Local prefabricated steel industry hits demand slump
9 August 2026
Public sector demand for locally manufactured prefabricated steel has dropped by nearly 90 percent
9 August 2026
Predictable policies key to attracting FDI
2 August 2026
Despite its large market and young workforce, Bangladesh trails regional peers in attracting foreign direct investment due to policy uncertainty, weak logistics and unreliable energy, according to Rupali Chowdhury, president of the Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
2 August 2026
Chinese footprint widens in Bangladesh’s economic landscape
2 August 2026
China became Bangladesh’s second-largest source of net FDI in 2025, accounting for more than 18 percent of total inflows
2 August 2026
Industries reel under gas crisis
26 July 2026
Bangladesh’s industrial sector is taking a heavy hit from the worsening gas crisis, which is raising operating costs and threatening the country’s export competitiveness.
26 July 2026
Construction sector loses steam
21 July 2026
The country’s construction sector is facing one of its worst slowdowns in years as weaker public development spending, slower private investment and high borrowing costs reduce demand for housing and construction materials.
21 July 2026
Will ‘Invest Bangladesh’ make investing easier?
20 July 2026
Invest Bangladesh -- about to become the country’s sole investment promotion agency -- cannot remove every roadblock on its own
20 July 2026
Will 'Invest Bangladesh' make investing easier?
19 July 2026
The new authority promises a genuine one-stop service through integrated digital platforms, statutory timelines for approvals and a single-window clearance system
19 July 2026
Non-leather footwear exports stall, miss global boom
19 July 2026
After rebounding strongly over two years, the non-leather footwear exports lost momentum in the last fiscal year, logging only 1.6 percent growth as manufacturers grappled with high borrowing costs, capacity constraints and lingering political uncertainty.
19 July 2026
Footwear exporters see opportunity in US tariffs
As the United States moves to impose reciprocal tariffs, concerns are mounting among Bangladeshi exporters, particularly in the footwear and pharmaceutical sectors, over potential implications for the country’s trade prospects.
3 April 2025
Yunus-Modi meet: Restoring mutual trust key objective
Restoring confidence in Dhaka-Delhi ties will be the key objective of the meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok today, diplomatic sources said.
3 April 2025
Rural demand fuels Eid electronics sales
Rural people have emerged as key consumers of home appliances ahead of this year’s Eid festival, as surging remittance inflows and good prices for agricultural produce, particularly rice, have boosted their purchasing power, according to electronics manufacturers and sellers.
29 March 2025
Half of Japanese firms optimistic about profit growth in 2025: survey
After a challenging year, Japanese companies in Bangladesh are eyeing 2025 with cautious optimism, as 50 percent anticipate a rise in operating profits despite persistent hurdles.
22 March 2025
Consumer uncertainty weighs on electronics sales
The electronics and home appliance sector in Bangladesh is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent years due to inflation, currency devaluation and declining consumer spending on non-essential items.
15 March 2025
Falling SME sales shake economic backbone
If the macroeconomic stress does not ease soon, these small ventures, which contribute 32 percent of the country's GDP and employ 85 percent of the industrial workforce, face closure.
15 March 2025
Economic slowdown lowers container handling at Mongla port
Mongla port, the second largest seaport in Bangladesh, witnessed a sharp decline in container handling throughout the first seven months of the current fiscal year (FY), with growing economic constraints eroding business activities in the country.
15 March 2025
A business titan with unshakable ethical values
The business world often thrives on boldness, but in Syed Manzur Elahi, Bangladesh found something more: a quiet fortitude, a moral compass, and an entrepreneurial mind that always seeks to build.
12 March 2025
Syed Manzur Elahi: a visionary entrepreneur and nation-builder
Syed Manzur Elahi was one of Bangladesh’s most distinguished industrialists and entrepreneurs.
12 March 2025
Bangladesh needs one lakh flats annually
Bangladesh requires around 100,000 new apartments every year. Despite having the capacity to meet this demand, realtors can only supply 8 percent of the required units, leaving a substantial gap.
8 March 2025
Corruption still unbridled for businesses
Although the interim government is focusing on reforms and new measures, corruption remains a major concern for businesses. Instead of waning, demands for undue payments by public officials have increased in some cases, said a top industrialist.
1 March 2025
Declining investments dampen growth outlook
Bangladesh’s investment-to-GDP ratio declined by 0.25 percentage points to 30.70 percent in the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24, according to official data, signalling a potential slowdown in future economic growth.
13 February 2025
Local AC industry seeks ‘fair’ govt procurement policy
Local air conditioner (AC) manufacturers in Bangladesh are pushing for “fair” government procurement policies, arguing that existing rules favour foreign brands despite local companies meeting global standards.
8 February 2025
In fragile trust, economy falters
Over the last several years, Ahsan, a rickshaw puller in his 50s, has been eagerly waiting for relief from the high prices of food and other essentials. Days and months have passed, but his pursuit of a better living by escaping the curse of elevated inflation has remained a distant dream.
8 February 2025
Waning foreign investment a wake-up call for policymakers
The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Bangladesh is facing critical challenges as a plethora of factors have caused it to stagnate to a mere 0.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in recent years.
25 January 2025
Bangladesh must switch to hollow blocks to reduce pollution
Clay bricks cost Tk 12 per piece. A hollow block, which is four times larger than a clay brick, is priced at Tk 50.
22 January 2025
Chinese firms bullish on manmade fibre exports to Bangladesh
Non-cotton garments are particularly lucrative, fetching higher prices than traditional cottonwear for having better flexibility, durability
18 January 2025
Motorcycle sales hit six-year low
Interestingly, the premium motorcycle segment bucked the trend, showing significant growth in 2024.
18 January 2025
Polythene ban: A litmus test for will and eco-innovation
Although Bangladesh became the first country in the world to announce a complete ban on the use of polythene bags in 2002, strict enforcement of the much-lauded initiative has only started taking shape recently.
17 January 2025
Inflation, political uncertainty eat through furniture recovery
After two years of sluggish business, local furniture makers saw a slight improvement in sales in June, only to meet with nationwide student protests culminating in a fierce anti-government campaign that ultimately ousted the Awami League regime in early August.
28 December 2024