Govt, IMF at odds over spending on polls pledges
19 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh and the International Monetary Fund are locked in new disagreements over the country’s economic programme, with tensions centring on social spending, revenue mobilisation, exchange rate policy, and the pace of financial sector reforms.
19 April 2026, 00:00 AM
IMF, WB assure Dhaka of funds to absorb war shocks
18 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Officials in the 11-member delegation said Bangladesh pressed for additional funds to cover the shortfall caused by the energy crisis, beyond regular budget support
18 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Planning commission: Advisory panel outlines overhaul of governance
16 April 2026, 03:29 AM
A high-level advisory committee, formed by the Planning Commission to develop a sustainable development strategy, plans to recommend the government introduce a bicameral parliament, reinstate the caretaker government system, and ensure media freedom.
16 April 2026, 03:29 AM
Fuel, fertiliser imports: Govt needs $2.61b extra until June
16 April 2026, 03:09 AM
Bangladesh will need an additional $2.61 billion in foreign exchange to pay the surging energy and fertiliser import bills for March-June period.
16 April 2026, 03:09 AM
IMF holds Bangladesh’s GDP growth projection steady
16 April 2026, 00:00 AM
While the World Bank and Asian Development Bank had lowered Bangladesh’s GDP growth forecast due to the Persian Gulf crisis and domestic vulnerabilities, the International Monetary Fund has kept its earlier projection unchanged.
16 April 2026, 00:00 AM
IMF holds Bangladesh’s GDP growth projection steady
14 April 2026, 22:57 PM
WB, ADB cut GDP growth forecast amid Persian Gulf crisis
14 April 2026, 22:57 PM
Bangladesh to receive $2bn assistance from IMF, WB amid Middle East crisis
14 April 2026, 15:02 PM
Finance minister optimistic about receiving assistance by June after Washington meetings
14 April 2026, 15:02 PM
Dovish budget in the works
12 April 2026, 03:39 AM
The government is preparing a Tk 927,000 crore budget for fiscal 2026-27, up about 18 percent from this year, as it looks to implement its electoral pledges, partially roll out the Pay Commission recommendations, and shield the economy from the fallout of the ongoing Middle East conflict.
12 April 2026, 03:39 AM
Govt decides to lift duties on rice imports
The government is set to import a substantial quantity of rice and withdraw import duties to boost stock.
1 November 2024, 01:00 AM
Interim govt to strengthen universal pension scheme
The interim government plans to strengthen the universal pension scheme (UPS) with the aim of bringing people from all walks of life under a sustainable social security framework.
30 October 2024, 18:00 PM
GDP growth lowest in five quarters
Bangladesh recorded its lowest economic growth in the past five quarters in the last quarter of fiscal 2023-24 due to contractionary monetary and fiscal policies to tackle the dwindling forex reserves and high inflation.
29 October 2024, 01:08 AM
IMF team due in Dec to review fourth tranche of $4.7b loan
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is sending a team within the first week of December to review whether Bangladesh qualifies for the fourth tranche of a $4.7 billion loan programme.
27 October 2024, 18:00 PM
A good example of a bad plan
A year on, Karnaphuli tunnel losing over Tk 27 lakh a day
27 October 2024, 01:00 AM
IMF slashes growth forecast to 4.5 percent
After the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund has now brought down Bangladesh’s growth forecast for this year as political uncertainty, industrial unrest and floods weigh heavily on economic activities.
22 October 2024, 18:09 PM
Foreign debt servicing surges 29% in Jul-Sep
Bangladesh’s foreign debt servicing surged 29 percent year-on-year in the first three months of fiscal 2024-25 owing to the country’s expanded foreign loan portfolio and the rise in global interest rates.
20 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Budget support from WB, IMF, ADB: Bangladesh may get $5.65b by this fiscal year
The government is expecting at least $5.65 billion in budget support this fiscal year from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to expedite reforms.
18 October 2024, 18:41 PM
Up to $1.5b World Bank loans to be repurposed
The government has identified a dozen slow-paced projects funded by the World Bank, from which up to $1.5 billion will be repurposed and utilised as budget support or in other policy-based reform programmes.
14 October 2024, 18:01 PM
Economic output may expand 29% if more women employed: WB
Bangladesh could increase its output in the manufacturing, service and farming sectors by up to 29 percent simply by bringing more women into the workforce, according to the World Bank.
12 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh still stays at bottom in business environment
The Washington-based multilateral lender’s Business Ready (B-Ready) report, which was released yesterday, also places Bangladesh in the fourth tier of five stages for public service delivery, indicating weaker performance in this area too
10 October 2024, 18:30 PM
WB cuts FY25 growth forecast to 4 percent
The World Bank has slashed its forecast for Bangladesh’s economic growth by 1.7 percentage points to 4 percent for FY25 due to “significant uncertainties following recent political turmoil” and “data unavailability”.
10 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Why the cost of Matarbari deep-sea port project is going up
Four years after its approval, the cost of the Matarbari deep-sea port project in Cox’s Bazar has escalated, while the deadline has been pushed back too.
8 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Banks mostly gave loans to their owners rather than creditworthy borrowers
Bangladesh’s banking sector was not well-managed in recent years. Banks mostly gave loans to their owners, rather than to creditworthy entities. Consequently, several banks are now in difficulty.
6 October 2024, 18:00 PM
IMF reaffirms support in fighting economic challenges
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reaffirmed its support for Bangladesh’s interim government in overcoming the various economic challenges the country has been facing in recent times.
30 September 2024, 18:00 PM
IMF reaffirms support for interim government
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reaffirmed its support for Bangladesh’s interim government in overcoming the various economic challenges the country has been facing in recent times.
30 September 2024, 15:40 PM
Distressed loans soar to a record Tk 4.75 lakh cr
Distressed loans at banks totalled over Tk 4.75 lakh crore at the end of 2023 – a revelation that makes for a sobering read of the actual health of this vital sector of the economy.
30 September 2024, 01:00 AM
Per capita foreign debt more than doubles in eight years
Per capita foreign debt of Bangladesh more than doubled in the last eight years, according to official data, as economists attribute the hike to unplanned foreign-funded projects and corruption, ultimately ballooning the liability on low-income people, including the extremely poor.
28 September 2024, 18:00 PM
Interest payments surpass Tk 100,000cr for first time
The government’s interest payments against foreign loans surged 24.5 percent in fiscal year 2023-24, exceeding the Tk 100,000 crore mark for the first time in history, thanks to higher borrowing costs for loans from both domestic and foreign sources.
26 September 2024, 18:00 PM
IMF to provide more loans on a fast track
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has assured the interim government of providing more loans on a “fast-track” basis as Bangladesh expects $3 billion from the global lender.
25 September 2024, 18:00 PM