LDC graduation deferral awaits UNGA nod
23 July 2026, 00:00 AM
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) yesterday supported Bangladesh and Nepal’s request for a three-year extension of the preparatory period for LDC graduation.
23 July 2026, 00:00 AM
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
Govt to speed up foreign aid utilisation
As foreign aid in the pipeline reached nearly $46 billion at the start of this fiscal year, the interim government will take initiatives to utilise those funds to bolster the country’s foreign currency reserves.
22 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Crisis provides an opening for important reforms
Bangladesh is facing several challenges, including restoring law and order and stabilising the economy in the near term.
21 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Interest payment for foreign loan jumped 162% in Jul-Mar of FY24
Interest payments against foreign loans shot up 162 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of the last fiscal year as debt servicing of loans taken for some mega projects has started.
21 August 2024, 18:00 PM
AL govt leaves behind $156 billion debt
When Sheikh Hasina returned to power in 2008, Bangladesh’s total debt was just $33.66 billion. When she fled amid an unprecedented student-led uprising on August 5, she left behind a burden of $156 billion in local and foreign loans for the country to carry.
20 August 2024, 18:00 PM
‘Big defaulters won’t be spared’
Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has vowed to mete out exemplary punishment to big loan defaulters as the interim government scrambles to fix the ailing banking sector of Bangladesh.
17 August 2024, 18:00 PM
BB may hike policy rate again to curb inflation
The Bangladesh Bank may increase the policy rate for both local and foreign currencies in a bid to reduce inflation and increase international reserves.
17 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Food inflation tops 14pc for first time in 13yrs
Bangladesh’s worsening economic crisis has spun off a price shock with food inflation crossing 14 percent in July for the first time in 13 years.
12 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Economists outline top priorities for new finance adviser
The priorities of newly appointed finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed should be to make key financial institutions functional immediately, control inflation, and present accurate data on exports, imports, GDP and important economic indicators, economists said.
10 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Politically-motivated lending causing bad loans to spiral: WB
The amount of bad loans has been spiralling in Bangladesh owing to rampant politically-motivated lending and inadequate credit risk management, according to a World Bank report.
29 July 2024, 18:00 PM
Foreign debt servicing surges 25.73% in FY24
Total foreign debt servicing, including repayment of the principal amount as well as interest, rose to $3.35 billion in financial year 2023-24 from $2.67 billion in 2022-23.
28 July 2024, 14:10 PM
Govt may miss IMF’s revenue collection target
Bangladesh is unlikely to fulfil the revenue collection target set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of its conditions for the fourth tranche of a $4.7 billion loan programme.
27 July 2024, 18:00 PM
BTCL recorded Tk 316cr unrealised dues as ‘current asset’: CAG
Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) has failed to realise dues worth around Tk 316 crore from different companies and falsely recorded it as “current asset” in its financial statement.
16 July 2024, 18:00 PM
BB to keep policy rates high to curb inflation
Bangladesh Bank is going to unveil the monetary policy for the first half of fiscal year 2024-25 tomorrow and is expected to retain its tight monetary stance as its foremost target is to bring down the spiralling inflation.
16 July 2024, 18:00 PM
Govt borrowing through bonds, bills rises fivefold
The government’s borrowing through the sales of treasury bonds and bills jumped fivefold in the last fiscal year, which raised its debt servicing cost compared to the level projected initially.
16 July 2024, 18:00 PM
Tools where pension funds can be invested
The government has published rules stating where and how pension funds will be invested so that the National Pension Authority (NPA) can produce better returns at lower risks, a move that will ease its repayment burden.
14 July 2024, 18:00 PM
Govt to form autonomous body for debt management
The unit will work under the Finance Division
14 July 2024, 02:15 AM
New rules in the making to give more autonomy to Bangladesh Bank
The government is going to amend the Bangladesh Bank Order, 1972 to align it with global best practices and give the central bank more autonomy so that it can initiate steps to help the economy deal with pressure.
10 July 2024, 18:00 PM
BB finds six types of wrongdoing in export data
The central bank discovered six types of statistical wrongdoing that inflated export data, a development that led to a multibillion-dollar correction.
5 July 2024, 18:00 PM
Finance division reveals austerity measures for FY25
For the sixth consecutive year, the finance division has imposed several restrictions on allocated budget expenditures, including foreign tours and block allocation, as a part of austerity measures amidst the ongoing economic crisis.
4 July 2024, 18:00 PM
PM’s visit to China: Dhaka to seek $20b fresh loans from Beijing
Bangladesh will seek fresh loans amounting to $20 billion during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to China, which Beijing hopes would be a “game changer” in the bilateral relationship.
3 July 2024, 18:00 PM