Bangladesh’s petroleum import bill soared 52 percent year on year in the July-February period of the current fiscal year, even before the war in the Middle East broke out, raising fears of a heavier eco-nomic impact ahead.

Gold prices were steady on Thursday as investors remained cautious ‌about the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, with a key US inflation report due later in the day also in focus for interest rate clues.

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has extended the tenure of its pre-shipment credit refinance scheme until December 31, 2030, aiming to ensure continued financing support for export-oriented industries amid persistent global economic uncertainty.

Oil prices rose on Thursday as doubts over ​a fragile two-week Middle East ceasefire raised concerns that energy flows through the crucial Strait of ‌Hormuz will remain restricted.

India has hiked subsidies for farming fertilisers by 11 percent from last year to support its vast agriculture sector from surging prices sparked by the Middle East war.

Business leaders and institutional investors are increasingly turning to Asia and artificial intelligence (AI) as they reposition for growth in an uncertain global environment, according to a new survey by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation PLC (HSBC).

In many offices, teamwork means eight people joining a meeting, three speaking, two pretending their internet is unstable, one sharing the wrong screen, and the rest saying, “Fully aligned.”

A surge in potato supply at the peak of the harvest season has pushed cold storage facilities close to full, leaving farmers with little choice but to sell at rock-bottom rates.

Brummer Frontier PE II (Mauritius) Ltd is going to sell one-third of its stake in Runner Automobiles Ltd, worth more than Tk 19 crore.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) plans to introduce fully automated refunds for individual income tax and corporate tax from next year to make the process faster and easier for taxpayers, NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan said yesterday.

The war in the Middle East has exposed weaknesses in Bangladesh’s energy sector, highlighting long-standing gaps in planning and implementation, speakers said at an event yesterday.

The war in the Middle East could weigh on Bangladesh’s economy, disrupting output in key sectors, particularly the readymade garment (RMG) industry, according to a study by the South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (Sanem)

The expenditure hit Tk 1.07 lakh crore, down from Tk 1.15 lakh crore in the previous year

The last interim government was legitimate, but it was not elected and lacked both economic philosophy and planning

The aim is to ensure continued financing support for export-oriented industries amid persistent global economic uncertainty

At the same time, the GED cautioned against over-reliance on remittances

Carriers have largely halted flights in the Gulf region

The DSEX dropped 49 points, or 0.93 percent, till 12:40pm today

Gold prices climbed ‌to a nearly three-week high on Wednesday as markets reassessed near-term risks after US President Donald Trump agreed to suspend bombings and attacks on Iran for two weeks, easing fears of energy-driven inflation.

The United Kingdom’s visiting trade envoy, Baroness Rosie Winterton of Doncaster, has called on Bangladesh to increase exports to her country utilising the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which offers duty-free access.