4 major bridges to get advanced monitoring system
4 HOUR(s)
The government is set to introduce an advanced Structural Health Monitoring System (SHMS) on a pilot basis for four major bridges to improve structural safety, enable real-time monitoring, and extend the lifespan of key transport infrastructure across the country.
4 HOUR(s)
MRT Line 1 and 5: Pricey dollar, inflation to double costs
18 August 2026
The Metro Rail Line-1 and -5 could end up costing more than double the original estimate because of the appreciation of the US dollar, inflation, and new taxes, found the government’s independent expert committee.
18 August 2026
The bridge that never came to be
17 August 2026
Khaleque Bhuiyan still remembers the day the piling equipment arrived at Payrakunj, seven kilometres from Patuakhali town, a spot where a bridge over the Payra river was finally meant to rise.
17 August 2026
Tk 567cr project on cards to tackle Dhaka waterlogging
17 August 2026
The government is set to undertake a Tk 567 crore project in its first phase, backed by World Bank funding, to protect the capital and surrounding areas from severe flooding and waterlogging.
17 August 2026
Patuakhali pins hopes on EPZ for jobs, industrialisation
16 August 2026
A total of 306 plots will be created in the EPZ and divided into three categories
16 August 2026
Family card: A cushion for those struggling to get by
9 August 2026
On a low-lying island in Patuakhali, 32-year-old Tanjila Begum’s husband works irregularly as a day labourer in nearby watermelon fields, where seasonal tidal surges often destroy crops and wipe out daily earnings.
9 August 2026
Govt debt edges up 5% to nearly Tk 23 lakh crore
5 August 2026
The government’s total debt stock reached Tk 22.6 lakh crore at the end of March, a surge that is set to increased the debt servicing burden and put pressure on budget implementation.
5 August 2026
Tk 32,554cr plan for Dhaka’s water future
24 July 2026
The government has unveiled a Tk 32,554 crore plan to strengthen Dhaka’s water security by developing five large reservoirs around the capital to reduce dependence on rapidly depleting groundwater.
24 July 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