Govt revives talk of sovereign bond
22 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh is once again considering issuing a sovereign bond to raise funds from international investors, but economists warn the country may not yet be ready
22 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt vows banking, tax reforms if LDC exit delayed
21 July 2026, 00:00 AM
The draft plan has since been circulated among relevant ministries and will be finalised soon before submission to the UNCDP and other international bodies.
21 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Dhaka-Ashulia Expressway: Cost poised to climb 54%
20 July 2026, 00:00 AM
The cost of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway project is likely to rise by another Tk 9,493 crore to Tk 27,046 crore, about Tk 5,000 crore less than what it cost to build the Padma Bridge.
20 July 2026, 00:00 AM
New loan programme: IMF to push for banking reforms, tax boost
17 July 2026, 00:00 AM
The conditions for the possible new International Monetary Fund programme are likely to be based on raising the tax-GDP ratio, reducing subsidies, exchange rate flexibility and banking sector reforms.
17 July 2026, 00:00 AM
LDC exit in 2026 could deepen economic woes: govt report
16 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh’s economy is in crisis due to domestic and external shocks, and graduation from the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) this year will worsen the situation due to several risks, according to a government document.
16 July 2026, 00:00 AM
New IMF loan may come next January, say officials
12 July 2026, 00:00 AM
A new International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme, prioritising revenue collection growth and banking sector reforms in Bangladesh, may commence next January.
12 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Fresh hike in oil prices may derail inflation target
8 July 2026, 00:00 AM
The Finance Division has warned that a possible fresh surge in global oil prices driven by the Middle East war could derail Bangladesh’s inflation-control efforts, pushing average inflation above 9 percent in the current fiscal year and further squeezing household purchasing power.
8 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara Lake / Poor planning leaves dev project short of promise
7 July 2026, 00:00 AM
IMED report cites lack of feasibility study, land acquisition delays for incomplete implementation
7 July 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
Interest payments, subsidies soak up almost half of budget
Interest payments and subsidies have absorbed nearly half of Bangladesh’s total budget expenditure in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, underscoring growing fiscal stress and raising concerns over public finances.
15 May 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
Govt’s bank borrowing target may shrink in next budget
The government is planning to significantly reduce its bank borrowing target in the upcoming fiscal year as it aims to narrow the budget deficit by scaling down the overall budget size.
13 May 2025, 18:00 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
Budget to shrink amid fiscal strain
Bangladesh’s interim government is preparing to unveil a rare contractionary budget on June 2, driven by a sharp rise in interest payment that is crowding out fiscal space and forcing spending cuts.
10 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Shift focus to services from infrastructure spending
Bangladesh’s approach to budgeting for health and education has come under sharp scrutiny, as decades of allocations have primarily gone towards construction. Meanwhile, the core of these sectors, service delivery, has been historically neglected.
10 May 2025, 18:00 PM
A unique chance to reset fiscal priorities
Bangladesh’s upcoming national budget, set to be unveiled by the interim government in June, could mark a rare departure from past fiscal cycles.
10 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Be realistic, avert risks
In a country weighed down by high inflation, dwindling fiscal space and weak investments, now is not the time for illusions.
10 May 2025, 18:00 PM
BBS finally empowered to publish data independently
As part of policy reforms aimed at improving the credibility and accuracy of national statistics, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has been empowered to publish official data without prior government approval.
8 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Dev budget for FY26 lowest in four years
The interim government is set to slash the development budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 by 14 percent year-on-year, as it struggles with limited fiscal space and steers away from costly mega-projects.
6 May 2025, 18:00 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
Aid allocation to be trimmed in next budget
The plan comes as $42.85b foreign funds remained unused at start of current FY
28 April 2025, 18:01 PM
IMF talks end without deal on next loan tranches
Led by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, the Bangladesh delegation held a series of meetings with IMF representatives in Washington.
26 April 2025, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh-IMF talks to continue
The International Monetary Fund has no major disagreement with Bangladesh over reforms to the National Board of Revenue, one of the conditions set by the lender for the fourth and fifth instalments of the $4.7 billion loan.
25 April 2025, 18:22 PM
US wants Bangladesh’s work plan to reduce trade gap
The United States Trade Representative (USTR), the US government’s chief trade negotiation body, wants to see Bangladesh’s work plan on narrowing the bilateral trade gap before the Trump administration makes a call on reciprocal tariffs.
24 April 2025, 18:09 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
Poverty may worsen: World Bank
Bangladesh is confronting a potential rise in poverty and inequality as stubborn inflation, job losses and a slowing economy erode household welfare, according to a World Bank report.
23 April 2025, 18:01 PM
Govt raises salary of its outsourced manpower
The government has increased the monthly salary for outsourced manpower of state-owned and state-run organisations after around six years by Tk 570 to Tk 1,102 in several cities and categories.
21 April 2025, 18:00 PM