Japan is actively considering Bangladesh's request for budget support, Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki said today.

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) yesterday froze 230 accounts of several mobile financial service providers as the accountholders were allegedly involved in hundi.

At its inception Bangladesh had only a handful of successful corporate leaders and Mahbub Jamil was one of them. I cringe from using the past tense for Jamil Bhai. With his passing we have lost a great leader, mentor and friend.

Flour mills in eight northern districts of Rangpur division are struggling to continue production as wheat has become scarce in international markets amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, two major exporters of the cereal grain.

The Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB), a platform of managing directors of banks in Bangladesh, yesterday said depositors’ money in banks were completely protected as lenders were now enjoying a hefty amount of excess liquidity. 

Global Islami Bank (GIB) saw its share prices fall below the book value on its market debut yesterday, an unusual event in Bangladesh’s stock market where companies usually register a rise, at least for the first few days. 

The insurance regulator of Bangladesh has directed all life insurers to set up an actuarial department and appoint actuaries with a view to assessing and managing the risks of financial investments and insurance policies. 

H&M has a big plan for sourcing for Bangladesh although the price will increase by up to 12 per cent following the country’s graduation from the grouping of the least-developed countries in 2026, said a senior official of the Swedish retail giant yesterday. 

Iraqi business people are interested to invest in Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical and leather sectors either through forming joint ventures or on their own, said a business leader from the Middle Eastern country.   

Major indices of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) edged upwards yesterday even though turnover dipped below the Tk 500-crore mark as investors opted against making fresh bets amid the ongoing economic crisis.

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday asked banks to provide freelancers with encashment certificates through mobile financial service (MFS) providers so that they can submit the document at the time of income tax payment.

Bangladesh Bank yesterday allowed local importers to defer payments for foreign credit supports for another six months for industrial raw materials, agricultural equipment and chemical fertilisers.  

Lugang Technology (Bangladesh) Limited, a Hong Kong-based company, is going to invest $22.99 million to set up a textile factory in Ishwardi Export Processing Zone.

Singaporean bank DBS yesterday announced that it will be expanding its regional footprint with the establishment of a representative office in Dhaka.

TAD Logistic Limited, an international freight forwarder based in Dhaka, recently launched direct cargo flights from Bangladesh to South Korea for the first time to boost bilateral trade.

Syed Mahbubur Rahman has recently been reappointed managing director and chief executive officer of Mutual Trust Bank (MTB). 

Bangladesh needs an efficient development policy for the logistics industry as inadequacies in the current infrastructure create hurdles for businesses and reduce the country’s competitiveness and growth potential, according to experts.

Underscoring the need to diversify the business landscape here, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan yesterday said the bilateral trade volume could reach $2 billion a year if the obstacles faced by businesses were removed.

Summit Alliance Port Limited (SAPL) reported a 109 per cent increase in profit in the first quarter of the current fiscal year of 2022-23.  

Businesses from Singapore can invest in Bangladesh’s different sectors, including information technology, pharmaceuticals and hospitality, as the south Asian country offers a wide range of facilities to the foreign investors, trade experts said today.