Teknaf to Tentulia economic corridor on the horizon
29 April 2026, 00:00 AM
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has proposed a 20-year development plan involving about $79 billion to build a major economic corridor from Teknaf to Tentulia with the view to decongesting Dhaka and Chattogram, in line with the BNP’s election manifesto.
29 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Anomalies found in Family Card pilot
28 April 2026, 00:00 AM
The finance ministry has found a host of anomalies in the pilot of the Family Card programme, as the government seeks to iron out irregularities and ensure the BNP’s flagship social welfare initiative can withstand the scrutiny of development partners.
28 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Cost of customs upgrade project set for 40% hike
26 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Three years after launch and with 99 percent of its budget unspent, a nearly Tk 1,700 crore customs modernisation project is set to be presented to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) today with a proposal to extend its deadline and raise costs by nearly 40 percent.
26 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt to establish 170 urban health centres in Dhaka, Ctg
25 April 2026, 00:00 AM
The government plans to set up at least one Urban Primary Health and Nutrition Centre in every ward of Dhaka North, Dhaka South, and Chattogram city corporations for residents deprived of care due to fragmented delivery of services.
25 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt eyeing $2b in emergency aid from IMF
23 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh is eyeing $2 billion in emergency aid from the IMF’s Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) window to cushion the economic shock stemming from the Middle East war.
23 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt, IMF at odds over spending on polls pledges
19 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh and the International Monetary Fund are locked in new disagreements over the country’s economic programme, with tensions centring on social spending, revenue mobilisation, exchange rate policy, and the pace of financial sector reforms.
19 April 2026, 00:00 AM
IMF, WB assure Dhaka of funds to absorb war shocks
18 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Officials in the 11-member delegation said Bangladesh pressed for additional funds to cover the shortfall caused by the energy crisis, beyond regular budget support
18 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Planning commission: Advisory panel outlines overhaul of governance
16 April 2026, 03:29 AM
A high-level advisory committee, formed by the Planning Commission to develop a sustainable development strategy, plans to recommend the government introduce a bicameral parliament, reinstate the caretaker government system, and ensure media freedom.
16 April 2026, 03:29 AM
Revenue collection did not stutter badly last fiscal year as feared
The two-and-half-month-long countrywide general shutdown was supposed to cause a massive dent to the state’s coffer as the economic locomotive was effectively chained to its track in the station.
21 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Foreign aid use hops over to a new high
Foreign aid disbursement rose more than 28 per cent to $8 billion in the just-concluded fiscal year riding on the increased flow of budget support from development lenders to help Bangladesh ride out the coronavirus pandemic.
20 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Govt cuts back on travel expenses to free up funds for priority sectors
The government has gone one step further to tighten its belt amid drying up of revenues as it suspended 50 per cent budgetary allocation for the expenses for both foreign and local tours of officials and banned all routine travels.
19 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Apparel-makers pursue another round of low-cost loans
Pandemic-hit apparel exporters have sought continuation of low-cost loans from the government for three more months to help them pay wages to workers as the sector is struggling to stay afloat.
16 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Tk 40,000cr low-priority projects to be pushed back
The government has decided to put a hold on the implementation of low-priority development projects involving Tk 40,000 crore to free up funds for the productive sectors amid widening revenue shortfall.
15 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Decent development spending amid extenuating circumstances
Sometimes, one just needs to resign to reality.
14 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Farm mechanisation gets a big push from govt
The government yesterday approved a Tk 3,020 crore project -- the biggest ever scheme for farm sector -- to provide price support to farmers in purchasing agricultural machinery.
14 July 2020, 18:00 PM
To cut costs, govt suspends buying vehicles for 2020
The government has decided not to purchase new vehicles under all operating and development expenses for the rest of 2020 as part of its austerity measures in face of falling revenues owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
9 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Two-thirds of poor families yet to receive Tk 2,500 cash support
A staggering two-thirds of the 50 lakh poor families hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic are yet to receive Tk 2,500 each in cash support because of the flawed list although they have been languishing in poverty for the last three months.
8 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Food Aid Before Eid: Free rice for 1 crore poor
The government is set to distribute 10-kilogramme rice for free to each of over one crore “ultra-poor and destitute families” ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
7 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Wage growth pitches to five-year low
Wage growth slowed to a five-year low in the just-concluded fiscal year driven by the income loss in the manufacturing and services sectors as the coronavirus pandemic-induced shutdown wiped out livelihoods of a major portion of the population in the last quarter.
7 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Khulna-Mongla Rail Project: Sad tale of delays, cost escalation
When the government approved the Khulna-Mongla Port Rail Line project in December 2010, construction of the 64.75km rail line was supposed to be completed within December 2013.
6 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Can the massive forex reserves bankroll large projects?
The government is revisiting the idea of using currently healthy foreign currency reserves boosted by the drastic fall in imports and injection of budget support from external sources to bankroll major projects.
6 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Inflation overshoots target last fiscal year
Inflation ended the just-concluded fiscal year at 5.65 per cent, slightly overshooting the government’s target of 5.5 per cent, owing to the dragging supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic-induced shutdown.
6 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Govt to set up company to salvage soured loans
The government now plans to set up a state-run corporation to buy and trade distressed loans off banks as part of its efforts to clean up the financial sector.
5 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Govt looks to simplify rules as FDI plummets 13.8pc
Gross inflow of foreign direct investment to Bangladesh fell 13.8 per cent to $3.73 billion in the first 11 months of last fiscal year, largely owing to the coronavirus pandemic, which came as a shock to foreign investors.
4 July 2020, 18:00 PM
WB’s purse strings always open for Bangladesh
The World Bank has been an ever-reassuring presence in Bangladesh’s growth narrative, and the multilateral lender will continue to play that role, said its country director.
2 July 2020, 18:00 PM
Life expectancy at birth rises
Life expectancy at birth for Bangladeshis has risen to 72.6 years because of what experts said was progress made in health care and economy.
30 June 2020, 18:00 PM
NBR walks back on order seeking info to sniff out VAT evasion
The VAT Intelligence yesterday withdrew its directive that had asked banks to provide information on discrepancies in turnover figures shown by potential borrowers in returns and annual financial statements.
30 June 2020, 18:00 PM
Mobile users, FMCG companies miffed as Finance Bill 2020 stays mostly unchanged
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal must have harked back on that oft-quoted saying of English monk John Lydgate when he was finalising the Finance Bill 2020.
29 June 2020, 18:00 PM