In June last year when Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal placed the budget in parliament, inflation had already been creeping up and the foreign currency reserves were on the decline. These two had derailed the full economic recovery from a two-year crisis wrought by the Covid pandemic.

Small wooden furniture businesses in Bangladesh are facing a deep financial crisis as the demand for their products has fallen drastically, according to market players.

There are few, if any, central bankers who are currently not taking some public criticism for raising rates. 

Sustaining the development that has taken place in Bangladesh in the past 14 years and curbing inequality are key major challenges facing the economy owing to the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, said Planning Minister MA Mannan.

Banks in Bangladesh witnessed an accumulation of default loans by Tk 10,964 crore in the first three months of 2023, highlighting the worsening financial health of the banking sector, official figures showed.

The government is going to unveil a Tk 7,61,785 crore budget for the next fiscal year on Thursday, setting containment of high inflation as a major target.

Even though poor people are struggling to make ends meet amid runaway inflation, the government allocation for social safety net programmes may not increase much in the next fiscal year.

The government is yet to take any comprehensive corrective measures to tackle macroeconomic challenges as it has not properly assessed the gravity of the situation in the current fiscal year, an economist said.  

The private investment-to-GDP ratio in Bangladesh declined in the current fiscal year owing to a lower confidence among investors amid the persisting dollar crisis and global uncertainty, higher inflation and a fall in demand for goods in international markets.

Reforms following the IMF prescription should not harm disadvantaged groups

The upcoming budget poses significant challenges – arguably the most challenging in recent times – for economic policymaking in Bangladesh.

Life insurance companies in Bangladesh have continued to put more than half of their investments in treasury bills and bonds in the absence of diversified investment opportunities, official figures showed. 

“This is Mohammadpur, get off,” a child yelled out to the passengers of a leguna, otherwise known as human hauliers, which had reached the area as early as 7:00am.

Inflation dropped in rural areas in April from a month ago but went up in urban areas, data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) showed yesterday.

Inflation in Bangladesh fell slightly to 9.24 per cent in April, driven by a decline in food prices, although it still remains at an elevated level compared to historic trends, official figures showed yesterday.

Inflation fell to 9.24 per cent in April from a month earlier, data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics showed today.

We have the chance to reshape the world we live in – economically, socially, and environmentally.

The Bangladesh Bank has decided to implement a market-based interest rate from July, moving away from the 9 per cent interest rate cap on loans, an initiative that may help the central bank uses its policy rates effectively in its fight against higher inflation.   

The demand for electric fans has increased significantly in Bangladesh as the scorching summer heat has become nigh unbearable in recent times.

Inflation in Bangladesh jumped to a seven-month high of 9.33 per cent in March as food prices rose and the adjustment of oil, gas, and electricity prices took hold, highlighting the pains low-income households are going through.