In every office, there’s that “corporate friend” who calls you brother but forwards your email to the boss with “just for visibility.” He borrows your charger, your ideas, and occasionally your lunch. At appraisal time, he suddenly develops selective amnesia about team efforts. Yet at office parties, he hugs you, saying, “We survived together!” “We are one team!” In corporate life, friendships are real, just performance-linked and ego-driven.

After a roller coaster period since the reciprocal US tariff was announced in April last year, the cut from 20 percent to 19 percent is modest but offers some relief. Under the new deal, certain Bangladeshi RMG and textile products made with US cotton and man-made fibres can enter the US duty free, with volumes tied to Bangladesh’s purchases. Turning this window into real export gains will require careful planning.

A trade agreement signed between Bangladesh and the United States on February 9, just days before a national election, has drawn sharp criticism from economists and policy observers.

Bangladesh’s recently signed trade deal with the United States promises slight tariff relief but carries deeper implications for fiscal stability, foreign policy and democratic transparency, according to Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

It is difficult for an economy to grow when the engines of growth themselves suffer from fundamental defects.

A statutory audit is not a demand-driven service. It is a legally mandated regulatory requirement.

Bangladesh is entering a decisive phase of its digital journey. With a new government soon to be in place and a young, ambitious population looking towards opportunity, the question is not whether technology will shape the future, but whether the ecosystem is ready to support that transformation.

While I was auditing Indonesia during the Asian financial meltdown, a senior colleague asked me if I had seen any branches of Goldman Sachs or Bankers Trust.

The CEO and board spent three meetings arguing over his bonus, quoting KPIs and “current market conditions.” The consultant calmly billed for conflict management and facilitation, earning more than the bonus, even though they did not attend the final meeting.

Open-end mutual funds are gaining popularity in Bangladesh as retail investors look for diversification, liquidity and professional management.

One of the deepest wounds in the economy today lies in the banking sector.

If salaries are increased as recommended, where will the government find the additional funds?

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority chairman recently said that foreign direct investment has increased significantly, and he hinted that the return of Tarique Rahman could strengthen investor confidence.

There are stories we encounter in passing, and then there are stories that stay with us. The journey of Shanaz Sultana is one of them. It is also the story of thousands of women across Bangladesh building businesses from imagination, grit and digital communities stitched together through WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages.

The major causes of the multifaceted crises facing the country in the recent past have largely been the shortage of foreign currency and the continuous depletion of foreign exchange reserves.

Every society has its unwelcome truth tellers. In Bangladesh, we treat them with refined politeness.

Today, our economy is steered by powerful bodies

Political clarity has therefore emerged as a decisive factor shaping the outlook

Bangladesh’s export engine, long powered by the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, slowed in 2025 amid overlapping domestic and external shocks.

Bangladesh operates one of the most fragmented education systems in the world