Business Plus / From ‘basket case’ to billion-dollar borrower
13 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Bangladesh once relied heavily on foreign aid but gradually reduced its dependence on donor support
13 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Relief for low-income groups, businesses
12 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The proposed budget offers modest relief to low-income groups, while businesses and domestic industries can breathe easier as they have been spared major tax hikes.
12 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Budget FY27: Who stands to win and lose from tax changes
11 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The BNP government is set to unveil a series of tax measures in the new budget for fiscal year 2026-27 today, offering incentives for green industries, digital entrepreneurs and technology manufacturers, while imposing higher taxes on tobacco products, conventional fuel-powered vehicles and selected imports.
11 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Solar power, EVs set to gain from green budget measures
10 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Finance ministry officials said a significant share of customs tax incentives in FY27 could be directed towards the solar sector
10 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Budget boost targets entrepreneurs, tech innovators
9 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Startups and IT-based businesses may no longer have to pay turnover tax from the next fiscal year, as the government looks to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation.
9 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt to make BIN mandatory for MFS merchants
9 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The government is set to make it mandatory for businesses to have a Business Identification Number (BIN) to open merchant accounts with mobile financial services (MFS) providers in the fiscal year 2026-27 national budget.
9 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt to unveil 5-yr corporate tax roadmap, with rates unchanged
8 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Tax rates, however, are unlikely to increase
8 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Govt plans tax relief for content creators
7 June 2026, 00:00 AM
May extend metro rail VAT exemption
7 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The hidden cost of healthcare
Private facilities spring up around public hospitals as govt services fall short
1 November 2024, 18:00 PM
Interim govt to strengthen universal pension scheme
The interim government plans to strengthen the universal pension scheme (UPS) with the aim of bringing people from all walks of life under a sustainable social security framework.
30 October 2024, 18:00 PM
ADP spending in first quarter lowest in 15 years
Amid cautious spending by the interim government and disruptions due to political turmoil, the implementation rate of the annual development programme (ADP) in the current fiscal year’s first quarter hit the lowest in at least 15 years.
28 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Revenue receipts fall 6% in Jul-Sep
Revenue collection in the first quarter of the current fiscal year showed a 6 percent year-on-year decline, raising concerns that the interim government’s fiscal space may be squeezed further amid the contractionary monetary policy.
22 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Half of banks’ CSR spending went to disaster management
Of their total corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure, banks spent 45 percent on disaster management violating rules in the first half of 2024, with bankers saying it mainly went to various funds maintained by the Prime Minister’s Office before the political changeover on August 5.
21 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Foreign debt servicing surges 29% in Jul-Sep
Bangladesh’s foreign debt servicing surged 29 percent year-on-year in the first three months of fiscal 2024-25 owing to the country’s expanded foreign loan portfolio and the rise in global interest rates.
20 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Paltry safety net coverage for the poor: A widow gets Tk 550 a month!
Maleka Begum, 70, carries the weight of nearly five decades of widowhood on her shoulders. Since her husband Abul Hossain Gazi died in 1972, her life has been a constant struggle.
17 October 2024, 01:00 AM
New policy limits OMS dealers’ tenure to 5 years
The OMS programme is a public food distribution system under which the government sells rice and flour at subsidised rates through authorised dealers and trucks across the country.
14 October 2024, 05:04 AM
Why the cost of Matarbari deep-sea port project is going up
Four years after its approval, the cost of the Matarbari deep-sea port project in Cox’s Bazar has escalated, while the deadline has been pushed back too.
8 October 2024, 18:00 PM
Debt servicing costs outweigh incoming loans
Bangladesh’s cost to service loans from multilateral and bilateral lenders surpassed the amount received from them during the first two months of fiscal year (FY) 2024-25, indicating that the country’s already fragile foreign exchange reserves may be stressed further.
30 September 2024, 18:00 PM
Revenue receipts drop 11% in July-Aug
The government’s revenue collection in the first two months of the current fiscal year has been 11 percent lower year-on-year, which the tax administration attributed to the recent political unrest and the interim government’s emphasis on doing away with inflated figures.
23 September 2024, 18:00 PM
Duty exemptions surged 20% in FY23
Duty exemptions provided by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have been increasing over the years despite Bangladesh’s low tax-to-GDP ratio and the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recommendation to rationalise such expenses.
18 September 2024, 18:00 PM
Inflation eases in August but stays above 10%
Inflation eased in August but remained at over 10 percent, as higher prices of goods and services continued to strain the purchasing power of consumers.
8 September 2024, 18:00 PM
Real estate still a haven for black money
The scope for legalising undisclosed income without facing any questions remains as the tax administration has not scrapped the provision of whitening black money in case of the purchase of flats and land, raising criticism.
4 September 2024, 18:00 PM
Hike in airfreight puts vegetable and fruit exporters in trouble
Fresh vegetable and fruit exporters are apprehending a drop in sales of perishables following a hike in cargo freights, particularly by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, last month..Biman, the state carrier, hiked cargo fares in August anywhere from 56 percent to 150 percent depending on the rout
2 September 2024, 16:10 PM
Industrial output growth slows to four-year low
Industrial output in Bangladesh grew at its slowest pace since the Covid-19 pandemic, hitting 6.66 percent last fiscal year owing to declining exports, import restrictions and a slowdown in domestic demand due to persistent inflation.
31 August 2024, 18:00 PM
How life is like when prices go through the roof
Fatima Khatun, dressed in a washed-out kameez, came to Muslim Bazar in Mirpur 12 to shop with her four-year-old son on August 16.
30 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Is govt action enough to curb inflation?
Persistent inflationary pressure, particularly in terms of food inflation, has been taking a toll on low- and fixed-income people in Bangladesh, forcing them to spend most of their income on nutrition.
30 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Workers bear the brunt of politically motivated attacks on businesses
Vandalism and arson attacks on factories since earlier this month have created deep concerns among entrepreneurs and plunged thousands of employees who work in these firms into uncertainty.
27 August 2024, 18:00 PM
Data anarchy in revenue and expenditure continues
Although the authorities took steps to eliminate mismatches in export data in recent months, discrepancies in the data of revenue collection and expenditure among government agencies continue to persist.
26 August 2024, 18:00 PM