Ahsan Habib

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) has reached a point where its shares are record cheap due to the recent macroeconomic turbulence and higher interest rates, which have diverted investments away from securities, according to leading stockbroker IDLC Securities.

The interim government has increased interest rates on various national savings certificates to upwards of 12 percent in an effort to make these instruments more attractive to savers and to cool inflation.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has halted the subscription for a qualified investors offer (QIO) by homegrown software firm Doer Services Ltd to raise Tk 5 crore, following several media reports about the company’s problematic client agreements and profitability.

Rising rates are creating headwinds for at least 40 listed conglomerates

Listed companies across all sectors saw their profits fall by around 24 percent on an average year-on-year during the last January-September period, due mainly to an economic slowdown and widespread political turmoil, according to an unofficial estimate.

The country’s two stock exchanges logged operating losses in the last fiscal year thanks to sluggish trading activities, according to official data, compelling the markets to resort to their fixed deposit income to avoid a net loss.

The company is exporting to more than 52 countries and employs over 50,000 people

In one of your most distant childhood memories, you may recall hearing the high-pitched howl of a lone jackal way off in the distance while enjoying the evening from the comfort of your village home.

Will smaller rotis at roadside eateries return to their previous regular size next year? Will a Tk 500 note again fill up the shopping bag holding kitchen items? Or, will several lakh graduates, who have been poring over newspaper recruitment advertisements, finally get their jobs in 2025?

The year 2024 witnessed a lacklustre performance of the stock market as the benchmark index faced erosion, average daily turnover showcased no significant rise while no notable company entered the market.

Sergel is heading towards generating Tk 1,000 crore in annual sales as over Tk 900 crore worth of the gastrological medicine was sold in the first nine months of this year, according to information technology company IMS Health.

Income inequality in Bangladesh has seen a steep rise over the past 12 years till 2022, according to official data, as economists blame a singular focus on growth rather than sorting out income disparities.

Two years after Bangladesh turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $4.7 billion bailout to address its worsening macroeconomic pressures, the nation stands at a crossroads.

Sales growth of drugs slowed down in fiscal year 2023-24 ending last June, which could be an effect of high inflationary pressure prevailing in the country over the last two years.

While fines are intended to deter future offences, questions remain over their effectiveness if the amount is lower than the illegal gain.

Business leaders, economists and professionals have emphasised that an elected government is essential for restoring confidence in the business community, stabilising law and order, and revitalising the business and investment climate.

Motaher Hossain Masum was frustrated last September when Confidence Cement announced a mere 10 percent dividend for the last fiscal year despite making a handsome profit.

Motijheel, once the pulsing heart of Dhaka’s trade and commerce, has become a shadow of its former self. Empty office floors now whisper tales of abandoned ambitions.

Sonali Bank has decided to sell the assets of Alltex Industries through auction in a bid to recover unpaid loans of the listed textile producer.

Bangladesh ranks among the countries with the highest income disparities globally, but there is another problem way worse than that: wealth inequality, which means a minuscule portion of the population owns a disproportionate amount of wealth compared to the majority.