SPOTLIGHT / BATEXPO returns after 12-year hiatus
17 September 2026
After a 12-year pause, the Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exhibition (BATEXPO), a flagship event of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), is returning this year.
17 September 2026
Bangladesh’s garment prices in EU less than half of Vietnam’s
17 September 2026
Bangladesh sells garment items to the European Union (EU) at less than half the prices of those from Vietnam because of the lack of high-value garment items in Bangladesh’s export basket.
17 September 2026
Bangladesh's garment prices in EU less than half of Vietnam's
16 September 2026
In the price chart, Bangladesh is only above Pakistan, the cheapest supplier.
16 September 2026
Labour law enforcement now Bangladesh’s key test: ILO chief
16 September 2026
Bangladesh has made significant progress in reforming its labour laws, but the real test now lies in implementation, particularly enforcement of the Labour Act, freedom of association in export processing zones and the effectiveness of labour inspections, according to Gilbert F Houngbo, director general of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
16 September 2026
Energy roadmap key to attracting more US investment
11 September 2026
An energy security roadmap, an enabling investment climate and timely policies are among the major tasks for the government to attract more American investment in Bangladesh, said Syed Mohammad Kamal, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham).
11 September 2026
Millers hail withdrawal of zero duty on yarn
9 September 2026
The government has withdrawn the zero-duty import facility under the bond for 10 to 30 count cotton yarn, aiming to protect local textile millers.
9 September 2026
Bangladesh makes final push to defer LDC graduation
8 September 2026
The 81st UN General Assembly opens in New York today, with a decision on the deferment expected during the session
8 September 2026
Analysis / Bangladesh’s costly trade fallacy
7 September 2026
Not once, but twice since February, United States courts have gutted the legal basis for Washington’s global tariff threats, including against Bangladesh.
7 September 2026
A visionary who blazed trails for many
MA Hashem, a business tycoon, started as a humble tobacco trader in the early 1960s before becoming one of the leading entrepreneurs and industrialists in Bangladesh.
24 December 2020
Changing demands prove a boon for Lotto
The ongoing pandemic has been a blessing for Lotto Sport Italia as it enjoyed increased sales in Bangladesh for the past several months following a boom in the demand for low-cost, non-leather footwear products.
20 December 2020
From RMG worker to valedictorian
Five years ago, Sadeka Begum had reached a crossroads. Looking to avoid early marriage, she left her remote village and came to Dhaka, and took up work at at an RMG factory as a floor worker.
16 December 2020
Covid restrictions in Europe add to woes of garment suppliers
Lockdowns and tightening of coronavirus restrictions ahead of Christmas in several European countries to tackle the second wave of infections have started adding to the woes of garment exporters in Bangladesh.
16 December 2020
Women garment workers on the decline
Rapid automation, wage hikes and complex production process in the garment sector and marriages have narrowed the female workers’ participation in the apparel industry in Bangladesh, according to a survey.
14 December 2020
Garment exporters face storm as new orders drop
Apparel makers are once again facing trying times.
13 December 2020
Negotiations for FTA with Asean underway
Bangladesh has formally initiated negotiations with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) to sign a free trade agreement to enjoy greater market access in the bloc after graduating from the least developed country grouping.
13 December 2020
Garment sector to lose $4b in EU if duty-free benefit ends
Bangladesh’s garment exporters will lose $4 billion if the duty-free trade benefit for the country comes to an end in the European Union following its graduation to a developing nation, according to a new study.
6 December 2020
Bangladesh signs trade deal with Bhutan today
Bangladesh will ink its maiden preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bhutan as the country looks to retain duty benefits following its graduation to a developing country from the least developed nation category.
5 December 2020
High-end products still a long way off
Bangladesh’s apparel industry is struggling to graduate to a producer of high-end items despite being in the business for four decades and one of the top suppliers globally, missing out on the opportunity to receive premium prices from international retailers and brands.
5 December 2020
November export receipts highest in four months
Merchandise exports bounced back in November, rising 0.76 per cent year-on-year to $3.07 billion helped by garment, home textile and jute goods shipment, official data showed yesterday.
3 December 2020
Bangladesh’s real wage suffers steepest plunge in Asia: ILO
Workers in Bangladesh witnessed the sharpest fall in their real wages among their peers in Asia and the Pacific in the last decade despite higher productivity gains, according to a new report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
2 December 2020
Workers continue demos for dues
Nearly 400 workers of an Italian-owned factory shuttered by the pandemic yesterday attempted to lay siege to the labour and employment ministry at the Secretariat demanding dues.
1 December 2020
‘Our engagement will grow across the board’
The US is optimistic about deepening ties with Bangladesh as the country’s exports to American markets have maintained a robust growth while investors are looking to widen their footprint in the South Asian nation, US Ambassador Earl R Miller said.
1 December 2020
I see no change in US-Bangla ties
US engagement with Bangladesh on trade, economic and defence fronts has increased in recent months. In September, the countries signed an open sky deal and held comprehensive economic partnership dialogues.
1 December 2020
Trade fair hangs in balance for pandemic
Traffic movement through the capital’s Agargaon area will be a lot smoother than usual from next January as the government has decided to relocate the Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to Purbachal.
28 November 2020
Govt likely to ease rules on duty-free fabric use to export high-end apparels
The government may ease the rules on the use of fabric imported duty-free to help local manufacturers shift to high-end apparels and boost export earnings as firms generate more waste while producing fancy items for international markets.
28 November 2020
Bangladesh pays industrial victims way less than ILO standard
The amount of compensation legally payable to victims of industrial incidents in Bangladesh is far below than the provisions of the ILO Convention 121, said Tuomo Poutiainen, country director of the International Labour Organisation.
24 November 2020
Task now to take forward safety progresses
Bangladesh should continue to take forward the progress achieved in ensuring workplace safety following the two deadliest back-to-back industrial incidents to prevent a recurrence and save the lives of workers.
23 November 2020
Denim Expert: a champion in sustainability
Despite facing numerous work order cancellations and subsequent suspension of most exports due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Denim Expert Ltd did not lay off any of its workers.
22 November 2020