In London’s Hatton Garden jewellery quarter, stores have raised their iron shutters to welcome a motley crew of buyers and sellers, as the price of gold reaches record highs.

The Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), the single largest private export processing zone in Bangladesh, has finally obtained the much-needed mutation documents from the government on February 6, a move that may facilitate more foreign investment in the country.

Martin Raiser, vice president of the World Bank for South Asia, yesterday stressed the need to separate tax policy from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in order to improve Bangladesh’s tax-to-GDP ratio.

A long queue of inbound vessels has formed at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port as sufficient berths are unavailable due to delays in scheduled departures caused by disruptions in container movement late last week.

Weakness in the financial sector and labour unrest might be the major sources of risk for the interim government in the short term, said a finance ministry report yesterday on Bangladesh’s recent economic challenges and the way forward.

The Bangladesh Bank is expected to keep the policy rate unchanged at 10 percent in its monetary policy stance for the second half (January to June) of the current fiscal year as inflation eased slightly in December.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today directed the Bangladesh Bank governor and the authorities concerned to bring those involved in looting money from banks to justice as soon as possible.

The duty was imposed to discourage rice bran oil shipments and increase domestic supply

The growth is 1.6 percentage points lower than the provisional estimate

DSEX lost 13.29 points

DSEX gains 7.37 points as of 11:34 am  

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) extended its gains for the second consecutive week, driven by positive movements in the shares of banks, pharmaceuticals, chemical companies, and financial institutions.

United Power Generation & Distribution Company (UPGDCL) saw its profit grow in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25, driven by higher electricity tariffs and steady production.

Bangladesh has mostly failed to achieve its targeted level of foreign direct investments (FDIs), with investment inflow amounting to only 0.75 percent of GDP in 2023, according to UNCTAD.

Local air conditioner (AC) manufacturers in Bangladesh are pushing for “fair” government procurement policies, arguing that existing rules favour foreign brands despite local companies meeting global standards.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is set to impose a fresh 25 percent regulatory duty on the export of crude and refined rice bran oil to discourage shipments and increase domestic supply.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected Bangladesh’s GDP growth rate to slow to 4.3 percent in fiscal year (FY) 2025, reflecting a subdued outlook amid political uncertainty, supply disruptions and tight monetary policy.

Janata Bank’s defaulted loans surged to a record Tk 67,300 crore by the end of last year, as politically exposed persons and business conglomerates became defaulters following the recent political changeover, reflecting the fragile condition of the state-run bank.

Over the last several years, Ahsan, a rickshaw puller in his 50s, has been eagerly waiting for relief from the high prices of food and other essentials. Days and months have passed, but his pursuit of a better living by escaping the curse of elevated inflation has remained a distant dream. 

Martin Raiser, vice president of the World Bank (WB) for South Asia, arrived in Dhaka on a four-day visit yesterday, which the global financial institution stated was aimed at reinforcing its longstanding partnership with Bangladesh..Raiser is scheduled to meet high-ups of the government,