Export growth picks up as garment rebounds
2 October 2026
The country’s merchandise exports rose 8.54 percent year-on-year to $3.93 billion in September, helped by a gradual recovery in garment shipments, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) released yesterday.
2 October 2026
News Analysis / RCEP bid moves forward. What now?
28 September 2026
The RCEP ministers approved the establishment of an Ad Hoc Accession Working Group to advance the accession process of Bangladesh, alongside Chile, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka
28 September 2026
LDC deferment proposal gaining major support, Titumir says
27 September 2026
Bangladesh is gaining support from major countries and trade blocs for the country’s proposed LDC graduation deferment at the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA) session, adviser to the prime minister on the ministries of finance and planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir said yesterday.
27 September 2026
Can the US become a top import source for Bangladesh?
25 September 2026
Traditionally, China and India have been the major sourcing destinations
25 September 2026
Rising heat puts Bangladesh’s garment workers at risk
24 September 2026
For Bangladesh, where rising temperatures are increasingly threatening the health and productivity of garment workers, a new heat stress management toolkit from the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) offers manufacturers and global brands a framework to address heat risks in factories.
24 September 2026
Expired cylinder found at Ashulia explosion site
22 September 2026
Omar Sultan, a 38-year-old truck driver, was with colleagues at Pretty Group’s loading and unloading area in Jamgara, Ashulia, around 6:30pm on Sunday when, five minutes later, a massive explosion sent him fleeing.
22 September 2026
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
Labour leaders call for easier union rules
Labour union leaders yesterday suggested that the government amend the labour law, easing the condition of a 20 percent workers’ participation threshold to only 20 workers to facilitate freedom of association.
16 January 2025
Govt to find jobs for 40,000 workers laid off by Beximco
The government is trying to find jobs for 40,000 laid-off workers of Beximco Group in factories within the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (Bepza) and the Bangladesh Export Zones Authority (Beza), a senior labour ministry official said.
14 January 2025
Major trade bodies miss election deadline as reforms take centre stage
Elections at major trade bodies have missed the 90-day deadline as new administrators of the business organisations seek amendments to the governing rules.
9 January 2025
RMG exports grew moderately in 2024 despite headwinds
In spite of turbulent times prevailing both at home and abroad, garment exports from Bangladesh grew in 2024 by 7.23 percent year-on-year to $38.48 billion, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB)..This is due to an increasing demand for clothing with the fall of inflation in major
6 January 2025
Home textile exports bounce back
The export of home textiles is on the path to recovery after nearly one year because of the devaluation of the local currency, increased production capacity and improvement in gas supplies to some extent.
5 January 2025
Businesses’ 2025 wish list is long, but political stability tops all
Businesses hope for the year 2025 to bring about stability as normalcy has started to be restored in businesses following turbulent times both at home and abroad.
1 January 2025
Can apparel industry weather any storm? 2024 offers clues
For the local apparel industry, 2024 was a year marked by challenges, recoveries and a renewed sense of hope as the global market began to brighten -- proving once again the resilience of Bangladesh’s apparel might.
29 December 2024
Beximco lays off 40,000 workers at 15 apparel units
The Beximco Group has laid off nearly 40,000 workers across its 15 apparel units, citing a lack of work orders for its export-oriented garment and textile factories in Dhaka’s outskirts of Gazipur.
18 December 2024
Election to boost business confidence: entrepreneurs
Business leaders, economists and professionals have emphasised that an elected government is essential for restoring confidence in the business community, stabilising law and order, and revitalising the business and investment climate.
16 December 2024
Price of garments exported to the US fall
The prices of major garment items exported to the US declined year-on-year in the January-October period this year as American consumers are yet to recover from heightened inflationary pressures..During the 10 months, the price of men’s cotton woven trousers declined by 7.7 percent, accor
14 December 2024
The trials and tribulations of preparing the white paper
After three months of rigorous work, a white paper panel on the state of the economy revealed all the fault lines that had formed across Bangladesh during the 15 years of rule under the Awami League government, which held power from 2009 until it was ousted by a mass uprising on August 5 this year.
13 December 2024
Financial strains: Govt to sell or lease some Beximco units
The government has decided either to sell the ownership of a good number of Beximco Group companies or find entrepreneurs to lease these units out.
5 December 2024
Continue reforms to retain trade after LDC graduation
The reform initiatives taken by the interim government should be continued as these reforms may pave the way towards a more modern, equal and inclusive Bangladesh, said a top official of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
3 December 2024
Trump’s high tariffs on China may lower edible oil prices globally: importers
The Trump Administration’s imposition of high tariffs on goods made in China may help to reduce the price of soybean seeds and edible oil in Bangladesh, traders and importers said..China’s retaliatory tariffs may also discourage Chinese importers from buying US goods, they added. .If
14 November 2024
With Trump’s win, Bangladesh gets more investment queries from China
Chinese entrepreneurs are increasingly inquiring with Bangladeshi businesses over scope for factory relocations, joint ventures and fresh investments, apprehending that the new Trump administration might further hike tariffs on their exports to the US.
13 November 2024
Why does labour unrest drag on?
Following the political changeover on August 5, the country’s main export-earnings sector, the garments industry, witnessed a large-scale and drawn-out spell of labour unrest in industrial belts such as Savar, Gazipur, Ashulia, Zirabo and Zirani.
12 November 2024
Wage arrears a bane for RMG protesters
Delayed salary payment from a handful of RMG factory owners triggered the latest bout of labour unrest
11 November 2024
Bangladesh to amend labour law by March next year
Bangladesh has committed to amending its labour law by March next year to align it with international standards and meet the 18-point demand raised by workers in September this year.
7 November 2024
‘Business-friendly environment remains elusive’
A congenial business environment is yet to be restored under the interim government, said Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Pharmaceuticals.
6 November 2024
What does Trump 2.0 mean for businesses in Bangladesh?
For local business communities, Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race has been shorthand for the expectation that Western apparel orders and some foreign investments would shift to Bangladesh, with global fashion powerhouse China possibly facing higher import tariffs from the US.
6 November 2024