Jagaran Chakma

The Bangladesh Special Economic Zone is showing promise as a manufacturing hub, with swift land handover and private-sector efficiency drawing investments into the zone, according to the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza).

Says Akiko Okumura, executive vice-president of Jetro

Bangladesh’s fast-growing garment exports are attracting fresh investment into support industries, with a new hanger manufacturing venture targeting a significant share of the $400 million apparel-related market.

Novo Nordisk’s decision to localise production was driven by both market need and manufacturing potential

Forced to import key raw materials from Asian countries at higher prices

Beza chief sets 180-day roadmap to break deadlock

Business leaders have called for the urgent appointment of a private-sector administrator and the swift holding of elections at the apex trade body, warning that prolonged administrative uncertainty is weakening the trade body and undermining business confidence.

Bangladesh’s net foreign direct investment witnessed a sharp 39 percent increase in 2025, reaching $1.77 billion, according to central bank data.

Say businesses, proposing shop hours from 1pm to 9pm and smart energy management

Bangladesh’s plastics industry is facing a severe disruption, as the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran rattles global energy and petrochemical markets, industry insiders say.

Sales of electronics and home appliances are witnessing an unusual slowdown even close to Eid-ul-Fitr, with demand for products such as televisions and refrigerators showing only marginal improvement and remaining near regular-day levels instead of the customary festive surge.

Bangladesh’s processed food exports to key Middle Eastern markets have come to a standstill as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran have halted shipments, leaving containers stranded and exporters fearing mounting financial losses.

Bangladeshi companies are increasingly investing abroad, with net foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows soaring more than ninefold in the July-September quarter of 2025 compared with the same period the year before.

Despite a slight improvement toward the end of the year, Dhaka’s luxury hotel industry struggled through much of 2025 amid political uncertainty, economic slowdown and declining foreign tourist arrivals.

The country’s furniture industry is showing signs of stabilisation after nearly two years of decline, though recovery remains fragile and uneven across segments, according to leading manufacturers.

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 government’s abrupt cancellation of Ahsan H Mansur’s appointment as governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB) yesterday has drawn sharp criticism from stakeholders, including economists and bankers.

Surging home loan interest rates have brought Bangladesh’s mid-segment housing market to a near standstill in 2025, squeezing salaried buyers who depend heavily on bank financing and sharply raising monthly instalments beyond affordability.

Bangladesh’s healthcare system has become capable of meeting the majority of domestic demand, but chronic mismanagement and poor planning are draining nearly four-fifths of the sector’s public spending, according to AM Shamim, general secretary of the Bangladesh Private Hospital, Clinic and Diagnostic Owners Association.

Akij Resource is making its debut in the electronics retail market with a new brand, Orca