Vietnam has granted a licence to Elon Musk’s Starlink to operate its satellite internet services in the communist country, a government agency said.

The introduction of advertisements and sponsored content in chatbots has spawned privacy concerns for AI users as brands scramble to stay relevant in a fast-changing online environment.

The rising number of Vietnamese agricultural and food products obtaining Halal certification creates a great opportunity for domestic goods to penetrate rapidly global Muslim market.

The European Central Bank said Saturday it will expand access to its euro liquidity backstop to central banks worldwide, in a move aimed at boosting the single currency’s global role.

When global manufacturers shifted capacity out of China, Vietnam treated it as an emergency opportunity. Bangladesh, despite the conferences, the panels and decades of ambition, did not just underperform. In plain words, we failed.

As India races to narrow the artificial intelligence gap with the United States and China, it is planning a vast new “data city” to power digital growth on a staggering scale, the man spearheading the project says.

The benchmark DSEX Index rose 131.61 points

Agricultural credit disbursement increased strongly in the early months of fiscal year (FY) 2025-26, but a sharp rise in overdue loans raised concerns over credit recovery.

Gold prices rose more than 2 percent on Friday and were headed for a weekly gain as weaker-than-expected US inflation data reignited hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts this year, offsetting concerns from stronger-than-expected jobs data earlier in the week.

LafargeHolcim Bangladesh PLC (LHB) has launched a new salinity- and sulphate-resistant cement, branded “Holcim Coastal Guard”, aiming to capture the 30-lakh-tonne market in the country’s south-western and south-eastern coastal regions.

Over the past three and a half decades, Bangladesh has seen the entry of several dozen private airlines and helicopter operators, driven by the ambition to capture a share of the country’s growing passenger and cargo market.

The new government takes office at a time when Bangladesh’s banking sector is adrift after years of widespread plunder.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has raised its forecast for Bangladesh’s wheat imports by 7.4 percent to 72 lakh tonnes for the 2025-26 trade year ending in June, citing higher demand for food, seed and industrial use.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the country’s internet regulator, is taking a cautious approach to Starlink Services Bangladesh Ltd’s proposal to export unfiltered internet bandwidth to neighbouring countries via local cable providers, and will seek the government’s opinion before approval.

Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the European Union (EU), the largest export destination in terms of trade bloc, grew 5.97 percent year-on-year to €19.41 billion in 2025.

Economists urge the next government

Although the BNP swept to a landslide victory in the February 12 national election, business leaders say the new government will inherit an economy that allows little time for celebration.

A trade agreement signed between Bangladesh and the United States on February 9, just days before a national election, has drawn sharp criticism from economists and policy observers.

Bangladesh’s recently signed trade deal with the United States promises slight tariff relief but carries deeper implications for fiscal stability, foreign policy and democratic transparency, according to Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

Customs officials say they had no objection, as the matter does not fall under their jurisdiction