Many left out as govt eyes full adult financial inclusion by June

Low-income households, women, rural communities, and informal workers remain excluded from financial services due to deep-rooted barriers, even as the government aims to achieve financial inclusion for all adults by June 2026, according to the Bangladesh Bank.
20 January 2026, 00:00 AM

Afghanistan wants duty-free bilateral trade with Bangladesh

A deputy minister of Afghanistan, now in Dhaka, met commerce secretary
19 January 2026, 22:37 PM

Second consignment of US wheat reaches Ctg port

57,203 tonnes of wheat came this time and total 220,000 tonnes will be imported
19 January 2026, 19:07 PM

IMF sees steady global growth in 2026 as AI boom offsets trade headwinds

IMF in its World Economic Outlook update forecast global GDP growth at 3.3% in 2026
19 January 2026, 15:52 PM

Dollar slides, investors look for safe havens as Trump ups tariff ante

Major European Union nations decried the Greenland tariff threats as blackmail on Sunday
19 January 2026, 15:01 PM

Gold, silver hit records and stocks fall as Trump fans trade fears

Gold, a key go-to in times of turmoil, hit a peak of $4,690.59, while silver struck $94.12.
19 January 2026, 09:13 AM

China says economy grew 5% last year, among slowest in decades

Leaders set a growth target of "around five percent" for last year, following a five percent rise in 2024.
19 January 2026, 09:05 AM

Vietnam breaks ground on first domestic chip manufacturing plant

Vietnam on Friday officially launched construction of its first semiconductor chip manufacturing facility, a landmark step towards building domestic chipmaking capacity, with Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính attending the groundbreaking ceremony in Hà Nội.
19 January 2026, 00:00 AM

Import-stage income tax credits to be auto-reflected in e-returns

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has introduced an automated system that allows advance income tax (AIT) paid at the import stage to be directly credited to taxpayers’ electronic returns.
19 January 2026, 00:00 AM

Supreme Court tests limits of Trump’s power over the economy

The US Supreme Court signaled four months into Donald Trump’s second presidential term last year its interest in shielding the Federal Reserve from political interference. When the justices on Wednesday consider the legality of his bid to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, their willingness to preserve the US central bank’s independence will be ​put to the test.
19 January 2026, 00:00 AM

UCB hosts ‘Cashless Bangladesh Initiative’ programme in Kushtia

United Commercial Bank PLC (UCB) yesterday organised a daylong programme, titled “Cashless Bangladesh Initiative”, in Kushtia under an initiative of Bangladesh Bank to promote a cashless financial system.
19 January 2026, 00:00 AM

India slaps $2.45m fine on IndiGo

India’s civil aviation regulator on Saturday imposed a fine of $2.45 million on IndiGo, the country’s biggest airline, for poor roster planning that led to large-scale flight cancellations in December.
19 January 2026, 00:00 AM

AI bull case gets its biggest booster

It is telling that the head of the world’s most important chipmaker had to talk to his “customers’ customers” to make sure demand for artificial intelligence is, in fact, real. But the $1.4 trillion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s chief executive has done just that to justify a huge increase in capital expenditure for the current year. It’s just the type of validation AI bulls have been waiting for.
19 January 2026, 00:00 AM

American CEOs push back on Trump

Speaking before a darkened ballroom on Thursday, US Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark called on executives to be “fearless” in defense of free markets over government control and said the US must remain “open to the world, open to the global exchange of talent and goods and ideas and innovation.”
19 January 2026, 00:00 AM

New mechanised irrigation promises less water, labour

Not all crops require flood irrigation, and using it on wheat, corn, onions, garlic, sugarcane, and other winter crops causes water wastage and may even harm the crop itself. To address this, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is testing a centre-pivot irrigation system to deliver water precisely to maintain optimal soil moisture.
19 January 2026, 00:00 AM

Supreme Court tests limits of Trump's power over the economy in fight over Fed's Lisa Cook

The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, heard arguments in November concerning Trump's sweeping global tariffs
18 January 2026, 17:23 PM

Vietnam breaks ground on first domestic chip manufacturing plant

The project is undertaken by the military-run Viettel Group
18 January 2026, 14:51 PM

Trump administration touts push to lower car prices, de-emphasise EVs

The administration has aggressively rolled back electric vehicle rules from former President Joe Biden's administration
18 January 2026, 12:38 PM

American CEOs push back on Trump ... mildly

This month, several CEOs have offered temperate critiques of certain Trump agenda items
18 January 2026, 12:27 PM

Netflix, Warner Bros bonds among $100m bought by Trump

US President Donald Trump purchased about $100 million in municipal and corporate bonds from mid-November to late December, his latest disclosures showed, including up to $2 million in Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery bonds just weeks after the companies announced their merger.
18 January 2026, 00:00 AM