Jagaran Chakma

Bangladesh, long regarded as a cost-competitive destination and once hailed as the next Asian tiger, is now grappling with mounting pressure as the cost of doing business is rising sharply across key sectors.

As the United States moves to impose reciprocal tariffs, concerns are mounting among Bangladeshi exporters, particularly in the footwear and pharmaceutical sectors, over potential implications for the country’s trade prospects.

Restoring confidence in Dhaka-Delhi ties will be the key objective of the meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok today, diplomatic sources said.

Rural people have emerged as key consumers of home appliances ahead of this year’s Eid festival, as surging remittance inflows and good prices for agricultural produce, particularly rice, have boosted their purchasing power, according to electronics manufacturers and sellers.

After a challenging year, Japanese companies in Bangladesh are eyeing 2025 with cautious optimism, as 50 percent anticipate a rise in operating profits despite persistent hurdles.

The electronics and home appliance sector in Bangladesh is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent years due to inflation, currency devaluation and declining consumer spending on non-essential items.

Mongla port, the second largest seaport in Bangladesh, witnessed a sharp  decline in container handling throughout the first seven months of the  current fiscal year (FY), with growing economic constraints eroding  business activities in the country.

If the macroeconomic stress does not ease soon, these small ventures, which contribute 32 percent of the country's GDP and employ 85 percent of the industrial workforce, face closure.

The business world often thrives on boldness, but in Syed Manzur Elahi, Bangladesh found something more: a quiet fortitude, a moral compass, and an entrepreneurial mind that always seeks to build.

Syed Manzur Elahi was one of Bangladesh’s most distinguished industrialists and entrepreneurs.

Bangladesh requires around 100,000 new apartments every year. Despite having the capacity to meet this demand, realtors can only supply 8 percent of the required units, leaving a substantial gap.

Although the interim government is focusing on reforms and new measures, corruption remains a major concern for businesses. Instead of waning, demands for undue payments by public officials have increased in some cases, said a top industrialist.

Bangladesh’s investment-to-GDP ratio declined by 0.25 percentage points to 30.70 percent in the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24, according to official data, signalling a potential slowdown in future economic growth.

Local air conditioner (AC) manufacturers in Bangladesh are pushing for “fair” government procurement policies, arguing that existing rules favour foreign brands despite local companies meeting global standards.

Over the last several years, Ahsan, a rickshaw puller in his 50s, has been eagerly waiting for relief from the high prices of food and other essentials. Days and months have passed, but his pursuit of a better living by escaping the curse of elevated inflation has remained a distant dream. 

The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Bangladesh is facing critical challenges as a plethora of factors have caused it to stagnate to a mere 0.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in recent years.

Clay bricks cost Tk 12 per piece. A hollow block, which is four times larger than a clay brick, is priced at Tk 50.

Non-cotton garments are particularly lucrative, fetching higher prices than traditional cottonwear for having better flexibility, durability

Interestingly, the premium motorcycle segment bucked the trend, showing significant growth in 2024.

Although Bangladesh became the first country in the world to announce a complete ban on the use of polythene bags in 2002, strict enforcement of the much-lauded initiative has only started taking shape recently.