The deficit in the financial account narrowed slightly in July-December of the current financial year, highlighting an easing of stress facing Bangladesh, central bank figures showed yesterday.

The government is reviewing the total economic situation of the country as it seems that the economy is improving as per preliminary symptoms, Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told parliament yesterday.

Mongla Port, which was expected to get a new lease on life due to the increasing flow of imported and exported goods after the opening of the Padma Bridge, is yet to become a port of choice among businesses.

Around a month past most of its directors being relieved of their duties over the alleged embezzlement of a fixed deposit and violation of the insurance act, Swadesh Islami Life Insurance Company has now had its registration suspended for three months

The Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) today published journals approving four products with geographical indication (GI) status.

The government yesterday named the winners of the National Export Trophy for fiscal 2021-22, with Rifat Garments Ltd set to receive the highest award, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Export Trophy.

The government is reviewing the economy of the country to assess the overall situation, Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told parliament today.

The number of people who returned to villages from cities and major towns almost doubled in 2022 from a year ago as living expenses exceeded their incomes, official figures showed.

The government is planning to use drones extensively to inspect and surveil public projects across the country in order to ensure quality and monitor whether contractors are doing their work properly during implementation.

In a move unseen in recent years, the government is going to cut the size of the fund meant for its own use while revising the annual development programme (ADP) for the current fiscal year.

The pharmaceuticals sector of Bangladesh appears to be rebounding from the crisis stemming from both external and internal fronts in recent years as exports are growing, said a top official.

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday toughened rules on the appointment of bank directors and banned willful loan defaulters and tax evaders from sitting on boards as it moves to restore governance in the banking sector.

Shares on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) rose yesterday as investors continued to maintain a high rate of trade over the past 10 days with hopes of a further increase in the stock prices.

Garment exports to the US, the biggest market for Bangladeshi products, declined by around 25 percent year-on-year to $7.28 billion last year for a slowdown in imports by American fashion retailers and brands due to high inflationary pressure.

Retail investors’ stakes in the share market of Bangladesh have nearly halved in the last 12 years as they are increasingly losing their appetite for stocks owing to a lacklustre market performance.

Bangladesh Bank’s banking sector reform roadmap of last week will come to no use if the implementation failures of previous roadmaps cannot be understood, said eminent economist Wahiduddin Mahmud yesterday.

Reforming the Bangladesh banking sector is long overdue considering the ongoing struggles, such as liquidity issues, poor resource management, capital crises, and underperforming loans and their potential ripple effect on the economy. Forced bank mergers have been the talk of the town in recent times. But we have seen most of the "known to be good banks" quite confused and concerned about the possible measures.

Brokerage firms in Bangladesh are increasingly encouraging stock investors to invest in treasury bonds as the risk-free securities are offering lucrative returns, which are higher than the deposit rate in the banking sector.

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday instructed nine banks, including four state-run lenders, to transfer officials who have been in charge of their foreign exchange booths at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for more than one year.

Bangladesh Bank has asked banks to take measures in order to encourage their employees to adopt the government’s Universal Pension Scheme.