Reserves on rise despite fuel, fertiliser shock
11 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.
11 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
IMF Loan Programme: Getting Bangladesh ready for LDC graduation
The prospective loan programme of the International Monetary Fund will prime Bangladesh for graduation from the least-developed country bracket and reach middle-income country status by 2031, said the lender’s top official.
18 January 2023
IMF $4.5B Loan: Deputy MD to get a taste of Bangladesh
There would not be any further negotiations on the $4.5 billion loan programme during International Monetary Fund’s deputy managing director Antoinette Monsio Sayeh’s forthcoming visit to Bangladesh.
12 January 2023
WB forecasts 5.2pc GDP growth
The World Bank yesterday delivered yet another bad news for the economy as the Washington-based multilateral lender pared back Bangladesh’s growth forecast for this fiscal year by 1.5 percent to 5.2 percent.
11 January 2023
Stimulus for large, small industries: Tk 50,000cr fresh funds see tepid disbursement
Two of the government’s 28 Covid-19 stimulus packages saw a fresh injection of Tk 50,000 crore in the ongoing financial year, but only 4 per cent of the fund was disbursed between July and October.
9 January 2023
Amnesty to bring back black money yields no result
The maiden tax amnesty offered by the government to bring back laundered money home has seemed to have brought no result since none secured the facility in the first six months of the current fiscal year.
8 January 2023
Balance of payments under stress
The financial account of the balance of payments (BoP) turned negative in the first five months of the current fiscal year, highlighting the challenges Bangladesh is facing in protecting its foreign currency reserves from depletion as funds outflows exceeded inflows.
8 January 2023
$4.5 Billion Loan Programme: Dhaka agrees to 30 conditions of IMF
Bangladesh has agreed to as many as 30 conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the $4.5 billion loan programme that includes some key structural reforms stalled for years.
7 January 2023
Fresh move to import rice as local purchase target may not be met
The government has taken a fresh initiative to import rice amid concerns that the domestic procurement target during the ongoing Aman season might not be achieved.
5 January 2023
Savings tool sales fall for new conditions
A retired secondary school teacher in Satkhira not entitled to pensions had planned to use a portion of other service benefits to purchase savings certificates to meet some of his family expenses with the interest income.
5 January 2023
Ctg port’s anomalies cost govt Tk 258 crore
The state coffers were robbed of Tk 258 crore for 26 counts of irregularities by the Chattogram Port Authority between fiscal 2017-18 and 2019-20, found the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
3 January 2023
Economy stable
Although Bangladesh stepped into a new year with various economic pressures stemming from global events, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said he was confident that the country would not backtrack but make steady progress from where it was now.
2 January 2023
Govt revises down growth forecast
The government has trimmed its growth forecast for this fiscal year by a whole percentage point to 6.5 percent as the energy shortage and inflation dampened economic activities.
21 December 2022
Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City: PPP model binned for one segment
The government has retreated from its decision to develop a portion of Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City in Gazipur’s Kaliakoir on a public-private partnership (PPP) model due to lukewarm response from developers.
16 December 2022
Cut expenditure in revised budget
The finance division has strictly asked ministries and divisions not to demand any additional money beyond the amount allocated this year.
16 December 2022
Govt aims to save Tk 20,000 crore
After the prime minister’s directive, the Finance Division yesterday asked the authorities to cut government spending on land acquisition, building construction, and machinery purchase.
15 December 2022
4 on schedule, others may miss deadline
The eight fast track projects being implemented by the government are seeing mixed progress with four having made significant progress as of November this year while the rest may not see timely completion.
13 December 2022
BB to return to biannual monetary policy
The central bank is set to return to its semiannual monetary policy stance after three years as per a suggestion of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but local economists say the move would not bring about any change amid the lending rate cap and multiple exchange rates.
12 December 2022
ICB could lose Tk 438cr for unusual investment decisions
Unusual investment decisions made by the state-run Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) could inflict a loss of Tk 438 crore on taxpayers as the funds have either turned into default loans or remained largely unrealised, according to an audit report.
11 December 2022
PPP investment far lower than required
Despite having a strong emerging regulatory framework and a relatively mature market, public-private partnership (PPP) projects in Bangladesh have attracted far lower investments than requirements owing to implementation challenges, lack of long-term financing, and dated laws.
9 December 2022
Inflation falling, but not for rural people
Though inflation continued to undergo a downward trend for a third consecutive month in November, non-food inflation in rural areas entered into double digits last month for the first time in recent times.
6 December 2022