Bangladesh expects to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan by the end of next month, as negotiations between the two countries have already been completed, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday.

AB Bank’s bad loans have ballooned to an unprecedented level, with nearly 84 percent of its total loans in default, a sign of severe financial distress caused by years of irregularities at the country’s first private commercial lender.

Govt says renowned global operators will modernise port system, reduce corruption and eventually increase Bangladesh’s competitiveness

The governor speaks at Mastercard Excellence Awards 2025

The garment makers’ association urges its members

Bhutan is interested in transforming its current preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bangladesh into a free trade agreement (FTA) to expand bilateral trade..Visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay expressed this interest at a meeting with Bangladeshi Commerce Adviser Sk

The government has fixed a set of administrative fees and charges for customs formalities related to the first trial run of transit and transshipment of goods between Bangladesh and Bhutan via the Chattogram-Burimari route, according to a notification by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued yesterday.

The ministries and divisions of the government spent 8.33 percent of their total allocation in the first four months of the current fiscal year, thanks to a slight increase in expenditure during this period.

A recent inspection by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has exposed deficiencies in mobile network services, highlighting a gap between operators’ claims of nationwide 4G coverage and the reality on the ground.

The interim government has unveiled the National Logistics Policy 2025, aiming to position Bangladesh as a leading regional trade and logistics hub by 2050.

Revenue collection rose nearly 16 percent year-on-year in the first four months of the current fiscal year, thanks to a turbulent base period last year and a more settled political and business climate now.

Going against the usual practice and history, the interim government has raised the revenue collection target for the current fiscal year (FY) by 5 percent, or Tk 24,000 crore.

After months of promises, interim govt has withdrawn its plan to purchase 50,000 tonnes of potatoes

The foreign companies managing the Laldia Container Terminal and the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal will receive full tax exemption for 10 years at the terminals, Md Abdur Rahman Khan, chairman of the National Revenue Board (NBR), disclosed yesterday.

Bangladeshi drugmakers said visa complications and regulatory delays in India are increasingly hindering business growth, restricting access to technology and high-value partnerships just as the local pharmaceutical sector pushes to expand globally.

Social dialogue, a widely practised method for resolving industrial disputes, must be institutionalised across all industries so that negotiations can effectively bridge differences such as those surrounding the recently amended labour law, said labour leaders, industry owners and experts yesterday.

Bangladesh has been suffering from a mix of micro and macroeconomic pressures since August 2024. The banking sector, already weakened over many years, is now in trouble, marked by a capital shortfall, soaring non-performing loans (NPLs), and corruption.

The value of bitcoin has fallen sharply since reaching record heights last month, briefly falling below $90,000 on Tuesday compared with above $126,000 at the start of October.

The new draft rules on initial public offerings (IPOs) are complex and discouraging for investors and entrepreneurs, according to stakeholders.

Foreign firms pour most of their money into non-industrial areas as industrial zones face gas shortages and unfinished infrastructure