US President Donald Trump signed an executive order offering some tariff exemptions as soon as Monday to trading partners who strike deals on industrial exports such as nickel, gold and other metals, as well as pharmaceutical compounds and chemicals.

Confidence Cement PLC has announced plans to sell its entire stake in its Dhaka-based subsidiary to Confidence Power Holdings Ltd, citing a combination of financial obligations, strategic restructuring, and market headwinds in the cement sector.

Elon Musk really does do things no one else has. Chief among them: squeeze unprecedented paychecks from electric-car maker Tesla. On Friday, the company’s board proposed to award its CEO up to $1 trillion in stock. Becoming the world’s first trillionaire requires hitting goals that range from eyebrow-raising to eyeball-popping. It’s also an example of Tesla’s bizarre governance.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) closed trading higher yesterday, rebounding from the previous day’s losses, while turnover—the combined value of shares bought and sold—also rose.

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves fell to $25.30 billion yesterday, according to the International Monetary Fund’s calculation, after the country cleared $1.50 billion in import bills under the Asian Clearing Union (ACU).

Bangladesh will form an expert panel for negotiations as the country seeks to sign deals with major trading partners ahead of its graduation to a developing nation from the least developed country (LDC) category.

Gold’s powerful rally took on fresh legs on Friday, with prices just cents away from $3,600 per ounce, as weak US jobs data further raised expectations for bullion-supportive Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Consumer prices eased in August, reaching their lowest point in more than three years. Yet households faced higher food bills compared with July, at a time when shrinking purchasing power and declining jobs are squeezing many households.

The country’s economy grew in August, though at a weaker pace than the month before, as several sectors lost momentum, according to the latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI).

The country’s leather footwear sector has the raw materials, skilled labour and a strong place in the global supply chain.

Bangladesh has a money problem. Not the kind where the government cannot pay its bills, but the kind where there is simply not enough capital flowing into the country to fuel real growth.

Growth stalls in agriculture, construction, as input costs and employment decline

The decline was mainly driven by a notable fall in non-food inflation

The DSEX gained 29.75 points to 5,644.03 by 11:52 am

The cabinet yesterday approved a new telecom licensing policy aimed at abolishing the fragmented licensing regime while capping foreign ownership in telecom and related services.

The interim government has taken a series of steps to restore confidence among investors and reinvigorate the stock market, which has been hovering between 4,000 points and 5,500 points for the last several years.

Key trade bodies such as the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) and Bangladesh Tea Association have expressed support for the employers.

Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC (WHIPLC) saw its profit decline in the financial year that ended on June 30, 2025, due to reduced consumer demand and higher finance costs.

Gold prices declined on Thursday, pulling back from a record high as investors locked in profits, while attention shifted to US jobs data for further insight into the Federal Reserve’s policy path.

We have always been champions of hugging. From clutching relatives at weddings long enough to make the stage creak, to embracing one another at mosques after prayers, to greeting colleagues with theatrical warmth at the first meeting of the week. And of course, the masters of the art, our politicians, hugging voters before elections with dazzling smiles, then hugging power afterwards as if their lives depended on it.