Zahid Hussain

When President Obama revoked Bangladesh’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) status in 2013, the direct economic shock was mild.

The silver lining is that the economy isn’t falling apart

This decision is a pragmatic step, regardless of whether it was motivated by the necessity of meeting IMF program conditions for the 4th and 5th disbursements

With a flexible exchange rate, BB can now shift its focus toward domestic economic priorities such as inflation control, employment growth, and financial stability instead of continuously defending the currency

The interim government (IG) is set to present its FY26 budget on June 2. The anticipation is that their budget will depart from the past.

The interim government, unburdened by political motivations, has no need to seek popular acclaim

The bilateral trade in goods between the US and China faces the risk of being severed due to the imposition of steep tariffs

On April 2, 2025, US President Trump introduced sweeping reciprocal tariffs, effectively reversing nearly all US tariff liberalisation since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The average US tariff surged from 2.5 percent to 20 percent with a single executive action

The golden rule of crony capitalism, in which profits are private but losses are social, has led to blatant injustice, as is generally recognised. The extra-market connections of crony capitalists facilitated transactional benefits while leading to entrenched market power, distorted competition, and depressed productivity growth, all contributing to growing inequalities. Yet, attempts to change the crony business model are facing their own dilemmas.

The golden rule of crony capitalism, in which profits are private but losses are social, has led to blatant injustice, as is generally recognised.

The Bangladesh Bank has embarked on a series of banking reforms with quiet determination. Most recently, it has tightened regulations regarding dividend payouts by scheduled banks, exemplifying the strategy of seizing low-hanging fruit in the pursuit of structural reforms.

The Bangladesh Bank has embarked on a series of banking reforms with quiet determination. Most recently, it has tightened regulations regarding dividend payouts by scheduled banks, exemplifying the strategy of seizing low-hanging fruit in the pursuit of structural reforms.

Navigating the labyrinth of macroeconomic management is particularly challenging during periods of interim leadership.

Navigating the labyrinth of macroeconomic management is particularly challenging during periods of interim leadership.

This objective is challenging but achievable, particularly if supply-side inflation pressures are mitigated.

Inflation refuses to budge. Part of the reason may be honest disclosure of what the data is saying.

By bringing down a despotic leviathan, the anti-discrimination student movement has earned the moral authority to be spokespersons for the whole nation

The crackdown on the nonviolent uprise of the students and the subsequent one thing leading to another chain of events locked down the economy, only figuratively reminiscent of the pandemic in 2020

In their Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) for the first half of FY25, Bangladesh Bank (BB) has stuck to the policy stance already in place.