4 major bridges to get advanced monitoring system
19 August 2026
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.
19 August 2026
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
$500m at best from WB this fiscal
The government can expect budget support of $500 million at best from the World Bank this fiscal year after it failed to implement key reforms that would have unlocked the entire $1 billion it was seeking.
5 March 2023
Dhaka, Delhi discussing de-dollarisation
Bangladesh and India are in talks about doing away with the dollar as the official currency for payments between the two countries -- a development that would bring down the cost of trade as well as the conversion rate losses for businesses and ordinary people.
3 March 2023
No more austerity
The government has officially abandoned the austerity stance it took on at the beginning of the fiscal year as it deems the economy is nearing good health.
2 March 2023
Moody’s sounds alarm bells on banking sector
Major global rating agency Moody’s yesterday downgraded its outlook of Bangladesh’s banking system from stable to negative -- a crushing development that is set to make foreign transactions trickier and costlier for businesses and banks.
2 March 2023
ADP execution rate in Jul-Jan lowest in 3 years
The first seven months of the current fiscal year of 2022-23 saw the lowest implementation rate of the annual development programme (ADP) in the last three years, with only 28.16 per cent of the total outlay being spent till January.
28 February 2023
Health, edn to get chop in ADP
Health and education are set to get the biggest chop in the revised development budget for this fiscal year, when the International Monetary Fund has stipulated more spending in the two sectors as part of its $4.7 billion loan programme.
28 February 2023
Dollar crunch raises spectre of load-shedding
Private power plants that use furnace oil risk facing severe shortage of fuel and this may result in power cuts during the hottest months of this year.
26 February 2023
Address out-of-pocket spending on healthcare
Bangladesh could explore health financing reforms that increase public financing for the health sector to reduce out-of-pocket spending, which is threatening to undermine national poverty reduction efforts, said the World Bank in a recent study.
25 February 2023
The devil is in implementation
Bangladesh’s economic crisis will not go away if the government does not strictly adhere to the conditions tagged with the International Monetary Fund’s 42-month loan programme, said the lender’s top official.
24 February 2023
Spike in funding costs to hurt banks’ profitability
Weak banks in Bangladesh with small holdings of government securities, which are used to mobilise funds either from the central bank or peers, may become more vulnerable in the days to come, Moody’s Investors Service warned yesterday.
23 February 2023
IMF getting BB ready for post-LDC world
Bangladesh’s preparation for LDC graduation would start in earnest with the International Monetary Fund’s 42-month loan programme, where one of the objectives is to overhaul the monetary and exchange rate policies to meet the needs of an open economy.
20 February 2023
IMF watching economy like a hawk
The International Monetary Fund would be watching the Bangladesh economy like a hawk, stipulating an extensive list of data reporting regularly as part of the conditions agreed upon for the $4.7 billion loan programme.
19 February 2023
Public Procurement: Focus to shift from lowest offer in tender
The government is poised to adopt a set of guidelines that will fundamentally change the way 40 percent of the annual budget is spent, focusing on the whole life cycle cost of goods and services rather than the lowest tender offer in public procurement.
18 February 2023
LNG Spot Purchase: Another cargo on way at lesser price
Bangladesh has ramped up its activity in the international spot market for liquefied natural gas after the recess of seven months, purchasing yet another cargo in a space of two weeks as the government looks to ensure adequate supply ahead of Ramadan and the summer months.
13 February 2023
Per capita external debt doubles in 7 years
The country’s per capita external debt currently stands at more than double from what was seven years ago as both public and private sector foreign loans have seen an increase by this time.
13 February 2023
Private sector’s foreign debt down by over $1b
The private sector’s foreign debt decreased by 4.3 per cent, or more than $1 billion, in the second quarter of the current fiscal year following Bangladesh Bank’s strict measures to control imports.
13 February 2023
Record subsidy allocation not enough
The record subsidy allocation of Tk 82,745 crore is set to be topped up with another Tk 27,360 crore in the revised budget in the face of demands from ministries even after the notable price hike of gas, electricity and fuel.
9 February 2023
No chance of debt distress
Bangladesh has a low risk of external and overall debt distress despite higher external borrowing in recent terms, said the International Monetary Fund.
6 February 2023
Weak banking sector, Achilles’ heel of economy
The International Monetary Fund has identified the problems in the banking system, including the high volume of defaulted loans, as one of the three domestic risks that derail the economy in the short- to medium-term.
5 February 2023
$6b more to come from dev partners
Bangladesh is expected to get about $6 billion over the next four years from development partners other than the International Monetary Fund to meet the development financing needs, particularly to address climate change challenges.
4 February 2023