Asifur Rahman

Gas crisis fuels sufferings, extra costs

Dhaka residents are struggling to cook daily meals amid a worsening gas crisis affecting both pipeline supplies and bottled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

12 January 2026, 00:00 AM

Pipeline leak cuts gas supply to near zero in parts of Dhaka

Amid an ongoing shortage of household gas supply over the past couple of months, a leak in a pipeline un

10 January 2026, 01:51 AM

LPG supply disruption likely to continue

The liquefied petroleum gas price will continue to stay above the government-set rate at the retail level, given the instability in the supply chain.

9 January 2026, 04:00 AM

LPG prices soar on artificial scarcity

Traders call indefinite strike for higher distribution charges

7 January 2026, 18:00 PM

No women on tickets of 30 parties

Women remain largely absent from the electoral race, with 30 of the 51 political parties contesting the upcoming national election fielding no female aspirants at all, Election Commission data shows.

5 January 2026, 18:00 PM

LPG import hurdles may cause supply crunch

The current supply of liquefied petroleum gas is sufficient to meet local demand despite difficulty in importing the fuel, importers said.

4 January 2026, 18:00 PM

Supply crunch sends LPG prices soaring

Bottled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is now selling for 60 percent more than the government-fixed price on the back of a supply shortage caused by lower imports last month.

1 January 2026, 18:00 PM

Govt to expand Eastern Refinery with Tk 35,465cr

The government has finally approved the long-pending modernisation and expansion project of Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL), the country’s only fuel oil refinery, opting to implement it with state financing after shelving an earlier joint venture plan with S Alam Group.

23 December 2025, 18:00 PM

IMF loan tranches: Agreement with IMF at last

The government has reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund for the fourth and fifth tranche of the $4.7 billion loan programme, putting to bed months of uncertainty over their disbursement.

14 May 2025, 18:10 PM

IMF loan: Deadlock broken

The government is set to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund over the exchange rate issue that has been holding up the release of the fourth and fifth tranches of the $4.7 billion loan programme soon.

10 May 2025, 18:27 PM

FY26 budget: Debt servicing costs, food subsidies to rise

The next budget may be slightly smaller than the current fiscal year’s, but non-development spending is expected to rise by over 5 percent due to higher debt servicing costs, food subsidies, and a special allocation for bank reforms.

5 May 2025, 18:05 PM

Meeting with IMF today to break deadlock

The government and the International Monetary Fund are set to meet again today for another round of negotiations over the release of the fourth and fifth tranches of a $4.7 billion loan programme.

4 May 2025, 18:01 PM

Furnace oil: BPC drowning in stock overload

Based on private electricity producers’ request, the Power Development Board (PDB) asked Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to nearly triple its import of furnace oil to around 500,000 tonnes a month so that the electricity demand in the summer can be met.

24 April 2025, 18:08 PM

Talks with IMF: Consensus likely on exchange rate, revenue issues

The fourth tranche of the instalment was deferred due to disagreements and now talks are going on to release two tranches at once.

23 April 2025, 18:01 PM

Enforced disappearance: Life term or death penalty for culprits

Government officials will face death penalty or minimum life sentence if found guilty of causing the death of enforced disappearance victims, according to a draft ordinance unveiled yesterday.

22 April 2025, 18:01 PM

Rooppur payment: Govt to seek US sanction waiver

As much as $900 million has been on hold since 2022 in the central bank's escrow account

20 April 2025, 18:11 PM

Govt settling for lower GDP growth target

The interim government may backtrack from its initial plan to set an ambitious GDP growth target of 6 percent for the next fiscal year amid the new economic reality and settle for 5.5 percent.

15 April 2025, 18:21 PM

33% hike in gas tariff for new industries

The government has set new gas tariffs for the industrial sector, hiking the price by 33 percent for new units, despite objections from businesses and consumer rights organisations.

13 April 2025, 18:19 PM

Inefficiency holding power sector back

Bangladesh’s power sector is burdened by overcapacity and systemic inefficiencies, hindering its ability to deliver reliable and cost-effective electricity, says Prof Dr Saifur Rahman, a Bangladeshi expert based in the US.

26 March 2025, 18:51 PM

July Uprising: Student leaders first reached out to Yunus on Aug 1

Protesting students began reaching out to Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus as early as August 1, 2024, through his colleagues, at the peak of the mass uprising against the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

14 March 2025, 20:51 PM

Govt plans smaller budget with 6% GDP growth target

The interim government is planning to prepare a small budget with a 6 percent GDP growth target for the next fiscal year considering the sluggish economy and low revenue collection.

13 March 2025, 18:00 PM

CA confirms scheduled LDC graduation

Professor Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim government, yesterday instructed his cabinet colleagues to prepare for Bangladesh’s status graduation from a least developed country (LDC) to a developing nation in November 2026, effectively doing away with all speculation.