Reserves on rise despite fuel, fertiliser shock
12 September 2026
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.
12 September 2026
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
Economy firing on all cylinders
There are bright sparks in all corners of the economy, according to the provisional GDP figures for fiscal 2021-22, which do not show a hint of a pandemic hangover when others are still plodding along.
10 May 2022
Budget FY 2022-23: Tackling challenges of inflation and Covid losses
It appears normal service will resume with fiscal 2022-23’s budget, which will see the return of double-digit growth in size -- a practice introduced by former finance minister AMA Muhith.
8 May 2022
Revised Budget FY 21-22: No room for downsizing
Every year, the budget gets bigger, and like clockwork, gets revised down -- much. But not this year.
7 May 2022
Tribute to Muhith: Farewell to architect of our economy’s golden era
When Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina defiantly announced in 2012 that the Padma bridge would be built after the World Bank pulled out of the project, her gumption was not irrational.
30 April 2022
Dutch horticulture exhibit: 100 officials going abroad, austerity out the window
At least 100 agriculture ministry officials will participate in phases in a six-month international horticulture exhibition in the Netherlands, even though the government had asked to abandon all routine tours except those involving emergencies.
27 April 2022
BB to give Lanka another year to repay $200m
Bangladesh Bank is set to give Sri Lanka another year to repay the $200 million loan as it looks to lend a helping hand to the island nation, which is going through its worst debt and economic crises.
25 April 2022
China firm to implement Tk 3,975cr digital connectivity project
A Chinese company is set to implement a Tk 3,975 crore digital connectivity project that will equip Bangladesh with the latest ICT infrastructure, digitise government services and increase ICT usage at the field level.
20 April 2022
IMF cuts Bangladesh's GDP growth forecasts to 6.4%
The International Monetary Fund has revised down its economic growth projection for Bangladesh to 6.4 percent for the current fiscal year largely because of Russia-Ukraine war and supply chain disruptions.
19 April 2022
Inflation sprints to 17-month high
Inflation in Bangladesh rocketed to a 17-month high in March driven by higher food costs as global uncertainties stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war and supply chain disruptions show no sign of abating, official figures showed yesterday.
19 April 2022
Covid response funds: Only 15pc utilised in 2 years
Over the last two years, the government has been able to utilise only around 15 percent of Tk 8,150 crore allocated for two Covid-19 emergency response projects.
18 April 2022
Next budget size to be Tk 6,77,874cr; Govt advised on macroeconomic pressures from Russia-Ukraine war
The Finance Division has recommended that the government avoid hard-term loans and discourage import of luxury goods to cope with macroeconomic pressures arising from the Russia-Ukraine war.
17 April 2022
7.5% GDP growth target set for fiscal 2023
The government has set an ambitious economic growth target of 7.5 per cent for the next fiscal year although the country faces new headwinds owing to higher prices of commodities globally and is still recovering from the shocks of the coronavirus pandemic.
17 April 2022
WB rings alarm over reserve use for projects
The World Bank yesterday advised the government to reconsider its decision to dip into the foreign exchange reserves for development projects given the elevated balance of payment deficit and the need for exchange rate flexibility.
13 April 2022
Bangladesh not at risk of Sri Lanka-like crisis
Bangladesh is not at risk of the crisis that Sri Lanka is currently facing, but the country needs to be cautious and learn from the experiences of the island nation, said Hans Timmer, chief economist of the World Bank for South Asia.
13 April 2022
Bangladesh's $200m loan to Sri Lanka hangs in balance
When Bangladesh agreed to provide $250 million to Sri Lanka last year, little did it think that it would become a side character in the horror show that is unfolding in the island nation.
12 April 2022
RISKS GROWING for rising debt service-to-revenue ratio
Bangladesh’s debt service to revenue ratio rocketed to 81.2 per cent in the last fiscal year amid lower tax collection and higher borrowing, according to the International Monetary Fund.
12 April 2022
Covid-19 vaccination: Bangladesh a role model
Bangladesh’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign has so far turned out to be quite a triumph.
8 April 2022
Current account deficit to treble
The current account deficit in Bangladesh is expected to widen to 2.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the current fiscal year from 0.9 per cent a year ago because of escalating imports and a decline in remittance.
6 April 2022
WB provides $250m in budget support
The World Bank has extended a $250 million financing to Bangladesh in budgetary support after the country has moved to bring in fiscal and financial reforms to strengthen policies to sustain growth and enhance resilience to future shocks.
2 April 2022
Power division named for Swadhinata Padak
The power division will receive this year’s Swadhinata Padak (Independence Award) for its outstanding job of bringing cent percent of the country under electricity coverage, said power division officials.
23 March 2022