billion by June thanks to lower imports and budget support from development partners.
30 January 2023
Use of foreign fund in ADP far below target
Apart from export and remittance earnings, the government has placed importance on securing more foreign funding in the current fiscal year to shield the country’s foreign currency reserves from depletion.
27 January 2023
ADP revision: Govt doing opposite of what’s needed
It seems the government is doing an about-turn from the austerity stance taken at the start of the fiscal year.
25 January 2023
Food distribution for poor: When more is needed, govt doing less
Scaling up public food distribution programmes for the poor and the vulnerable is the need of the hour -- given the cost of living crisis. But the government seems to be shying away from stepping up to this task.
24 January 2023