A mega project largely deserted
19 September 2026
Tk 15,691cr spent, but Payra Port activities far below its commercial potential
19 September 2026
Spouse to get pension until 80 after death of pensioner
18 September 2026
The National Pension Authority (NPA) yesterday decided to extend the age limit for a spouse to receive a pension after the pensioner’s death to 80 years from 75 and introduce an Islamic version of the Universal Pension Scheme.
18 September 2026
Three metro projects get go-ahead, costing Tk 2.5 lakh crore
17 September 2026
The government yesterday approved the construction of three metro rail lines for Dhaka at an estimated cost of nearly Tk 2.5 lakh crore.
17 September 2026
Bogura-Sirajganj rail line / 8 years on, project costs to jump 89%
16 September 2026
The estimated cost of the direct dual-gauge railway line project connecting Bogura and Sirajganj has jumped nearly 89 percent to Tk 10,391 crore, with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) set to fund 71 percent of the total project costs.
16 September 2026
Cost of MRT-1, 5 trimmed to Tk 2.04 lakh crore
15 September 2026
The revised estimated cost of the Japan-funded Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-1 and Line-5 projects has been set at Tk 2,03,800 crore, down 4.75 percent from an earlier proposal.
15 September 2026
N’ganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur route: Electric trains on the cards
14 September 2026
The government is set to introduce electric trains for the first time in Bangladesh on the 52km Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur route.
14 September 2026
Reserves on rise despite fuel, fertiliser shock
12 September 2026
When war in the Middle East sent fuel prices climbing, Bangladesh looked like an obvious casualty. An import-dependent economy with a thin reserve cushion and a recent history of dollar shortages had every reason to buckle. It has not.
12 September 2026
Energy: Govt okays 18 LNG cargoes from Total Energies
10 September 2026
After approving a long-term deal to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a US-based firm, the government yesterday decided to import at least 18 LNG cargoes from France’s TotalEnergies over the next nine months under a direct purchase arrangement.
10 September 2026
ADB to provide up to $1b by June
The Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide up to $1 billion in budget support by June, but the government must commit to several terms that include reducing the tenure and number of private bank directors.
31 January 2025
Taskforce report: 8 mega projects cost $7.5b more for graft, delay
The initially estimated costs of these projects were $11.2 billion in total
31 January 2025
IMF pushing for 15pc VAT on 213 goods
The International Monetary Fund has set a prior condition for introducing a full 15 percent statutory VAT rate on 213 products before placing the $645 million loan proposal for the fourth tranche to its executive board.
30 January 2025
‘Economy was more dire than people thought’
Finance adviser talks about govt’s 3 strategies to ease economic strain
28 January 2025
Lower-tier govt employees may get dearness allowance
The interim government may consider a dearness allowance for lower-grade government staff to provide respite from the ongoing high inflation.
28 January 2025
Power subsidies may rise 83% this fiscal year
Subsidies for the power sector are likely to balloon 83 percent this fiscal year as the interim government is planning to clear all arrears owed to private power producers.
26 January 2025
11 WB funded projects: Govt set to repurpose $670m loans
As much as $670 million (around Tk 8,200 crore) from slow-moving World Bank-funded projects will be repurposed, with most of the funds going towards budget support as the government looks to navigate the narrow fiscal space amid a slowing economy.
24 January 2025
Interest payments eat up more than half of govt revenue expenses
Over half of the government’s total revenue expenditure during the first four months of the current fiscal year of 2024–25 was on interest payments alone, mainly due to increased borrowing and a rise in the interest rates.
22 January 2025
Govt service delivery: Task force for using AI, social media
A task force formed by the planning ministry is going to recommend the formation of an independent centre for delivering government services via social media and utilising artificial intelligence (AI).
20 January 2025
Govt raises savings rates to cool inflation, woo investors
The interim government has increased interest rates on various national savings certificates to upwards of 12 percent in an effort to make these instruments more attractive to savers and to cool inflation.
15 January 2025
ADP spending fell 19% in Jul-Dec
The implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the first six months of fiscal year 2024-25 was down 19 percent year-on-year, due mainly to political unrest and delay caused by thorough scrutiny of previously approved projects.
14 January 2025
ADP spending fell 19% in Jul-Dec
Tk 50,002 crore was spent in the period
14 January 2025
IMF to crank up pressure to boost tax collection
The International Monetary Fund is set to tighten the noose on the Bangladesh government over its dismal revenue mobilisation...
11 January 2025
Government debt now in uneasy territory
Government debt increased 13.3 percent last fiscal year to a record Tk 18.3 lakh crore, raising concerns about repayment amid the low revenue mobilisation.
9 January 2025
Interest rate on savings certificates to be raised
The interim government is set to increase the interest rates against various savings certificates to upwards of 12 percent as it looks to provide some relief to the fixed income group squeezed by the elevated inflation.
8 January 2025
Private sector investment remains sluggish
Foreign exchange reserves are showing encouraging signs of stability due to record remittance inflows and rising exports, but private sector investment remains a concern for the government.
3 January 2025
ADB attaches 20 conditions to another $600m budget support
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has outlined 20 conditions for Bangladesh to access $600 million in the second tranche of a loan for the implementation of its “Strengthening Economic Management and Governance Program”.
2 January 2025
Has IMF experiment delivered?
Two years after Bangladesh turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $4.7 billion bailout to address its worsening macroeconomic pressures, the nation stands at a crossroads.
21 December 2024
Large budget looms amid high inflation
The government has planned a Tk 8.48 lakh crore budget for the next fiscal year, up 6.3 percent from this year’s budget, as it looks to usher in a period of moderate growth and low inflation.
20 December 2024
Taskforce readies strategies to fix economic fault lines
The planning ministry’s taskforce for sustainable development has drafted a report with proposals to fix the economic fault lines identified by the white paper on the economic state of the country and achieve moderate economic growth.
17 December 2024