Govt to merge authorities to boost FDI
10 July 2026, 00:00 AM
The government has finalised a draft law to form a single authority by merging at least three investment-related institutions to improve Bangladesh’s position in attracting foreign direct investment.
10 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Road-cutting delays stall Desco project
3 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Delays in obtaining road-cutting approvals from several government agencies have stalled the installation of underground transmission lines under Dhaka Electric Supply Company’s (Desco) power infrastructure expansion project, prompting the utility to seek a two-year extension, according to an official monitoring report.
3 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Nicotine pouches to be under tax net
14 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh has for the first time formally brought nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products into the national tax framework, with public health experts warning that the move could legitimise a new generation of nicotine products despite growing global concerns over their health risks.
14 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Budget FY27: Energy tops agenda despite 23% cut in allocation
12 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The government has identified energy security as one of its top strategic priorities for fiscal 2026-27, even as it proposed a nearly 23 percent reduction in the power and energy sector’s allocation from this year’s original.
12 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Power prices up 16.7% on average
4 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) yesterday raised electricity tariffs at wholesale, transmission, and retail levels, disregarding the objections from different stakeholders.
4 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Offshore bidding opens under relaxed framework
24 May 2026, 00:00 AM
The government is set to launch exploration offers for all 26 offshore blocks today under a significantly relaxed framework featuring lower qualification thresholds, reduced entry costs and a series of commercial safeguards aimed at lowering investor risk in the Bay of Bengal.
24 May 2026, 00:00 AM
BERC mulling at least 13.9% power price hike
22 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Electricity consumers may face a 13.9 percent increase in retail tariffs in addition to any rise in wholesale electricity and transmission charges, according to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission’s (BERC) Technical Evaluation Committee.
22 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Power price hike hearing: PDB gets flak from consumers
21 May 2026, 00:00 AM
People should not have to pay for the authorities’ inefficiency, failures, and system losses, consumers said at a hearing on the Power Development Board’s tariff hike proposal yesterday.
21 May 2026, 00:00 AM
10 ministries brace for budget cuts
The railway ministry, the power division, and the primary and mass education ministry will see the biggest chop.
17 May 2025, 18:20 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.
13 March 2025, 18:00 PM
Revenue Tk 52,000cr short of IMF target for Jul-Dec
Revenue collection fell significantly short of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) target in the first six months of the current fiscal year, with the floor for the fourth instalment of an ongoing $4.7 billion loan programme proving too ambitious.
11 March 2025, 18:00 PM
Gas scarcity halves industrial production
Industrial users are counting 30 to 50 percent production losses for the last couple of months thanks to a gas shortage.
6 March 2025, 18:00 PM
Govt aiming for record power generation this summer
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) has projected the highest electricity demand during the summer months would be 18,000 megawatts (MW), while the highest production target is 17,260MW.
5 February 2025, 18:23 PM
Dhaka should no longer be capital
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has long been a vibrant cultural and economic hub. As one of the world’s largest megacities, it never sleeps, embracing millions from diverse backgrounds.
4 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Capacity payment terms must be renegotiated
The interim government must suspend the inefficient and costly power plants and renegotiate the capacity payment terms with the private power producers as the structure incentivises inefficiency, according to the report of the task force.
3 February 2025, 19:17 PM