Bangladesh’s soybean production and imports are increasing steadily as demand from the poultry, livestock, and aquaculture sectors continues to grow alongside rising domestic consumption, according to the latest report by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

For years, Bangladesh has been approaching a crossroads in its development journey. Having met the criteria for graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2018, the government found itself in a conundrum.

The country’s foreign exchange market is stabilising thanks to a surge in US dollar (USD) inflows, driven by higher remittances, stronger export earnings and tighter oversight by the central bank.

Hotels and resorts in popular tourist spots across Bangladesh have so far got only 70 percent booking of their occupancy ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr -- down from last year’s 85 percent, according to industry insiders. 

Bangladesh exported ready-made garments worth $9.82 billion in 2022, $7.25 billion in 2023, and $7.40 billion in 2024 to the US, ITC data shows. 

Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by SpaceX, will be required to route its commercial broadband traffic through a local broadband gateway or international internet gateway (IIG) when it begins commercial operations in Bangladesh, the chief adviser's office said yesterday.

The shipping ministry has approved a special incentive bonus of Tk 60,000 for all categories of employees of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and the ministry for achieving record cargo and container handling at the port.

The interim government has signed two loan agreements with Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) for Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans worth 85,819 million yen (approximately Tk 6,700 crore) for two projects.

Tension surrounds the upcoming biennial election of the Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA), scheduled to be held next month, as a group of outsider pro-BNP business leaders are allegedly pressuring for the selection of an unelected committee comprising their chosen members.

Various economic indicators of the country are improving as the banking sector has already seen the return of discipline, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said yesterday.

The Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (Idra) has asked six troubled life insurance companies to submit their plans for addressing prolonged failures in settling claims as policyholders continue to suffer due to corruption and irregularities.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) recently approved a Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licence for Bangla Phone Ltd, the first such licence to be issued in the country in 11 years.

In order to increase vibrancy and attract more investors to the stock market, a taskforce on capital market reforms has recommended the regulator lift a prerequisite stipulating that anyone intending to subscribe to an initial public offering (IPO) must have at least Tk 50,000 invested in the secondary market.

Availing loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) helps to get support from other development partners, which is needed to meet resource gaps in the budget, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said yesterday.

Bangladesh’s education system is failing to produce skilled human resources for industries, leading to rising unemployment among educated youth while industries struggle to find qualified workers, according to economist Selim Jahan.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) from China in Bangladesh has risen to $2.67 billion as of September 2024, according to official data, cementing China’s position as the country’s second-largest investor.

China and India are likely to try to interfere in the Canadian general election on April 28, while Russia and Pakistan have the potential to do so, the country’s spy service said on Monday.

Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday amid persistent uncertainty over impending reciprocal US tariffs and their impact on the global economy.

Gold prices in Bangladesh have been steadily climbing for over a year, driven by global market trends and fluctuations in domestic supply.

Workers from two companies in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone staged separate protests today demanding salaries and Eid bonuses