There is an old joke: a man arrives at a seedy motel and is offered two options. The economy room costs $10, while the premium room is $12..“What is the difference?” he asks..“The $12 room comes with a free TV,” replies the receptionist with a smile..The humour lies in the contradiction. The TV is "free" but costs more. As Bangladesh prepares free trade agreements (FTAs) with as many as two dozen countries, the joke is a timely reminder: in global commerce, there is no such thing as a free deal. The large print giveth, while the small print taketh away, as the saying goes.

An SME Foundation event discusses struggles of small businesses

The partnership aims to promote technology exchange, research collaboration, and workforce development

The DSEX gained 66.23 points to settle at 5,455.40

Unplanned development threatens livestock and livelihoods

The DSEX gained 48.71 points, reaching 5,437.89 by 11:38 am

PPRC report reveals sharp rise from 2022

Chinese company Dunion Taiyang Sheng Shoes (BD) Co Ltd will invest $10.20 million to set up a footwear manufacturing factory in Bepza Economic Zone (Bepza EZ) in Chattogram.

The Bangladesh Bank has raised the paid-up capital requirement for digital banks from Tk 125 crore to Tk 300 crore.

Leaders of 16 major business chambers and associations have urged the government to delay Bangladesh's graduation from the least developed country (LDC) club, saying that an early transition would severely strain the pharmaceuticals and garment industries.

Eminent economist Prof Rehman Sobhan has said reforms not yet initiated and operationalised may remain unimplemented in the end.

Growers optimistic as leaf prices reach Tk 30 per kg

Bangladesh's climate pledges linked to renewable energy ambitions

Credit crunch, investment fall pose threat to growth

An influx of foreign workers has given the euro zone’s economy a boost in recent years, helping offset shorter working hours and lower real wages, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Saturday.

Gold prices rebounded on Friday, buoyed by heightened expectations of a September rate cut following comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the central bank’s Jackson Hole symposium.

Private sector credit growth fell to 6.4 percent in June 2025, the lowest in 22 years. This alarming number reflects the immense strain on the national economy, a slump not seen since the early 2000s. But the fading momentum goes beyond statistics. It is a pulse check on our economic strength, and the social cost of falling credit is immense.

Sometimes China’s leaders throw markets a curveball, and the latest could prove curvier than most: the country’s State Council, or cabinet, may approve a roadmap for boosting global use of the yuan later this month, including a bid to catch up with US progress on stablecoins, per a Reuters report citing unnamed sources.

Joint ventures, vessel imports discussed during minister's visit

National Fish Week 2025 ends today