Private passenger car sales in Bangladesh have plunged to the lowest level in 13 years, reflecting persistent economic headwinds, high import costs and tightening consumer purchasing power, according to market insiders and official data.

The market for automobiles in Bangladesh, especially the four-wheeler segment, is as small as it is diverse. With brand new car dealerships seeing about 80-90 units go out the doors on the popular end every year and lesser brands selling about 20-30 if they are lucky,